Ian McKellan speaks about his return as Magneto in X-Men: Days of Future Past, Hugh Jackman to return as Wolverine? Duh.

X-men: Days of Future Past director Bryan Singer announced recently that both Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan would be returning to their roles as Professor X and Magneto in the upcoming film. The Huffington Post caught up with McKellan and got his thoughts on the project and the contrast of Michael Fassbender’s Magneto in X-Men: First Class.

Bryan Singer announced that you’re playing Magneto again. Is that something you’ve been wanting to do? This will be your fourth movie with Bryan Singer, did that help persuade you?
What a gas! I mean, Patrick Stewart and I have been have just been playing “Waiting for Godot” throughout England and in the West End of London. So, we’ve stayed in touch. We can’t believe it [laughs]. I thought these were Fassbender and McAvoy’s parts, but — no, no — we’re back. We’ll give them a run for their money. I mean, I haven’t read the script, so I don’t know how much we’ve got to do. But, to be back in that world, and for Bryan to be doing it — with all the success he’s had in the meantime — it’s wonderful. Wonderful.

What did you think of Michael Fassbender as Magneto in “X-Men: First Class”?
Yeah! I thought he was exactly that: first class. Excellent.

You never thought, Hey, I’ve got my eye on you. That’s my part.
[Laughs] No. No. I thought he was better than me. But, we weren’t quite playing the same character because he was so much younger than me. And the scope of Magneto, one day a Jewish actor will play it. Clearly, he’s Jewish. We first meet him in at Auschwitz and there’s scope for all sorts of people to pay Magneto. But, I was just the lucky guy who got to play him first.