Magneto is one of the most beloved characters in the X-Men world, and despite him always being portrayed as the antagonist, this morally grey figure has something that draws fans in with his charisma and depth of personality.
Michael Fassbender and Sir Ian McKellen both portrayed the character in the X-Men movies, and fans can say that they both gave outstanding performances. Now, with the arrival of the animated series X-Men ‘97, fans are getting attached to the new version of Magneto.
Why Magneto Is One Of The Greatest X-Men Characters Of All Time
Marvel’s Head of TV, Streaming, and Animation and executive producer on X-Men ‘97 Brad Winderbaum shared what he likes about Magneto in whichever iteration he’s in via Emmys:
“One of my favorite things about Magneto as a character is that he is ideologically driven. He is not a liar. He’s not a trickster. He tells you what he thinks. And he believes it.”
Even though Magneto is always viewed as the villain, he has this genuine desire to protect his fellow mutants from the people who want to hurt them.
“When Magneto is tasked with fulfilling Xavier’s dream, he is outside of his comfort zone. He ultimately wants to protect people like him, and he doesn’t believe that peaceful coexistence is possible. But he believes in Xavier enough to try. And that is extremely rich territory.”
X-Men ‘97 Magneto voice actor Matthew Waterson spoke with Steve Varley via X-Men Trove and shared what he thinks about his character.
“One of the things that makes Magneto so fascinating is that he’s not out for self-enrichment or power or anything really for himself his drive has always been to protect his people, and he’s always sort of looked at it as there are a small number of us who are truly powerful enough to protect.”
It is so clear that Magneto is often a misunderstood figure in the X-Men universe. He has so much depth, and when viewers begin to see this, they ultimately find him the most interesting mutant.
Fans Believe X-Men ‘97 Magneto Is The Best Version
After fans met X-Men ‘97 Magneto, it seems like there’s no turning back. The majority has professed their love for this particular character over his other versions both in the film and the animated franchises.
Of course, apart from the different looks and charisma he’s sporting in the revival series, fans also noticed he is more compelling, and he holds the true embodiment of what Magneto should be. Some even labeled him as the definitive version of the character. Check out their tweets below:
I did not like Xmen97 Magneto at the outset, but he is quickly becoming my favorite. He has the most depth. He's a bad guy trying to be a good guy. He's at the end of his rope.
— Nate Hast (@sagenate) May 2, 2024
X-men 97 is the definitive version of Magneto
— MegaDrive (@MegaDriv3) May 2, 2024
X-men ‘97 Magneto is undeniably the GOAT
— 🖇🅽🆃🅷🖤🅽🆈 (@MasterOfAnthony) May 2, 2024
X-Men ‘97.
Easily.
He is beyond cool.
He is Swagneto.
— Richard Johnson (@richardetcetera) May 2, 2024
X-men 97. Perfect combo of a complex hero/villain
— K (@kevinaclarke) May 2, 2024
Let's be real here… Literally, everything about X-Men 97 is the peak version of everything X related. They are all good, though.
— Snucums56 (@snucums56) May 3, 2024
X-Men ‘97 received a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes, proving that the series has exceeded expectations from fans who loved the original 1992 animated show.
It’s quite a tough challenge for Marvel Studios to bring back a beloved show to the screen for modern audiences, but it looks like that’s exactly what fans needed after the unfortunate streak of box-office flops for the past few years.
X-Men ‘97 is available to stream on Disney+.
