Michael Fassbender Believes that Sir Ian McKellen Has a Problem with Magneto Being Called “Evil”

As a long-time admirer of the Marvel Universe, I must say that Magneto, portrayed by both Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender, has always been one of my favorite enigmatic characters. His complexity and the layers hidden beneath his villainous exterior have always intrigued me.


Without a doubt, among Marvel’s character lineup, the X-Men stand out as some of the most well-known and beloved. This is because they embody uniqueness and promote understanding and acceptance for those who are different, which has made them universally accepted and contributes to their lasting popularity and frequent discussion in conversations.

Regarding the X-Men team, it’s Magneto, a character often labeled as a villain, who stands out for his depth and complexity. However, this term ‘villain’ doesn’t do justice to the richness of his character.

Previously, Magneto has been portrayed by Sir Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender in film adaptations. In a past interview with Collider during the promotion for an earlier X-Men movie, Fassbender discussed the character and shared some intriguing details that we thought you might find interesting too.

This conversation is a past one, as Collider had a chat with Michael Fassbender regarding the then-recent film, X-Men: Apocalypse – the second last movie in Fox’s original X-Men series. During this discussion, Fassbender touched upon several key points, including thoughts on the franchise, insights into the movie itself, and comments about other characters. However, a particularly intriguing topic was his perspective on Magneto, the character he portrayed, and whether or not Magneto could be considered evil. Here’s what Michael shared:

Is it starting to seem as if Magneto is developing into the Ian McKellen character, who was essentially an evil villain with his own beliefs and reasons for being so? Are there still twists and turns in his story, or do you feel that he has already completed his journey towards becoming a villain?

Michael Fassbender suggests that Ian McKellen might face challenges with portraying certain complex characters due to their inherent complexity, particularly when it comes to the term “evil.” Instead, Fassbender emphasizes that characters like Iago and Magneto have layers beyond just being evil; they are racist, insecure, and have suffered great loss. Thus, he approaches these roles by focusing on these nuances rather than trying to embody a stereotypical villain. In his opinion, both he and McKellen approach their characters in similar ways, delving into the intricacies of their personalities rather than simplifying them as purely evil.

Source: Collider

Read More

2024-09-18 17:13