Ian McKellen May Have Dropped A Massive Magneto Spoiler For Avengers: Doomsday

Thanks to the X-Men themed "Avengers: Doomsday" teaser trailer, audiences have gotten their first look at James Marsden as Cyclops, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, and Ian McKellen as Magneto in the Marvel Cinematic Universe tentpole. Moviegoers previously got a taste of the X-Men in the MCU films "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," "The Marvels," and, of course, "Deadpool & Wolverine," but the next "Avengers" movie will take things even further. A quick glimpse at the official "Doomsday" cast will tell you that the film may bring dozens and dozens of Marvel characters together on screen. 

That includes McKellen's Magneto, the magnet field-controlling mutant and a frequent antagonist in Fox's "X-Men" films. It's a role the actor has played in multiple "X-Men" movies to date (including his mid-credits cameo in "The Wolverine"). However, he last reprised the role in 2014's "X-Men: Days of Future Past," so it's been a minute for him. 

While appearing on the interview series "Jake's Takes," as hosted by Jake Hamilton, McKellen was asked about several roles in his career, including Magneto. Hamilton and McKellen had a light chuckle over the fact that the latter, a classically trained actor, has made millions of dollars gesturing dramatically as if psychically controlling magnetic fields. His superhero prestidigitation was a subject of mention. 

McKellen discussed how much fun he had watching the scene in 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand" where Magneto used his superpowers to detach and float the entire Golden Gate Bridge. He then let slip, seemingly by accident, that the character will be destroying the state of New Jersey in "Doomsday." 

Ian McKellen recalled the amazing special effects of "X-Men: The Last Stand" and how a lot of the film's practical VFX allowed him to feel genuinely powerful. "The Last Stand" is generally lambasted by superhero fans for being one of the lesser "X-Men" movies, but McKellen cared much more about his experience making it. Indeed, he loved the whole Golden Gate Bridge scene, explaining:

"A favorite time was when I detached the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco from its moorings and was sailing it through the air towards Alcatraz. That was magical because they'd built the bridge in the open air, and I was on it, and the wind machine was blowing, and I was just doing that [gesturing]." Over the loudspeaker, the director [Brett Ratner] was saying 'More, Ian, more,' and eventually had to shout 'Less, Ian, less!' but it was all basically that." 

McKellen also recalled a fun sequence from the 2000 "X-Men" feature film where its crew physically dropped cars from a great height, making it look like McKellen's Magneto was throwing them around with his mind. It's no wonder the actor agreed to come back for "Doomsday." It sounds like playing Magneto is great fun. 

But then McKellen, while commenting on the ease of digital VFX these days, let this slip: 

"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."

Destroy New Jersey? Is Magneto going to destroy New Jersey? It appears so. 

The comment was given in too offhand a fashion for Ian McKellen to be baiting Jake Hamilton, and his embarrassment about letting it slip seemed genuine, so this sounds like a genuine spoiler. Of course, McKellen is a stellar actor, so it's entirely possible that he let it slip purposefully and merely feigned his embarrassment. I doubt it, though.

But Magneto destroying New Jersey? The entire state? That's some Irwin Allen stuff right there. "Avengers: Doomsday," it seems, might actually be about, well, Doomsday. Audiences also know that Magneto is perfectly capable of mass destruction under the right circumstances. In the similarly titled 2016 film "X-Men: Apocalypse," a younger version of Magneto (Michael Fassbender) was granted enhanced magnetic powers by the title super-mutant Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) and used them to alter Earth's magnetic fields, bringing untold disasters to the planet.

Little is known about the plot for "Avengers: Doomsday," but it seems that McKellen's Magneto is going to have plenty of chances to exercise his "magnetic hands" as he potentially wipes New Jersey off of the map. My deepest condolences to Bruce Springsteen, Kevin Smith, George R.R. Martin, and all the other celebrities from New Jersey.

Any other story details, of course, would have to remain in the realm of speculation. "Doomsday" features so many other Marvel characters (apart from the X-Men) that it remains to be seen if the destruction of New Jersey is meant to be gigantic and devastating or if it's just one destructive act of many. Time will tell.

"Avengers: Doomsday" opens in theaters on December 18, 2026.