Magneto may arguably be the most prominent movie villain in cinema. Having debuted on the big screen in 2000s X-Men, he was established to most fans as a villain of righteous ideology, seeking to ensure the safety of mutant-kind by any means necessary. Marvel Comics fans knew him long before when the character debuted in 1963 in X-Men #1. It was a time of great civil unrest. The character Erik Lehnsherr was created to capitalize on social themes of the time, mainly civil rights. However, given how far society has come, the MCU may have a harder time playing the character as a villain.
The entry of the X-Men into the MCU is inevitable, as is Magneto’s. Not many of the more prominent villains have been introduced, but it’s only a matter of time before we see this character. But given that fans have been exposed to Lehnsherr since the early-2000s, maybe Kevin Feige should consider a different approach to the character. Maybe it’s time Magneto was a hero.
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He’s Been a Villain For 20 Years Now
20th Century Fox
Fans have been exposed to the magnetic villain for two decades now, and they already know how he operates. Just like in the comics, Magneto has been the X-Men’s most recurring villain, both as a solo antagonist and alongside other villains, like in X-Men: Apocalypse. The years have seen the character make a turn as an anti-hero, teaming with the X-Men against the bigger threats, but these alliances never last long as he always betrays them to meet his own ends. It’s safe to say that the character’s villainy has been played out, so perhaps it’s time for a fresh take on the character.
In the comics, Magneto’s goals have changed in recent years, moving from being a villain who wants to destroy humans for oppressing mutants to simply wanting to ensure the safety of his people. If the MCU depicts the formation of the X-Men after they’ve all acquired their powers, fans can experience the rise of Magneto from the start. He’s always been a sympathetic character, given his past as a Holocaust survivor. Remaining a tragic figure, even with an altered story, would make him as much a compelling character as ever. It would also lend credence to his ideas of humanity should he ever become a villain again.
It Would Be a Chance to Redefine the Character
Photo Credit - Marvel Comics
Marvel Studios has started a habit of re-imagining aspects of their more prominent characters, as seen with Taskmaster from Black Widow and Killmonger from Black Panther. The same will likely be done with this iconic character, which will open the door to redefining Erik Lehnsherr for years to come. Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellen’s portrayals were great — there’s no debating that — but a new actor in the role will have the chance to bring something different and exciting to the table. There’s also plenty of untapped storytelling potential that the X-Men films have never touched. One such story sees the metal-manipulating villain as a leader of a newly formed nation of mutants, which sees him in more of the protector role.
Fans will likely rally against a new portrayal if it’s too far gone from his comic counterpart, so he’ll have to retain his realist ideals, but there’s a chance to see sides of the character not touched on as much in the films. For one, Magneto is extremely magnetic when it comes to persuasion. Erik’s beliefs in his ideals are as such that he can talk anyone to his side with the prowess of a career politician. With the power of his words alone, he can be both the greatest hero, and the greatest villain. And then, there are his other abilities. Believe it or not, we may have only seen a fraction of his power. He can wipe out an entire street with the flick of his wrist. He can also destroy machinery with control over electromagnetism, something not seen in the movies. Villain or no, Magneto has stood against the most powerful of characters that Marvel has to offer, so he’ll definitely be someone the Avengers want to keep on their side.
It’s Harder to Argue He’s Wrong
Marvel Entertainment
As said above, Magneto’s ideology was developed in a time of struggle for civil rights. As time has gone on, people have changed their tune significantly. For this reason, it’s become harder to argue against the villain, making it harder to see him as being in the wrong on Mutant rights. Many see him as a realist whereas Professor Xavier is more of a dreamer. Despite being adversaries, he and Charles Xavier are very similar. They both give homes to mutants, they both want to uplift their people, and they both want a better future. It’s Magneto’s methods that set him apart from the heroes. Charles wants to live side-by-side with humans and work with them, but Erik knows better. Having lived through World War II, he witnessed his neighbors turning on his people and murdering them because they were different. In seeing the persecution of mutants, he sees much of the same thing. He’s against oppression because he knows how easily it leads to genocide.
It Can Be the Start of a Slow Build Towards His Becoming a Villain
Marvel Comics
Magneto has already proven himself as a hero in the comics, so he may be one on-screen. But perhaps his views, as hard as they may be to argue now, may eventually lead him down the path of villainy. Perhaps he’ll try things Xavier’s way for a while, hoping that society will look at his kind the same way they do the Avengers, but what if they don’t. Humans turning against mutants, no matter how much good they do, will eventually change Magneto’s perspective towards the radical one fans are familiar with. No matter what, Magneto is still one of the biggest villains in Marvel history. He should start as a hero first because fans have grown used to him as the villain, but it could be a chance for a slow build towards villainy, like it was with Wanda Maximoff. Imagine: mutants start emerging, and we see the struggles they face from the very start. As time goes on and the situation fails to improve, perhaps he grows impatient, deciding humans are no longer worth protecting. Perhaps, no matter how much time passes, people fail to change.
