Iconic Quote
“Peace was never an option.”
— Magneto, X-Men / X-Men: First Class
What Makes Them Great
Magneto is the villain who might be right — a Holocaust survivor whose distrust of humanity is historically justified. McKellen and Fassbender each gave the character different but equally compelling dimensions. His friendship with Xavier is the X-Men saga's emotional core.
The Villain
Magneto is the most morally justified villain in superhero cinema — a Holocaust survivor who believes that mutants must dominate humanity before humanity exterminates them, because he has seen exactly what humanity does to those it considers different. Both McKellen and Fassbender bring gravitas to the role: McKellen's elder statesman menace and Fassbender's cold fury each capture a different era of Erik Lehnsherr's rage.
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