Ian McKellen Officially Makes MCU History With Avengers: Doomsday Return

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The upcoming film, Avengers: Doomsday, marks a significant return for Ian McKellen, who will reprise his role as Magneto. With a cast of nearly thirty-six major stars from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe and previous Marvel films, Doomsday is expected to shatter numerous records when it releases this year. The addition of the X-Men is predicted to further boost its success and break even more records.

Sir Ian McKellen has made history as the oldest actor to appear in a main role in a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film. He’ll be 87 years old when the new Avengers: Doomsday movie comes out – his birthday is May 23rd.

With Avengers: Doomsday, Ian McKellen will have played Magneto in six different Marvel movies. He first took on the role in X-Men back in 2000, and has since appeared in X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Wolverine, and X-Men: Days of Future Past.

This will mark Ian McKellen’s first appearance in a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie. He joins his frequent co-star, Patrick Stewart, who previously appeared in 2022’s Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. With this film, Stewart also becomes the second-oldest actor to have a leading role in an MCU movie.

Leon Lamar holds the record for being the oldest actor to appear in a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project. He played Cornelius P. Willows, an assistant to Donny Blaze, in the fourth episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. When the episode aired, Lamar was 104 years old, making him the oldest performer ever to appear in an MCU film or series.

The 5 Next Oldest Actors After Ian McKellen in MCU History

Patrick Stewart – Avengers: Doomsday

I’m so excited for Avengers: Doomsday! It’s amazing that Sir Patrick Stewart will be joining Ian McKellen – it’ll be his ninth time appearing in anything Marvel related! And it’s incredible to think he’ll be 85 years old in July, just a few months before he’s back in the MCU. It’s going to be fantastic to see him reprise his role again.

Patrick Stewart, famous for playing the powerful telepath Professor X in seven X-Men films from 20th Century Fox, joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, even if it was a brief appearance. Now, in Doomsday, he’s set to be a major character alongside Ian McKellen, teaming up with the Avengers in his iconic wheelchair.

Harrison Ford – Captain America: Brave New World

After William Hurt passed away in 2022, Harrison Ford—a famous actor known for Star Wars and Indiana Jones—became the new Thaddeus Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ford, with a career spanning over 80 films and TV shows, was 81 years old when he finally joined the MCU in 2024’s Captain America: Brave New World.

Following the storyline established by William Hurt in previous Marvel Cinematic Universe films, Morgan Freeman’s portrayal of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross became President of the United States in Captain America: Brave New World. He also received gamma-enhanced pills from Samuel Sterns (played by Tim Blake Nelson), which ultimately caused him to transform into the Red Hulk.

Michael Douglas – Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

Beginning in 2015, when he was 70, Academy Award-winning actor Michael Douglas took on the important supporting role of Hank Pym in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Ant-Man films. By the time he appeared in the latest movie, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania in 2023, Douglas was 78 years old, but he likely isn’t retiring from acting anytime soon.

In Quantumania, Michael Douglas had one of his largest roles yet in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As Hank Pym, he teamed up with Scott Lang’s daughter, Cassie, to delve deeper into the Quantum Realm. Once inside, he demonstrated his mastery of ant-technology, commanding gigantic ants in the fight against Kang the Conqueror.

Robert Redford – Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Robert Redford is remembered by many Marvel fans for his role as Alexander Pierce, a member of the World Security Council, in the critically acclaimed Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). He was 77 when the film came out, and later reprised the role for a brief appearance in Avengers: Endgame (2019), which turned out to be his last on-screen performance at the age of 83.

I always thought Pierce seemed like a good guy, a real pillar of SHIELD dedicated to keeping the peace. That’s why it was such a shock when he suddenly turned on Captain America, branding him a fugitive and sending everyone after him! Turns out, he was a top leader of Hydra all along, and the whole thing was a massive, secret takeover of SHIELD. Thankfully, Nick Fury stepped in and took him down in an epic showdown at the end of the movie.

Samuel L. Jackson – The Marvels

Samuel L. Jackson is a true Marvel Universe veteran, having played Colonel Nick Fury for more than ten years. He first appeared as Fury in a brief scene after the credits of the 2008 film Iron Man, and has since been in 15 Marvel movies and TV shows, including the 2023 release The Marvels. Remarkably, he filmed his latest appearance at age 75!

In The Marvels, Nick Fury was stationed in space, working on the SABER space station with Monica Rambeau. When he discovered that Rambeau, Carol Danvers, and Kamala Khan were mysteriously linked, he immediately started working to resolve the issue and help them track down the movie’s villain, Dar-Benn.

I’m so excited for Avengers: Doomsday! It’s going to be the fifth Avengers movie and the third one in Phase 6 of the MCU. From what I’ve heard, it’s going to be massive – almost 30 of our favorite heroes from the MCU and even some actors from older Marvel films will be in it! Apparently, the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four will all have to team up to stop Victor Von Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr., from destroying the entire multiverse. It’s scheduled to hit theaters on December 18, 2026, and I’m already counting down the days!

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2026-01-06 19:06