Did Ian McKellen Just Pull a Tom Holland and Spoil Avengers: Doomsday?
Ian McKellen may have pulled a Tom Holland, seemingly dropping a major Avengers: Doomsday hint while reflecting on his run as Magneto—teasing a shift in his character’s arc that has fans buzzing.
Well, this is a twist: Sir Ian McKellen might have just pulled a Tom Holland. During a podcast chat about playing Magneto, the 86-year-old legend seemed to drop a pretty major Avengers: Doomsday nugget before trying to roll it back.
What he said
"I did destroy New Jersey the other day."
That was McKellen on Jake Hamilton's Jake's Takes podcast. He immediately realized he might have gone too far and basically said he probably should not have said that, at which point Hamilton (an Emmy-winning host) smoothly steered things away. New Jersey did nothing to deserve this, but here we are.
So... does Magneto go big in Avengers 5?
There has been chatter that Magneto would have a larger role in Avengers: Doomsday than some of the other X-Men characters. Nothing official yet, but McKellen casually claiming he leveled an entire state is the kind of slip that makes those rumors feel a lot less out there.
McKellen on playing Magneto
He also reflected on why the character stuck, even back in the 20th Century Fox era. He said he originally thought Magneto was simply the villain, but he did not realize how popular the character was and that people actually responded to his attitude. He added that working with the younger cast was fun because they were so confident in their roles across other movies. It is a neat peek at why this particular mutant keeps pulling focus.
- The moment: On Jake's Takes, McKellen says he 'destroyed New Jersey' while filming, then quickly walks it back.
- The implication: Magneto might be doing serious damage in Avengers: Doomsday (aka Avengers 5).
- The vibe: Details are still locked down, but this lines up with ongoing speculation about a bigger Magneto presence.
- The extras: McKellen enjoyed playing Magneto more than he expected, and he gets why the character has fans.
- The wait: Avengers: Doomsday is currently set for December 18, 2026.
Marvel is keeping plot specifics under wraps, as usual, so file this under 'very interesting if true' until we get something official. First flagged by SuperHeroHype.