It looks like Patrick Stewart is hanging up his metal brain-hat, and wheeling that chair into pastures new. He has stated that he will not be reprising his role as Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise, after a good run of three pretty mutant-tastic films (four if you count his cameo in Wolverine).

We’ve got a lot of respect for old Patrick (seriously, the man is 70 and still kicking our asses), and we think he’s done the right thing in stepping down. The next X-Men project is set to be, you guessed it, a re-boot, centring on the tale of the building of the Xavier Institute. As much as we love you Patrick, we can’t imagine you donning a Zac-Efron wig and getting down with the kids. No word on whether other bad-ass oldie Ian McKellen would be up for the challenge of rebooting Magneto, but we reckon that if Steward is bowing out, it probably makes sense for McKellen to do the same. No one wants to outstay their welcome.

There doesn’t seem to be any hard feelings about the change though, as Stewart has stated that working on the films has been “one of the best and most fun experiences” he ever had, adding it was “the best job in the world.”

So what’s next for Stewart? Well, there have been whispers that he quite fancies a little cameo in the next Star Trek film. Alright Patrick, don’t we all. Only time, and the good will of J.J Abrams, will tell how that one pans out. Either way, we wish Mr Stewart good luck, those wheels wont look the same without you.