Avengers: Doomsday will finally bring Magneto's character arc full circle as the film will reportedly reveal that the character achieved the ultimate goal he set out to accomplish 26 years ago when X-Men was first released in 2000. One of the biggest announcements regarding Avengers: Doomsday came in March 2025 when it was revealed by Marvel Studios that Ian McKellen would be returning to the world of Marvel to reprise his role as Magneto. Since then, fans have gotten to see the first footage of Erik Lehnsherr in the film, and a new rumor suggests he will be in his happy place when fans catch up with him in Doomsday.
According to insider Alex Perez via a Q&A shared by Cosmic Circus, Avengers: Doomsday will showcase Ian McKellen's Magneto in a way he has never been seen on-screen before. Specifically, Perez was asked by a fan what Magneto's journey will be in the upcoming movie. While Perez didn't give away a lot of major details, he did reveal what will drive Magneto in the movie to join the fight against Doctor Doom.
Perez revealed that, when Magneto is introduced in Doomsday, he will "[have] the mutant utopia he had always dreamed of." The insider also teased that Doom will "threaten" Magneto's paradise, which will then cause Magneto to jump into action:
"When we see Magneto again in 'Doomsday,' he finally has the mutant utopia he had always dreamed of. When it’s threatened, you know he’ll throw hands to protect it."
If this is the case, it will notably fulfill an ambition that McKellen's Magneto has had since he was first shown in 2000 in the movie X-Men. Throughout that entire trilogy, his main goal was to lead the Brotherhood of Mutants and create a world where Mutants were known to be the superior species. In essence, he wanted a "mutant utopia," which is exactly where viewers will reportedly find the character in Doomsday.
The X-Men-focused teaser seems to tease Magneto's new reality, with him and Charles Xavier seemingly having overcome their disagreements and working side-by-side in the X-Mansion.
Avengers: Doomsday is slated to be released on December 18, 2026. The first four teasers of the film have shared glimpses of what fans can expect from the Russo brothers' return to the MCU, with Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, James Marsden, Letitia Wright, and more getting the spotlight in the new footage.
Why Will Magneto Care About Doctor Doom?
Magneto is mostly portrayed as a villain in the X-Men franchise, but he is a complex character who, in his own way, truly wants what he feels is best for Mutants. Yes, some of his actions are objectively wrong, but he is trying to protect his people.
If what Perez stated is true, it will not be surprising at all when Magneto goes after Doctor Doom. Magneto cares more about Mutants than anything else in the world, and if he feels as though Doctor Doom is a threat to them, he will stop at nothing to take Doom down.
Since Magneto has finally achieved his final goal of Mutants being safe and protected, he will likely be more than ready to defend what he has built.
It is also worth noting that, if this is true, Magneto will likely be portrayed as mostly a hero/protagonist in Doomsday. If he is directly opposing Doom, he will almost definitely work alongside the Avengers, so fans will get to see him in a bit of a different light than before. This could mean that fellow Brotherhood member, Mystique, may also be on the heroes' side this time around.
