An offer’s been on the table, and it looks like Michael Fassbender will take the money and run. The Irish thesp is reportedly signed, sealed and delivered for next summer’s “X-Men: First Class” as metal-manipulating mutant villain Erik Lehnsherr, aka Magneto. The Fox synopsis seems to reflect the film’s story dealing with the early friendship between Magneto and Professor Xavier (James McAvoy) and the formation of Xavier’s School For Gifted Youngsters. If that’s so, this is the first of many possible huge lead roles for the “Hunger” and “Centurion” star.
Magneto’s history, as told in the first three “X-Men” films, depict the villain as a Holocaust survivor, but with Fox forging ahead using a new mythology, it looks like that backstory might be scuttled, a necessary concession to realism (as modern-day Magneto would then be over 70). We were also fans of Ian McKellan’s performance, as he seemed to make the idea of mutants being terrorists a nearly appealing one, particularly in the third film when the questionable heroism of the X-Men was countered by McKellan flashing a Holocaust tattoo, declaring, “No needle shall ever touch my skin again!”
Fassbender joins the cast which has Rosamund Pike, Ben Walker, Aaron Johnson and Amber Heard among the names rumored to be drawing interest at Fox offices for a variety of roles. Filming beings in August for a June 3, 2011 release under director Matthew Vaughn. Fassbender’s involvement is honestly the first news item about this film to perk our interest; while we like him a lot, we also hope he gives an original spin to the material. Not that there’s anything wrong with a good Ian McKellan impersonation.
