Patrick Stewart is speaking out against the rise of green screen acting, particularly within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The “X-Men” alum, who reprised his iconic role of Professor X in 2022’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” said during a recent appearance on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that it’s “been challenging” acting “alone” with a green screen.
“I think the big scene, each one of the leading actors had the same experience. They were shot on their own,” Stewart said of his cameo. “It was frustrating and disappointing, but that’s how it has been. The last few years have been challenging.”
During the “Doctor Strange” sequel, Stewart appears alongside in another multiverse realm as a still-alive Charles Xavier AKA Professor X, serving on the Illuminati counsel with Mr. Fantastic (John Krasinski), Captain Marvel (Lashana Lynch), and Captain Britain (Hayley Atwell). Apparently, none of the actors were together for the scene. IndieWire has reached out to Marvel’s parent company Disney for comment.
During the podcast, Stewart hinted at possibly returning as Professor X once more, revealing that he was approached for another cameo in upcoming “Deadpool 3.”
“I have every confidence he’s still around,” Stewart said of his character. “The last two or three years have been so difficult with the labor problems and the health problems and COVID.”
Of course, Stewart isn’t the first star to address green screen acting in superhero films. “Thor” star Anthony Hopkins called acting “pointless” with the effects, and Christian Bale said it would have been “pitiful” to practice Method acting alongside a green screen.
“The definition of it is monotony,” Bale told GQ in 2022. “Can you differentiate one day from the next? No. Absolutely not. You have no idea what to do. I couldn’t even differentiate one stage from the next.”
Marvel staple Chris Evans, who played Captain America for more than a decade, admitted that it is more “helpful” to have practical effects than digital ones in the MCU, comparing his experience on “Snowpiercer” with the superhero franchise.
“[It was] incredibly helpful with the tangible environment as opposed to Marvel when you’re talking to green screens, imaginary aliens,” Evans said in a GQ video. “Everything was right there and you could touch.”
