Patrick Stewart is retiring from 'X-Men' franchise

Actor Patrick Stewart, who plays the mutant leader Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" series, has announced his retirement from the money-spinning franchise.

Stewart made the announcement at a SiriusXM Town Hall where he appeared alongside "Logan" director and co-writer James Mangold and costar Hugh Jackman, who also reconfirmed that it would be his last appearance as "Wolverine", reported the Entertainment Weekly.

Stewart said watching the film in Berlin made him realise that it was the perfect time to say "au revoir".

"A week ago, Friday night in Berlin, the three of us sat, watching the movie. And I was so moved by it, much more moved than I had been the first time of seeing it. Maybe it was the company of these two guys, but the movie ended and this is an admission but at one point (Hugh) reached out, and he took my hand in those last few minutes, and I saw him go (mimes wiping a tear from his eye] like this, and then I realized I had just done the same thing.

"Then, the movie ended... and we were going to be taken up on stage, but not until the credits were over. So, we had some time to sit there and, as I sat there I realized there will never be a better, a more perfect, a more sensitive, emotional, and beautiful way of saying au revoir to Charles Xavier than this movie. So, I told (Hugh) that same evening, 'I'm done too.

It's all over.'"

Stewart first played Xavier or Professor X in 2000's X-Men and reprised the role in "X-Men 2", "X-Men: The Last Stand", "X-Men Origins: Wolverine", "The Wolverine" and "X-Men: Days of Future Past".

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)