The MCU’s Perfect Magneto Casting Was Already Set Up 13 Years Ago

Marvel Studios already has the perfect casting for legendary Marvel Comics villain Magneto in the upcoming X-Men reboot in the MCU. First introduced in Marvel Comics’ The X-Men #1 back in 1963, Magneto has persisted as one of the X-Men team’s most powerful, long-lasting and formidable antagonists. Magneto’s importance in Marvel’s history led to him being adapted for live-action in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise, first portrayed by Ian McKellen before being reimagined for Michael Fassbender from 2011’s X-Men: First Class onwards, and with Marvel Studios set to reboot the X-Men in the MCU, Magneto may be reinvented once again.

As well as being the mutant Master of Magnetism, Magneto, also known as Max Eisenhardt, or Erik Lehnsherr in Fox’s X-Men movies, is also a survivor of the Holocaust. His tragic backstory explains his hatred for humanity, and his philosophical beliefs make him a complex and captivating opposition to the X-Men, as Professor X envisions a world shared by mutants and humans, while Magneto dreams of mutants becoming the dominant species. The shared battle for mutant civil rights has seen Magneto take the role of villain, antihero and superhero, making him an incredibly exciting character to reintroduce to the MCU.

Michael Fassbender Was The Perfect Casting For Magneto In Fox’s X-Men Franchise

While Ian McKellen did a fantastic job at delivering the imposing personality of Magneto during Fox’s original X-Men trilogy, Michael Fassbender’s casting as the villain in First Class was inspired. Born in Heidelberg, West Germany, in 1977, Michael Fassbender perhaps found it easier to empathize with Magneto’s Eastern European roots. Despite not being Jewish, or having a known connection to the Holocaust, Fassbender managed to deliver the trauma and emotional intensity of Magneto perfectly. Fassbender’s talent made him the best choice for Magneto, and it would be brilliant to see him explore the character even further in the MCU reboot.

Michael Fassbender was arguably one of the best aspects of 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise, especially since he still delivered powerful and believable performances when the projects of Fox’s revised X-Men timeline were faltering. 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse and 2019’s Dark Phoenix had huge problems, but Fassbender’s portrayal of Magneto was strong throughout. After appearing in Prometheus, Macbeth, Steve Jobs and The Killer, among others, Marvel Studios would benefit from bringing Michael Fassbender back as X-Men villain Magneto in the MCU, particularly since he is now a little older, so perhaps better fits a more-seasoned and experienced iteration of the character.

How Michael Fassbender Can Return As Magneto In The MCU

Many X-Men-related characters are expected to be recast for the MCU’s X-Men reboot, so it may be confusing for some to change and others to remain. However, Fox’s X-Men timeline takes place across the MCU’s multiverse, so Michael Fassbender’s version of Magneto from the X-Men franchise would be a variant of Earth-616’s. Other multiversal variants have been played by the same actors as their 616 counterparts, so it perhaps makes sense that some of the actors from Fox’s previous movies could return in Marvel Studios’ X-Men. This creates the perfect opportunity for Michael Fassbender, and others, to reprise their roles.