Few comic book movie villains have made an impact quite like Magneto. He is a complex, magnetic character whose appeal has kept him central to the X-Men film universe for more than 25 years. The role has also benefited from the back-to-back performances of Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender. Now, 87-year-old McKellen is set to play Magneto again in Avengers: Doomsday later this year, adding another chapter to a cinematic story that has already come full circle more than once. For a complete look back at Magneto’s film journey, watch the video above.
Naturally, a character developed across 26 years comes with a complicated history. Magneto’s big-screen past features timeline resets, dramatic shifts between heroism and villainy, the loss and restoration of his powers, and the unforgettable moment when he lifted the Golden Gate Bridge. Yes, that really happened.
DON’T MISS: Safe Ways to Lose 10lb Before Christmas Without Crash Diets
The X-Men films’ soft reboot began with 2011’s X-Men: First Class, which traveled back in time to explore Magneto’s early years. Before he became known as Magneto, Erik Lehnsherr worked alongside Charles Xavier to establish the X-Men. His hatred of humanity, shaped by his experiences in a German concentration camp and the continued persecution of mutants, eventually pushed him toward a far more militant philosophy. Although he served as a villain in several early X-Men movies, Magneto increasingly emerged as an antihero determined to pursue a just cause by extreme means. Everything we know so far suggests that Avengers: Doomsday will continue that evolution.
What will Magneto’s role be in Avengers: Doomsday?
Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen appearing in the Avengers: Doomsday trailers is clearly designed to spark nostalgia. Marvel Studios has relied heavily on that appeal in recent years, bringing back stars such as Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man and Chris Evans as Johnny Storm. Given the veteran actors’ popularity, both as X-Men icons and across their wider careers, their return also hints that audiences may once again find themselves cheering for Magneto in Doomsday.
That has largely been Magneto’s role since the original X-Men trilogy concluded. Erik is portrayed as a hero in many respects in movies including First Class, Dark Phoenix, and X-Men: Days of Future Past, at least in the case of his future incarnation. His comic book history could also influence the upcoming film, particularly since Doomsday appears ready to draw from less familiar corners of Marvel’s broader mythology. For a closer look at Magneto’s history and his possible place in the next Avengers movie, watch the full video above.
KEEP READING: Inside Burnley’s Turmoil Under Alan Pace’s ALK: Sponsor Fiasco, CEO Exit and Debt Fears