How Tom Cruise Almost Cost Ian McKellen Iconic Roles in X-Men and The Lord of the Rings

What if Ian McKellen had never played Magneto or Gandalf? This near-miss occurred in the early 2000s, thanks to none other than Tom Cruise!

Ian McKellen nearly lost the chance to portray two of his most famous roles in cinema: Magneto in X-Men and Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. The renowned British actor shared this unbelievable anecdote with People magazine in 2015.

A Proposal Too Good to Pass Up?

In his recounting, McKellen revealed, "Tom Cruise offered me a role in Mission Impossible 2. However, they didn’t want me to read the entire script for fear I might leak it. I only received the scenes I was to perform."

He continued, "I couldn’t judge the script based on just those scenes, so I declined. My agent insisted that I couldn't refuse the opportunity to work with Tom Cruise, and I told him, 'I don’t know if it’s an opportunity, but I think I’m going to pass.'"

My agent insisted that I couldn't refuse the opportunity to work with Tom Cruise, and I told him, 'I don’t know if it’s an opportunity, but I think I’m going to pass.'

Career-Defining Roles

Reflecting on his decision, McKellen noted, "If I had signed that contract, I wouldn’t have been able to take on X-Men and The Lord of the Rings. The very next day, Bryan Singer asked if I wanted to play Magneto, and Peter Jackson offered me the role of Gandalf. It was the same day! I accepted both. Ultimately, the filming of Mission Impossible 2 was delayed, and Anthony Hopkins was cast for the role of Swanbeck."

Interestingly, Scottish actor Dougray Scott also had a close call, as he was set to star in both Mission Impossible 2 and X-Men. However, an injury during the filming of John Woo's movie prevented him from taking on the iconic role of Wolverine, which eventually went to Hugh Jackman.

New Line

Ian McKellen went on to portray Magneto multiple times in the X-Men saga and Gandalf throughout The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit franchises. He is also set to reprise his role in the upcoming film, The Hunt for Gollum, scheduled for release on December 15, 2027.