Who Outlives Them All? The Life Span Showdown: Star Trek's Picard vs Professor X
Discover the timeless heroes as we compare the longevity of Star Trek's Jean-Luc Picard and X-Men's Professor X Explore whether Patrick Stewart will reprise his iconic roles, leaving fans eagerly awaiting their next adventures
Summary
Patrick Stewart has portrayed two iconic heroes, Jean-Luc Picard and Professor X, and both characters have complex timelines and varying deaths and rebirths.
Jean-Luc Picard dies from what seems to be Irumodic Syndrome in Star Trek, but is then revived in the form of a synthetic android. On the other hand, Professor X encounters multiple deaths across various timelines.
The return of Patrick Stewart in his roles as Picard or Xavier remains uncertain, although he is receptive to the idea. In the meantime, it is anticipated that the X-Men franchise will undergo a reboot within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Patrick Stewart has portrayed two iconic characters, Admiral Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek and Professor X from X-Men. Determining which character lives longer is a complicated matter. Stewart first appeared as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which debuted in 1987. After seven seasons and four TNG movies, Stewart became a household name as Picard. Nearly 20 years later, he reprised the role for three seasons of Star Trek: Picard.
In the midst of his Star Trek tenure, from 1998's Star Trek: Insurrection to 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis, Patrick Stewart also joined the X-Men franchise as Professor Charles Xavier. This marked his second major franchise following his time with Star Trek: The Next Generation movies. Stewart portrayed Professor X in X2: X-Men United (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), and Logan (2017), with cameos in the end-credits scenes of X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and The Wolverine (2013). He returned as an alternate reality Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).
How Old Is Star Trek’s Jean-Luc Picard Vs. X-Men’s Professor X
Patrick Stewart's characters Jean-Luc Picard and Professor X are roughly the same age, although their lifespans are complicated by their deaths and resurrections. In the Star Trek universe, Jean-Luc Picard was born in 2305 and serves as the Captain of the USS Enterprise-D and E from 2364 to 2385, eventually becoming an Admiral before retiring from Starfleet. In the first season of Star Trek: Picard, Jean-Luc dies from Irumodic Syndrome, later revealed to be due to organic Borg DNA, and is resurrected in a synthetic android body. At the time of his death in 2399, Picard is 94 years old, and in the third season of Star Trek: Picard, set in 2402, he reaches the age of 97 with no sign of aging.
The story of Professor X in the X-Men movie franchise is even more complicated. Charles Xavier was born in 1932 and establishes the Xavier School for Gifted Youngers in 1965. In X-Men: The Last Stand, which takes place in 2006, Professor X is killed by Jean Grey at the age of 74. However, he is somehow resurrected, and the events of X-Men: Days of Future Past create a new timeline. In the film Logan, set in yet another timeline, 97-year-old Charles Xavier is murdered by X-24 in 2029. In another alternate reality shown in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Xavier is killed by Scarlet Witch in 2025 at the age of 93.
Will Patrick Stewart Play Picard Or Professor X Again?
The lifespan of characters like Jean-Luc Picard and Professor X, whether in the futuristic world of Star Trek or the different realities of Marvel's X-Men, remains uncertain. Patrick Stewart, known for portraying these iconic characters, continues to showcase their heroism well into his 90s. The question that arises is whether Stewart will reprise his roles as Admiral Picard or Charles Xavier. While the actor never dismisses the possibility, he expresses his desire to portray Jean-Luc Picard once more, potentially in a Star Trek: Picard film or the proposed spinoff, Star Trek: Legacy, in its third season.
At the same time, the X-Men are set to undergo a reboot and join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is highly probable that Marvel Studios will cast a new actor to portray Professor X, as James McAvoy previously depicted the younger version of Patrick Stewart's Xavier in several films. Currently at the age of 83, Stewart has been playing the older iterations of Jean-Luc Picard and Professor X for quite some time. It is likely that he would gladly continue these roles for as long as the Star Trek and X-Men franchises permit.
