Magneto Movies in Order
Start with X-Men and work down the list. All 7 films and shows below are in release order, and the list ends with Dark Phoenix. Erik Lehnsherr, Magneto, is at the center of the Fox X-Men saga.
The whole list runs about 14h 22m, with releases from 2000 to 2019.
Who is Magneto?
Magneto is as old as the X-Men themselves. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced him in The X-Men #1, cover dated September 1963, as the team's first real opposite number. Born Max Eisenhardt and known as Erik Lehnsherr, he is a Holocaust survivor who generates and controls magnetic fields, and whose politics were forged by watching the worst of humanity up close. He has moved from supervillain to antihero to full X-Men member, served as headmaster to the New Mutants, and had his childhood told in X-Men: Magneto Testament in 2008.
Ian McKellen defined the live-action version, playing him in X-Men in 2000, X2 in 2003 and X-Men: The Last Stand in 2006, with a cameo in The Wolverine in 2013 and a return in X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2014. Michael Fassbender took the recast role for the prequel timeline, starting with X-Men: First Class in 2011 and continuing through Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix. Days of Future Past is the one film where both actors appear as the same man. Matthew Waterson voices him in X-Men '97.
Fassbender's run closed with Dark Phoenix in 2019. Disney completed its acquisition of 21st Century Fox in March 2019, retiring the Fox X-Men line and bringing the character home to Marvel Studios. Like several of the Fox originals, Magneto has a confirmed next step: Ian McKellen is confirmed to reprise the role in Avengers: Doomsday, due December 18, 2026, more than twenty-six years after he first put on the helmet.
Spoiler Spoilers for Magneto’s story: tap to reveal
- Dark Phoenix ends with Erik and Charles playing chess in Paris.
Magneto in release order
- 1
StreamDisney+
- 2
StreamDisney+
- 3
StreamDisney+
- 4
StreamDisney+, HBO Max
- 5
StreamDisney+
- 6
StreamDisney+
- 7
StreamDisney+
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Magneto FAQ
Is Magneto in the MCU?
He has not appeared in an MCU film yet, but Ian McKellen is confirmed in the cast of Avengers: Doomsday, scheduled for December 18, 2026.
Who played Magneto before Michael Fassbender?
Ian McKellen originated the live-action role in X-Men (2000) and played him through The Last Stand, The Wolverine and Days of Future Past. Fassbender plays the younger Erik in the prequel films.
Which X-Men film has both Magneto actors?
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). Ian McKellen appears in the dystopian future and Michael Fassbender in the 1973 storyline.
What order should I watch Magneto in?
Go top to bottom. For Magneto, story order and release order are the same, so there’s nothing to rearrange. Start with X-Men (2000) and work forward.
How many titles feature Magneto?
7 so far, released from 2000 to 2019. That’s about 14h 22m of viewing.
How long does it take to watch every Magneto appearance?
About 14h 22m for all 7 released titles. At two hours an evening, that’s roughly 8 sittings.
Do I need to watch the whole MCU to follow Magneto?
No. These 7 titles tell the character’s own story. None of them are required for the main MCU story, so treat the list as optional viewing.