RIP Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart Tribute

New Rockstars host Eric Voss pays tribute to Sir Patrick Stewart, reflecting on his death at 86 and the poignancy of his upcoming appearance as Professor Charles Xavier in Avengers: Judgment Day, described as his final film role.

Career and Legacy

The video looks back at Stewart’s wide-ranging career, from his Shakespearean training to his defining roles as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor X in the X-Men films.

Voss argues that Stewart’s casting helped give the original X-Men films credibility and bring superhero stories into the cultural mainstream. He also recalls Stewart’s return in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and says the forthcoming Avengers film now feels like a particularly meaningful reunion with the character.

Tributes from Colleagues

Tributes from Kevin Feige, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, William Shatner, Dafne Keen, Marvel Studios, and directors Joe and Anthony Russo emphasize Stewart’s warmth, humor, integrity, generosity, and humanity. McKellen’s remembrance also celebrates Stewart’s Yorkshire roots and his accomplishments on stage as well as on screen.

Voss’s Personal Memories

Voss shares his own emotional connection to Stewart, recalling how seeing Professor X made him feel that a film was in safe hands. He also describes using Stewart’s distinctive voice to get his son Logan’s attention.

Voss celebrates Stewart’s willingness to take on unexpected comic performances, including a memorable appearance in Ricky Gervais’s Extras and his famously deadpan introduction of Salt-N-Pepa on Saturday Night Live.

A Closing Reflection

The tribute considers how Stewart’s death may change the way audiences view Avengers: Judgment Day, especially scenes that hint at Professor X facing death. Voss reflects on Picard’s view of time as a companion rather than a predator, then closes with Stewart reading the final passage of The Last Battle—a hopeful thought about stories continuing beyond their apparent endings.

Personalities Featured or Quoted

Eric Voss, Patrick Stewart, Kevin Feige, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, William Shatner, Dafne Keen, Joe Russo, and Anthony Russo.