Latest MCU X-Men Casting Rumors Have Marvel Fans Worried About Magneto
The original X-Men movie opens not with a bombastic action sequence showcasing powers of various mutants, but with a truly haunting sequence of a young Erik Lehnsherr being separated from his family in the Auschwitz concentration camp. This harrowing scene didn’t just ground X-Men in our world, recalling one of the greatest tragedies in human history, it also informed Erik’s character, clearly illustrating his point of view to the audience. Magneto is a main villain in the original X-Men trilogy, so viewers aren’t meant to agree with his methods, but they can at the very least sympathize with him. Magneto’s backstory is what makes him such a compelling character; he witnessed humanity at its absolute worst and saw first hand how they treated his kind, fueling a lifelong crusade for mutant rights. This is why Marvel fans are becoming increasingly concerned about the latest rumors of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s X-Men reboot.
According to the X account No More Mutants, Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr will both be between 30-35 years old in the X-Men reboot. The more important bit comes in No More Mutants’ account of Erik’s new backstory in the MCU. Rather than being a Holocaust survivor, “his origins lie in being hunted, tortured, and escaping from humans,” perhaps being experimented on by the Department of Damage Control. On social media, Marvel fans are expressing displeasure with this rumor, fearing the MCU will erase Magneto’s connection to the Holocaust — a critical component of his character.
Some users on X are worried Marvel will attempt to explain Magneto’s motivations by tying him to events from earlier in the MCU canon, such as Sokovia. Others are taking a more optimistic outlook, hoping that the 30-35 age range applies only to the actor playing Magneto, and in-universe, the character will either simply age slowly due to his mutation or be from an alternate timeline/reality.
MCU Magneto Rumors Explained
It’s no secret that Marvel Studios is targeting younger actors for their X-Men reboot. New Cyclops actor Kit Connor is in his early 20s. The purpose for this is twofold; it allows the filmmakers to tell stories about troubled young people finding their place in the world (a staple of X-Men comics) while also giving Marvel an ensemble cast that can grow into their roles over the course of the next decade. It’s expected the MCU’s next saga will be the Mutant Saga, meaning the X-Men will play a key role. Starting off with youngsters at the beginning of their journey is logical. If Marvel wants younger actors for the X-Men, then it’s reasonable for the same to apply to characters like Charles and Erik. Although, fans probably weren’t expecting them to be in their 30s. For comparison, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen were both in their early 60s when the original X-Men came out.
Unless Marvel opts to run with one of the scenarios fans mentioned (having Magneto age slower than the average human, having him be from an alternate timeline), it would be impossible for a young Magneto to retain his comics counterpart’s Holocaust backstory. The MCU’s Magneto actually being born 30-35 years ago in the MCU timeline would place his birthday several decades after the Holocaust happened, fundamentally changing a core aspect of his character. The MCU is no stranger to using artistic license to make alterations to the source material in their movies and TV shows, but this is one instance where they’ll have to tread lightly. Magneto’s entire ideology is rooted in his Holocaust experiences, as he sees the similarities between how Nazis treated his fellow Jewish people and how humans in the modern world treat mutants. Changing this and giving Magneto a much more generic backstory would open Marvel up to intense criticism.
There is an argument to be made in favor of updating certain character origins in the MCU. In the original Iron Man comics (published in the 1960s), the war zone where Tony Stark is captured is meant to evoke Vietnam. In the first movie, it’s clearly the Middle East. However, there’s a difference between that and the rumored new Magneto backstory. The MCU’s Tony Stark stayed true to the core ethos of the source material; he was a wealthy weapons manufacturer who came to regret the mistakes he made and set out to make the world a better place. Him having his epiphany in Afghanistan instead of a country resembling Vietnam is just a byproduct of the time the film was made. Potentially stripping Magneto of his Jewish heritage and scrubbing his ties to the Holocaust is a far more significant change because Marvel would be rewriting the fundamentals of the character’s entire backstory.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens on this front. It’s important to keep in mind that for the time being, this is just speculation, so fans should take it all with a grain of salt. We don’t even know if Magneto is going to appear in the MCU’s X-Men reboot, although considering how important a character he is (particularly to Charles), it would be a surprise if he didn’t show up at some point. If any casting announcements are made at D23 this weekend, that could provide clues as to what Marvel has in mind, but we probably won’t know anything for sure until the movie finally comes out.
