How The Lord Of The Rings Actors Really Feel About The Rings Of Power

Although he was a successful theater actor for much of his career, in his later years Ian McKellen rose to prominence by playing a series of iconic characters in movies, including Magneto in the “X-Men” franchise and, of course, Gandalf in “The Lord of the Rings.” The actor enjoyed playing the aged wizard and reprised the role in the Peter Jackson-directed prequel trilogy “The Hobbit,” which has led to McKellen becoming synonymous with the character he portrayed in six films across two decades.

The actor didn’t share a lot of thoughts about the Amazon series when asked about it, other than explaining that he hasn’t been asked to return to the role of Gandalf. It seems that he doesn’t want anyone else to play the character he’s become so attached to over the years. In a conversation on “The Graham Norton Show,” the actor explained that he didn’t know if Gandalf would appear in the show but reacted when the host suggested someone else might portray him. “I haven’t said yes because I haven’t been asked,” McKellen explained. “But are you suggesting that someone else is going to play it? Gandalf is over 7000 years old, so I’m not too old [yet].”

The producers behind “The Rings of Power” have not ruled out a possible return for McKellen, though, with Lindsey Weber telling Total Film (via Gamespot) that nothing is set in stone. “Who would say no to Ian McKellen? Nobody on the planet would say no to Ian McKellen,” Weber said. Fans could still get to see McKellen’s familiar face if Gandalf were to appear in some form.