Acclaimed stage and screen actor Sir Ian McKellen has revealed that he drew inspiration from an unlikely source, President Donald Trump, while filming the new Marvel movie, "Avengers: Doomsday." This insight offers a glimpse into the actor's process and his long-standing political views, which he has previously shared publicly.

McKellen, known for his diverse career spanning Shakespearean dramas and blockbuster roles like Gandalf in "The Lord of the Rings" and Magneto in the "X-Men" franchise, will reprise his role as Magneto in the upcoming "Avengers: Doomsday." The film, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, is slated for release on December 18 and is intended as a sequel to 2019's "Avengers: Endgame."

During an appearance at the Cinema in Piazza festival in Rome, Sir Ian McKellen shared details about the much-anticipated superhero movie with an audience of 2,000 film fans.

He recounted a specific moment during filming where the Russo Brothers instructed him to appear angrier while his character, Magneto, was destroying New Jersey.

To achieve the desired intensity, McKellen reportedly rose from his seat and shouted "Mar-a-Lago!" as a motivational technique.

McKellen has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump for several years.

In 2024, prior to Trump's second presidency, the actor expressed his bewilderment, stating he found Trump to be "one of the worst public speakers there has ever been." He also criticized Trump's plans to roll back LGBTQ community rights in 2017, calling such actions "quite unnecessary and very un-American." McKellen highlighted the origins of the gay rights movement in America, specifically in San Francisco and Stonewall, the city where Trump was born, expressing surprise if Trump were unaware of these issues.

He concluded his earlier remarks by urging Trump to be more straightforward in his communication.