Promotional art for the next season of X-Men '97 has been slowly trickling out ahead of its expected summer release, including a slew of posters showcasing the new teams and the latest new designs for all the characters. One design among them that has stood out in particular with fans is Magneto.
In addition to Matthew Waterson's Magneto receiving a new design in the next season of X-Men '97, Ian McKellen's Master of Magnatism will also be getting a whole new look in Avengers: Doomsday. Both designs will make their debuts this year, with similarities that reflect their characters' journeys.
Official Magneto Design Changes
X-Men '97
Considering how a mysterious force threw everyone into the distant past and future in the season finale of X-Men '97, it's no surprise that everyone, including Magneto, has a new costume.
No longer clean-shaven, Magneto now boasts a beard in Season 2 of X-Men '97, signifying the passage of time between seasons. Although it wouldn't be the first time this Magneto has sported one in this franchise.
After the destruction of Magneto's asteroid fortress at the end of Season 4 of the original X-Men: The Animated Series, he secluded himself in defeat. When Beast sought his help in the Season 5 two-part opener, Magneto had grown an unkempt beard in his depressive state, having lost all ambition.
In contrast, Magneto's new beard in X-Men '97 appears maintained and not nearly as wild as the one he had in the original series. Instead of symbolizing his reclusive nature, it could represent the new wisdom gained from his reconciliation with Charles last season.
Magneto's new design also has him wearing his cape much like he did at the beginning of X-Men '97, when he tried to make up for his past misdeeds and make peace with humanity. It could be a way to show that Magneto had softened again after his slip-up at the end of last season.
In contrast, Magneto will wear his iconic helmet again, suggesting he hasn't entirely let go of his old ways. Although fans last saw it almost destroyed at the end of last season in his fight with the X-Men, before appearing alongside them in Egypt without it. So, it's unknown whether this is the same helmet that he fixed or if Magneto somehow made himself a new one with the same telepathic-resistant properties.
Avengers: Doomsday
For what's really his second last hurrah, Ian McKellen's Magneto will return in Avengers: Doomsday. What little fans saw of him alongside Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier in the third X-Men-focused Doomsday trailer showed the character with a drastically different design from his past appearances.
According to rumors, this version of Magneto will "[have] the mutant utopia he had always dreamed of," only for Doom to "threaten" it. This utopia is no doubt Genosha, with McKellen's Magneto certainly looking the part of a ruler.
The most coincidental change was that McKellen's Magneto will have a beard similar to the one he has in X-Men '97, something he's never had before in any of his previous live-action appearances. It could represent the same wisdom he's gained with age, as well as his renewed friendship with Charles, seen smiling warmly at each other in the trailer.
However, something that really stood out was how messy McKellen's hair under his helmet looked compared to his past appearances, when those movies had it slicked back. It could also be a rare moment showing him unraveling over Doom threatening their very existence before Charles comforts him.
What's most interesting about Magneto's costumed appearance in Doomsday is how truly regal it looks, with his decorative helmet and fur-lined cloak. Not to mention its lack of armor, veering away from armored looks of the past and opting for cloth, like in X-Men: Last Stand.
Putting these designs side by side, a few noticeable similarities emerge: his aged appearance and the replacement of his purple armor with red velvet. Not to mention, if rumors are true, it will mean both men have lost their mutant paradise.
It'll be interesting to see if more parallels between these two variants emerge in Avengers: Doomsday and Season 2 of X-Men '97.
