Ian McKellen has spent more than 25 years portraying one of the most formidable mutants in X-Men history. This year, the legendary actor is set to reprise his iconic role as Magneto in the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday, a multiversal crossover years in the making. Details about the 2026 movie release remain tightly under wraps. Still, McKellen may have just let slip a major spoiler, and it’s likely to spark plenty of speculation among longtime Marvel Cinematic Universe fans.
During a recent appearance on Jake’s Takes, shared via the outlet’s official YouTube channel, McKellen was asked a deceptively simple question: over the course of his career, how many different ways has he found to raise his hands as Magneto and make the act of “lifting things” feel fresh and compelling? That reflection led him down memory lane and straight into a moment that likely set off quiet alarm bells at Disney and Marvel Studios:
The first film, I remember the camera behind me, my hands raised up, and, as they did that, two police cars in front of me were raised up by cranes. When I, at a signal, dropped my hands, the cars dropped. These were not special effects. Nowadays, I think things will become a little bit easier, though I did destroy New Jersey the other day. Oh, I perhaps shouldn’t have said that.
The Apt Pupil star didn’t elaborate and quickly recalibrated, allowing the host to quickly move the conversation along, but the damage had already been done. New Jersey isn’t exactly a random location in the MCU. It’s been featured in multiple projects, and large-scale destruction is very much Avengers-level business.
McKellen reflected more broadly on his time playing Erik Lehnsherr and how surprised he's been by the character’s popularity. He admitted that he initially assumed Magneto would be viewed strictly as a villain, only to realize audiences connected deeply with his worldview and attitude. On top of that, he also shared a funny take on working with the younger actors in Doomsday:
I didn't realize how popular he was…. I thought he was the villain, but no, I think people rather like his attitude. It was fun working with all those younger actors who were so confident about the parts they played in many, many other movies. Patrick and I came in as old-timers, but they were very respectful and allowed us to have comfortable seats and so on.
Of course, one thing Magneto has always excelled at is destroying things (occasionally entire states), which makes McKellen’s “New Jersey” aside especially intriguing. There’s already been chatter about the upcoming Marvel film opening with a major multiversal collision, including rumors of Spider-Man and Wolverine clashing as their worlds collapse into one another. What if that chaos unfolds in New Jersey, and it’s not just Wolvie vs. Spidey, but a larger confrontation involving the X-Men, Magneto included, facing off against Sony- and Fox-era heroes in the Garden State?
It’s pure speculation, but even Marvel’s Doomsday X-Men teaser trailer hints at something massive. The footage shows a visibly worn-down Cyclops mid-battle, firing optic blasts skyward, while the background appears to feature the towering legs of something enormous. Could the legs possibly belong to a Sentinel? If Avengers: Doomsday is planning to open with destruction on a truly operatic scale, it’s not hard to imagine New Jersey serving as ground zero for that first, universe-shattering act.
For now, Marvel Studios has stayed silent, and Sir Ian McKellen hasn’t walked back his comment. That leaves us fans doing what we do best: overanalyzing every offhand remark. Until the film arrives, it’s all just theories. Avengers: Doomsday is currently set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026, and all will be revealed. In the meantime, stream the classic X-Men films using a Disney+ subscription.
