X-Men’s Ian McKellen Eyeing Return as Magneto Reveals Marvel Star

After his brief stint in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, legendary X-Men actor Patrick Stewart teased audiences that his days of being Charles Xavier are not over—and his good friend Ian McKellen might not be far behind.

Fans went wild when they saw Professor X once again last Summer in the Doctor Strange sequel. However, despite his return, audiences were still clamoring for

Ian McKellen debuted as Erik Lehnsherr, also known as Magneto, in 2000’s X-Men alongside Stewart’s Charles Xavier. Audiences loved him and his take on the classic villain.

However, unlike his cast mate, he has not returned to the role since X-Men: Days of Future Past nine years ago.

Could Marvel Studios be persuasive enough to get him aboard the MCU train?

More Magneto on the Way?

In an interview with ET Online, Patrick Stewart teased another appearance by his Professor X, while also revealing that his co-star, Ian McKellen, might be interested in coming back as well.

While talking about his role in Picard, Stewart joked that he is looking to “borrow [Charles Xavier’s] wheelchair” if he has to do more standing for Star Trek:

“Charles Xavier? Well, I am looking to borrow his wheelchair if we’re to do much more Star Trek or standing up is becoming a bit of a problem.”

As for if the actor might return to the MCU, Stewart noted that “[he] can’t say about what Charles’ future might possibly hold.”

He then went on to remark that his close friend, Ian McKellen (who originally played Magento) might be coming back as well.

Stewart went on, clearly stating that he and McKellen “got plans” to return as their respective X-Men characters in the future:

“Actually, it went very well. He did say something like [‘Hey, I would’ve done this!’], yes that’s true. But we’re not done, Sir Ian and myself. We’re… we got plans.”

Where Could Magneto Show Up?

Rumor has it that a Magneto cameo was actually filmed for Multiverse of Madness. However, for whatever reason, the scene, which would have featured Michael Fassbender’s version of the villain, was cut.

Thankfully, there’s plenty of time for the actor to appear as the character again.

For one, there’s Deadpool 3. Hugh Jackman is returning as Wolverine, and chances are high that several of the Fox Universe mutants may also make an appearance.

At the end of the road is Avengers: Secret Wars, an event film that lets Marvel Studios have whatever cameo or pairing it could ever want. If he doesn’t partake in anything prior to this 2026 film, Magneto will almost certainly show up here.

Hopefully, McKellen gets a chance at the character at least one more time before Marvel Studios casts its own lineup of X-Men characters.

Deadpool 3 releases on November 8, 2024, while Avengers: Secret Wars hits theaters on May 1, 2026.