Ian McKellen says Magneto 'destroyed New Jersey' in Avengers: Doomsday

Ian McKellen said he “destroyed New Jersey the other day” while filming Avengers: Doomsday, admitting in an interview with Jake’s Takes, “Oh, I probably shouldn’t have said that.” At 86, McKellen is the oldest actor to reprise his role in a Marvel film, returning as Magneto 26 years after the first X‑Men and 12 years after X‑Men: Days of Future Past.

McKellen described the set as friendly, saying it “was fun working with all those younger actors who were so confident,” and noted that he and Patrick came in as “old‑timers” who were treated respectfully and given “comfortable seats.” Other cast members have already teased set pieces: Alan Cumming said his Nightcrawler will fight Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards, and Kelsey Grammer hinted his Beast shares a scene with Pascal’s Reed.

The X‑Men‑centric trailer shows Cyclops unleashing a large optic blast amid the ruined Xavier Institute as he is surrounded by Sentinels, and rumors have circulated that Doctor Doom may be controlling those Sentinels. Speculation in the report links McKellen’s New Jersey comment to those set pieces — suggesting Magneto might use New Jersey as a battleground, possibly be introduced there, and even turn to Professor X if he proves unable to stop Doctor Doom.

The article also notes New Jersey’s MCU ties: it’s the home of Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel and the location of Westview from WandaVision, raising the possibility (as framed by the reporting) that Magneto could be seeking a Wanda variant.

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