Sir Ian McKellen recently shared a surprising detail about his performance in the upcoming superhero film Avengers: Doomsday, revealing that he shouted “Mar-a-Lago” while filming a scene as Magneto. The 87-year-old actor made this revelation on Sunday night during an appearance at an open-air cinema festival in Rome, The Guardian reported. He was speaking to a crowd of 2,000 film fans when he decided to reenact a specific moment from the production.
The film is scheduled for release in December and marks a significant return for Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the 39th feature in the franchise, Avengers: Doomsday is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo. It is intended as a direct sequel to their 2019 massive hit Avengers: Endgame, which famously pulled in $2.8bn and stands as the second highest-grossing film of all time.
While discussing his experience on the set, McKellen described a sequence where his character is tasked with causing destruction. He explained that “they got me at one point to destroy New Jersey.” To get the right level of intensity, the directors pushed him to dig deep into his performance. They told me to look more furious: “Make it look as if you hate what you’re destroying.” In a moment of improvisation, McKellen stood up from his seat to act out the scene for the audience. He recalled that he stood there and he shouted: “Mar-a-Lago!”
McKellen has not been shy about his opinions regarding the president in the past
This specific reference to the resort in Palm Beach, Florida, owned by President Donald Trump since 1985, drew laughs from the crowd. During the first presidency of Donald Trump in 2017, McKellen publicly criticized the administration for a perceived lack of support for LGBTQ+ rights. At that time, he expressed his frustration regarding the lack of acknowledgment for Pride Month and the reversal of the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order.
He told Variety then, “It was appalling and quite unnecessary and very un-American.” He further noted that the gay rights movement began in America, specifically citing San Francisco and Stonewall. McKellen also remarked that he could not follow the president, stating, “He’s a very bad communicator, at least to me.”
Beyond his Marvel role, McKellen is currently enjoying a career renaissance. This follows a difficult period in 2024 when he was injured after falling from the stage during a production of Player Kings. His recent work includes the release of the film The Christophers, directed by Steven Soderbergh, which earned him strong reviews. He has also been involved in an innovative video stage installation in New York.
His recent public schedule has been quite busy, as he opened a new performing arts centre in County Durham last month. He also participated in a march to support the rights of LGBTQ+ people in Commonwealth countries, and he recently unveiled an English Heritage blue plaque outside the former London home of Sir Laurence Olivier.
During his time in Rome, McKellen also spent time discussing cinema history. He introduced the 1953 comedy Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, which he described as one of his favorite films. He shared a personal memory of watching it as a 14-year-old with a friend who was more than a friend, really. He noted that they held hands through the whole film. He praised the character of Hulot as being every bit as powerful as the work of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, or Roberto Benigni. He even called the character the inspiration for the famous Mr Bean, played by Rowan Atkinson.
The event in Rome was part of the Cinema in Piazza festival, which is a series of free open-air screenings and Q&As. The festival is organized by the Piccolo America Foundation, which was created by young activists who occupied an abandoned cinema in 2012. Their goal was to fight the gentrification of the city, and the festival has become a popular local fixture.
Looking ahead, McKellen confirmed that he is shortly to head to New Zealand. He is set to reprise his legendary role as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. This project is produced by Peter Jackson and directed by Andy Serkis, who will also return to play the role of Gollum.
McKellen mentioned that the film is “going to tell a story that I don’t think Tolkien wrote.”
Published: Jun 17, 2026 07:00 pm