Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart’s time as X-Men stars Wolverine and Professor X will officially go down in the record books. Although Marvel’s mutant characters are likely heading for a reboot once Disney and Fox’s deal completes, their big screen history began all the way back in 2000. The live-action movie helped push the superhero genre into the mainstream of Hollywood and introduced now iconic portrayals of several X-Men.
Jackman’s Wolverine was the centerpiece of the main trilogy, but Stewart’s Professor X played a prominent role in his own right. However, after the disappointing ending to the first trilogy, both actors and characters received more screentime in future installments. Jackman began to star in Wolverine spinoff movies and cameo in X-Men: First Class, but then both were folded into the larger story in X-Men: Days of Future Past. They both then agreed to return one more time for Logan, which served as a swan song to both of their portrayals.
The longevity of their appearances has not been taken for granted by fans and now they’ve both etched their place in history. Guinness World Records officially announced that Jackman and Stewart have set the record for the “longest career as a live action Marvel superhero.” Thanks to their run that began with 2000’s X-Men and ended in 2016’s Logan, they both played their roles for 16 years and 228 days officially. They’ll be added to the 2020 edition of the book.
This is quite the accomplishment for both Jackman and Stewart and likely one they never imagined would come when they first signed on for their roles. Despite the ups and downs of the franchise, both men continued to return to dive deeper into these characters. However, Jackman still has Stewart beat when it comes to the number of appearances made, with Jackman making nine appearances to Stewart’s seven. So even though they may have started and ended their careers the same way, the usage of them isn’t quite the same.
The good news for Jackman and Stewart may not stop here either, as their record is still years away from even possibly being touched. As much praise as the Marvel Cinematic Universe has received, Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jon Favreau have the best shots right now of breaking the record - and they’re all still five years away from doing it. This should be good news for Jackman and Stewart since Downey is expected to leave the MCU after Avengers: Endgame and Paltrow recently confirmed she’ll likely do the same. Both Jackson and Favreau will appear in Spider-Man: Far From Home later this summer, officially making them tied for the MCU’s record. If both of them can stick around till 2025, then they could snatch this record away. But until then, Jackman and Stewart’s names will continue to hold this title and it is all thanks to X-Men.
MORE: Casting The MCU’s Wolverine: The Best Hugh Jackman Replacements
Source: Guinness World Records
