Anthony Mackie says his first meeting with Ian McKellen on the set of “Avengers: Doomsday” left him starstruck in a way few moments in his career have matched. Mackie, who now carries the Captain America shield after taking over from Chris Evans, recounted the exchange during San Diego Comic-Con, describing how McKellen greeted him warmly before asking what role he was playing. When Mackie identified himself as Captain America, McKellen responded with simple encouragement, telling him he’d earned the part.
The anecdote captures a broader dynamic shaping the upcoming Marvel Studios crossover, which brings together three generations of screen superheroes for the first time. McKellen returns as Magneto, a role he originated in 2000’s “X-Men” and hasn’t played since “X-Men: Days of Future Past” more than a decade ago.
He joins fellow franchise veterans Patrick Stewart, Kelsey Grammer, Alan Cumming, James Marsden and Rebecca Romijn, all reprising mutant characters from the earlier film series alongside Robert Downey Jr., who steps into the villain role of Doctor Doom rather than his signature Iron Man.
McKellen offered his own account of shooting an action sequence for the film during a recent festival appearance in Rome. He said directors Anthony and Joe Russo pushed him to convey fury while unleashing Magneto’s powers on screen, prompting him to picture tearing down a real-world target to summon the emotion. The actor recalled shouting the name of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate to get into character, a detail that quickly circulated among fans following the appearance.
Marvel has built significant momentum behind the film ahead of its December 18 release. Advance ticket sales topped $16 million within the first day of availability, and the latest trailer drew hundreds of millions of views in its opening 24 hours, trailing only the marketing rollout for “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” among recent studio releases.
The returning ensemble also includes Chris Hemsworth, Sebastian Stan, Paul Rudd, Tom Hiddleston, Letitia Wright, Vanessa Kirby and Florence Pugh, positioning “Doomsday” as one of the largest ensemble superhero productions to date. Mackie has said the film recaptures an energy he associates with Marvel’s earlier, more cohesive era, crediting the Russo brothers’ return to the franchise for reviving that feeling among the cast.
