Hollywood Pays Final Tribute to Patrick Stewart: 'Godspeed, Captain,' Writes Wheaton; Shatner Calls Him a Magnificent Actor

Hollywood is mourning Sir Patrick Stewart, the beloved actor known for 'Star Trek' and the 'X-Men' franchises, following the Thursday announcement of his death.

Stewart died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 86. His spokesperson announced his death in a statement on social media, saying the actor died following a 'brief and poignant journey' with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was among those paying tribute, reflecting on their time working together on the 'X-Men' films. Feige said he would never forget the first time he saw Stewart on the set of the first X-Men: after years of knowing him as the inimitable Captain Picard, he was in awe — and Stewart turned out to be everything he had seen on screen and more: brilliant, charming, warm and generous, with a quiet strength and gravitas.

Feige also recalled Stewart's personality offscreen, describing a wonderfully sharp sense of humor. It was a true privilege to know him and to work with him, Feige said, adding that his legacy lives on not only in decades of extraordinary work but in the many people he mentored.

Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment honored Stewart in a joint Instagram post, remembering his portrayal of Professor Charles Xavier in the 'X-Men' franchise, which started in 2000. Marvel praised him for bringing the character to life with grace, intelligence and humanity, leaving a lasting impression on generations of fans. He will appear as Xavier in the upcoming 'Avengers: Doomsday,' which comes to theaters on Dec. 18.

Marvel called him a singular talent, a generous collaborator and a true gentleman, and sent its condolences to his wife Sunny, his children, his friends and the countless fans around the world whose lives he touched with his art.

Filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo, directors of the upcoming 'Avengers: Doomsday' and 'Avengers: Secret Wars,' also honored Stewart on Instagram. They wrote that they had been lucky enough to work with some of their childhood heroes, and that Sir Patrick Stewart would always be one of them — a legendary actor with an unmistakable presence and an unmatched integrity, who taught humanity both on and off the screen.

Wil Wheaton, who starred alongside Stewart in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation,' shared a throwback photo of the two on Instagram with a broken heart emoji and the words, 'Godspeed, Captain.' Jonathan Frakes, who played Commander William Riker alongside Stewart, shared a photo on his Instagram story with the message, 'Rest in peace my friend.'

Terry Matalas, who served as showrunner of the third and final season of 'Star Trek: Picard,' shared a photo of the late actor smiling and wrote, 'Oh Captain, my Captain. This is how I'll always remember you....'

William Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk in the original 'Star Trek' series, shared a photo of the two together and described Stewart as a friend, a colleague and a magnificent actor. From the stage to the bridge of the Enterprise, Shatner wrote, Stewart brought intelligence, grace and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did. The two met as Kirk and Picard in the 1994 movie 'Star Trek: Generations.' Shatner sent his condolences to Sunny and his family.

Hugh Jackman, who starred alongside Stewart in the 'X-Men' films, wrote that the world had lost one of the greats of stage and screen, and, in his book, a tremendous friend and man. He said he had learned so much from Stewart and would miss him all of his days.

Writer, actor and filmmaker Seth MacFarlane, who worked with Stewart on 'Family Guy,' 'Ted' and 'American Dad!,' shared a black-and-white photo and recalled that Stewart was that rare actor who could take any bit of dialogue and elevate it, making a good writer sound great and a great writer sound masterful. MacFarlane said a legendary actor had been lost, and for many, a good friend.

George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu in the original 'Star Trek' series, wrote on Bluesky that fans across the world mourn the passing of a true and irreplaceable legend. As Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Takei wrote, Stewart took the starship Enterprise to places it had never gone before and inspired a whole next generation of star-gazers who looked longingly ahead to a brighter future for all humanity. 'Rest in the heavens, Captain,' he added.

Actor Josh Gad also praised Stewart's work across film, television and theater — waxing poetic as Jean Luc, sparring at chess with Magneto, or ferociously bringing the words of Shakespeare to life on stage — and said his voice will go down as one of the greatest ever.

The Royal Shakespeare Company, where Stewart spent years performing before finding international fame, said it was deeply saddened by the passing of its Honorary Associate Artist, calling him a colossus of both stage and screen and one of the finest classical Shakespearean actors of his generation. Stewart joined the company in 1966 and remained a core member until 1982, appearing in numerous Shakespeare productions including 'Macbeth,' 'The Merchant of Venice' and 'Henry IV,' according to the company.