'X-Men: Apocalypse': Sir Ian McKellen Will Not Feature As Magneto

It seems Sir Ian McKellen's run as “X-Men” supervillain Magneto is coming to end. The two-time Academy Award nominee recently denied the possibility of reprising the role in Bryan Singer’s “X-Men: Apocalypse.”

“They’re currently making a film, and I’m not in it. Michael Fassbender, poor dear, can’t get any work, so let him do it. He’s got three movies coming out this year! You’d think that he’d let me do one of them,” he told Digital Spy.

McKellen was first seen in the role of Magneto in 2000 film “X-Men.” He reprised the role in “X-2,” “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “The Wolverine” and much recently in “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”

The 76-year-old British actor may not be seen as Magneto in the upcoming “X-Men” film but he has enjoyed being a part of the franchise. He says the “X-Men” films have an important message for society, which is one of reason he enjoyed doing the superhero films.

“I’ve always thought that the 'X-Men' stories were superior, to my taste, to any other fantasy movies, because they’re about something. … 'X-Men' is about what it is to be different, and what it is to be a mutant, and society’s attitude to difference, and all that,” he said.

Fassbender will be seen playing Magneto in “X-Men: Apocalypse” and has said he may keep on playing Magneto in future “X-Men” films.

In the comics, Magneto is the archenemy of “X-Men” and has the ability to generate and control magnetic fields. He desires that mutants should rule the world rather than humans as he thinks of them as an outdated species.

“X-Men: Apocalypse” is being shot in Montreal and will open May 27, 2016. It also stars James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Oscar Isaac, Rose Byrne, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Evan Peters, Lucas Till, Ben Hardy, Lana Condor and Olivia Munn. Singer is directing from a screenplay by Simon Kinberg.