We’ve been blessed with some really great superhero movies this year. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Wonder Woman have all made lots of cash and achieved much critical acclaim, but the one that will go down as the best is probably Logan. The mature, gritty blockbuster gave us a much more grounded take on the character of Wolverine, with some excellent work from director James Mangold and star Hugh Jackson that ensured it was a complete triumph.
Let’s not forget the stellar performance from Patrick Stewart, either, as a nonagenarian Charles Xavier, now suffering from dementia. It was perhaps the actor’s finest work in the whole X-Men movie franchise but initially, Sir Pat was hesitant to sign up for Logan.
Here’s what Stewart told The Mirror in a recent interview.
“There might have been moments before Logan when I thought, ‘If I do this and I really go for it, am I only going to get cast as geriatrics from now on?’ I am not quite there yet [laughs]! … Will people say, ‘Oh, no, we can’t have him playing a healthy, fit individual. He is just too weak and frail and old.’ But screw it! It was so much fun.”
Stewart went on to say that he was inspired to join up thanks to the freedom it gave him to really explore the character in such a vulnerable position. And the fact that it meant he got to hang out with his old pal Hugh Jackman.
“Then when I met James Mangold and found that he too really wanted to push into the depths of Charles’s distress and despair and confusion and anger and fury – as well as his unpredictability – I was all for it. And I enjoyed every aspect of it, particularly given that I was going to be sharing almost all of my time with Hugh.”
All in all, it seems that Patrick Stewart’s very happy with his decision to do Logan – as are X-Men fans everywhere. The actor has also announced that this is likely his final appearance as Professor X, so at least he got to send the character off in an outstanding, moving way.
