Earlier this week, acting legend Ian McKellen appeared to drop an enormous Avengers: Doomsday spoiler. Now, the actor has repeated the same claim — and even re-enacted the moment on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
McKellen, who reprises his classic X-Men role as Magneto in the film, declared earlier this week that he “destroys New Jersey” in Avengers: Doomsday — a statement that surprised fans and no doubt trained all of Marvel’s anti-spoiler snipers upon him.
Well, the actor has now gone further — seemingly performing the moment he does so, and providing some behind-the-scenes context that he joked could get him banned from returning to the U.S.
Ian McKellen reenacts a moment from the set of ‘AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY’ with the Russo Brothers.
(via https://t.co/D1jqq5kKih) pic.twitter.com/W475EWcOyo
— Cosmic Marvel (@cosmic_marvel) February 5, 2026
“I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying Magneto destroys New Jersey,” McKellen said on last night’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert. I’m sorry about that, New Jersey. My fault.
“So I’m standing up, pretending to do that [now standing, McKellen stretches his arms out in a classic Magneto pose], and the wind is blowing in my hair, and I’m putting on a fierce look and trying to be magnetic.
“The director over loudspeakers says ‘Ian, looking more furious’ [McKellen does so, gnashing his teeth]. He then said ‘shout something!’ I said, ‘What do I shout?’
“He says, ‘Shout the worst thing you could possibly think of!’ so I said ‘Mar-lar-go!’ Will I be allowed back in the country?”
As part of the same interview, McKellen confirms he’ll be shooting The Lord of the Rings prequel movie Hunt for Gollum in New Zealand next summer, likely July. The actor previously strongly suggested he was reprising his role as Gandalf by announcing personally that his character was in it, though there is now no doubt.
The interview is full of fun anecdotes, including McKellen’s first meeting with the late, great Christopher Lee, who played Saruman. The two men met at a dinner before shooting began, and during the soup course, Lee told Gandalf that not only did he read Lord of the Rings every year, but that he’d always thought he should play Gandalf. McKellen wasn’t sure if Lee was joking.
“He was a very nice man indeed and I think that was a joke,” McKellen said. “But maybe not.”
Image credit: Richard A. Brooks/AFP via Getty Images.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Earlier this week, acting legend Ian McKellen appeared to drop an enormous Avengers: Doomsday spoiler. Now, the actor has repeated the same claim — and even re-enacted the moment on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
McKellen, who reprises his classic X-Men role as Magneto in the film, declared earlier this week that he “destroys New Jersey” in Avengers: Doomsday — a statement that surprised fans and no doubt trained all of Marvel’s anti-spoiler snipers upon him.
Well, the actor has now gone further — seemingly performing the moment he does so, and providing some behind-the-scenes context that he joked could get him banned from returning to the U.S.
Ian McKellen reenacts a moment from the set of ‘AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY’ with the Russo Brothers.
(via https://t.co/D1jqq5kKih) pic.twitter.com/W475EWcOyo
— Cosmic Marvel (@cosmic_marvel) February 5, 2026
“I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying Magneto destroys New Jersey,” McKellen said on last night’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert. I’m sorry about that, New Jersey. My fault.
“So I’m standing up, pretending to do that [now standing, McKellen stretches his arms out in a classic Magneto pose], and the wind is blowing in my hair, and I’m putting on a fierce look and trying to be magnetic.
“The director over loudspeakers says ‘Ian, looking more furious’ [McKellen does so, gnashing his teeth]. He then said ‘shout something!’ I said, ‘What do I shout?’
“He says, ‘Shout the worst thing you could possibly think of!’ so I said ‘Mar-lar-go!’ Will I be allowed back in the country?”
As part of the same interview, McKellen confirms he’ll be shooting The Lord of the Rings prequel movie Hunt for Gollum in New Zealand next summer, likely July. The actor previously strongly suggested he was reprising his role as Gandalf by announcing personally that his character was in it, though there is now no doubt.
The interview is full of fun anecdotes, including McKellen’s first meeting with the late, great Christopher Lee, who played Saruman. The two men met at a dinner before shooting began, and during the soup course, Lee told Gandalf that not only did he read Lord of the Rings every year, but that he’d always thought he should play Gandalf. McKellen wasn’t sure if Lee was joking.
“He was a very nice man indeed and I think that was a joke,” McKellen said. “But maybe not.”
Image credit: Richard A. Brooks/AFP via Getty Images.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social