Recent industry rumors suggest that Marvel is eyeing Daniel Day-Lewis for the role of Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto in the MCU reboot of X-Men. This comes after earlier rumors claimed that the studio was interested in Denzel Washington for the role in the MCU.
Daniel Day-Lewis rumored for Magneto in Marvel’s X-Men reboot
Scooper @MyTimeToShineH took to X (formerly Twitter) to claim, “Daniel Day-Lewis is being eyed to play Magneto in the MCU.” Understandably, it caused quite a stir in the MCU fandom, with people speculating on the viability of this rumor.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time, Day-Lewis received three Academy Awards for Best Actor for his performances in My Left Foot (1989), There Will Be Blood (2007), and Lincoln (2012). He has also received four BAFTA Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.
As mentioned above, @MyTimeToShineH shared the post after earlier rumors claimed that Marvel Studios wanted Washington for the character. At the time of this article’s composition, Marvel has yet to put out any statement regarding Magneto’s casting in the reboot.
Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender have previously portrayed the character in 20th Century Fox’s live-action X-Men film series. If these rumors are true and Day-Lewis ends up essaying the role, he will be the first actor with a Jewish background to portray Magneto, a character whose Jewish identity is often considered quintessential to his story, on the big screen. Notably, Day-Lewis has Ashkenazi Jewish lineage through his mother, actress Jill Balcon.
Over the years, Day-Lewis has retired multiple times from acting. The most recent one was in 2017, after Paul Thomas Anderson’s historical drama Phantom Thread. However, in October 2024, various outlets reported that Day-Lewis would return to acting after seven years of absence to star in Anemone, a movie that his son, Ronan Day-Lewis, is helming. Further, Daniel Day-Lewis co-wrote the screenplay with Ronan. If the above-mentioned rumors are accurate, the X-Men reboot can be the second project for Day-Lewis since his latest return.
Originally reported by Tamal Kundu on SuperHeroHype.
