Ian McKellen’s week in the spotlight: a Marvel slip, a Middle-earth return, and new stage tech

Ian McKellen has had an unusually headline-heavy week, fueled by a mix of blockbuster talk and live-performance work. In quick succession, the 86-year-old actor teased a major destruction beat tied to his return as Magneto, confirmed he’s heading back to Middle-earth as Gandalf, and used a late-night TV appearance to underline how much he still prioritizes theater—even while juggling two of the biggest franchises in film.

The “destroyed New Jersey” Magneto tease

In a recent interview published Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 (ET), McKellen appeared to let slip a sizable plot beat connected to his Magneto role in the next Avengers film. While describing how effects have changed since the earliest X-Men movies, he quipped that he “destroyed New Jersey,” then immediately suggested he shouldn’t have said it.

The comment ricocheted because it’s one of the first concrete hints of scale tied to his character’s involvement. The film is currently dated for a Friday, Dec. 18, 2026 (ET) theatrical release, and the tease added fresh momentum to fan speculation about where the biggest set pieces land.

McKellen confirms Gandalf for “The Hunt for Gollum”

McKellen has also confirmed he will reprise Gandalf in the next live-action Lord of the Rings film, “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.” The project is dated for a Thursday, Dec. 17, 2027 (ET) release.

Production timing has been described in recent coverage as beginning in 2026, and the film is expected to focus on the hunt for Gollum during the stretch between the earlier stories and the start of “The Fellowship of the Ring.” Casting beyond McKellen has been treated as still rolling out, which is why online chatter keeps circling back to whether additional legacy roles—especially Frodo—will appear.

A mixed-reality play in New York keeps him onstage

Even with two mega-franchises in the mix, McKellen is currently prioritizing live work. He is starring in a mixed-reality production titled “An Ark” in New York, running through Sunday, March 1, 2026 (ET).

The production has been described as an immersive, short-form theatrical experience built specifically for mixed reality—less like a traditional proscenium show and more like a tightly timed, tech-forward performance designed to put the audience inside the storytelling. For McKellen, it’s another reminder that he treats theater as the core craft, even when the biggest headlines come from film sets.

A late-night TV appearance turns into a Shakespeare moment

On Wednesday night, Feb. 4, 2026 (ET), McKellen appeared on U.S. late-night television for a wide-ranging conversation that included both upcoming films and his love of stage acting. The appearance drew extra attention after he delivered a Shakespeare passage on-air that many viewers read as an overt comment on the country’s political mood, particularly around cruelty and treatment of immigrants.

The segment reinforced a pattern that’s followed him for decades: he doesn’t compartmentalize “actor” and “citizen.” When he gets a large platform, he often uses it to talk about the social context around art—sometimes subtly, sometimes directly.

What comes next: dates and pressure points

McKellen’s near-term calendar is unusually easy to map because it’s anchored by fixed events:

• Now through March 1, 2026 (ET): “An Ark” continues its run in New York.

• Late 2026: The Avengers film dated for Dec. 18, 2026 (ET) is the next major release target connected to his Magneto return.

• Late 2027: “The Hunt for Gollum” dated for Dec. 17, 2027 (ET) is the next Middle-earth milestone.

The biggest unanswered questions are practical: how much screen time Magneto gets in the 2026 film, and how central Gandalf is to the Gollum hunt story. McKellen’s offhand New Jersey line suggests at least one large set piece is already in the can, but anything beyond that remains unclear publicly.

Sources consulted: Variety, The Verge, Consequence, Motion Picture Association