Is Marvel erasing the Jewish superhero? The rumor stirring up fans
A rumor online claims that Magneto will not be a Holocaust survivor in Marvel's new X-Men, and fans are already accusing the studios of erasing the character's Jewish identity. However, Magneto has not even been announced as part of the cast, and the entire storm is currently based on an unverified report. So who is Magneto, and how did a Holocaust survivor become one of the most important characters in the X-Men universe? We set the record straight.
Before the Odyssey hit theaters, many users declared they were boycotting Christopher Nolan's epic, simply because the casting of Elliot Page for the role of Achilles sparked hidden transphobic anger. But as in most cases, the web was buzzing over a completely false claim: when the film was released, it turned out that Page was cast as the slender soldier Sinon. While all that remains of that rumor are the frozen remnants of foolish posts, this week 'Major Rumor' woke up from its slumber, and the internet was flooded again with empty words. This time, Marvel Studios is in the crosshairs, specifically their new X-Men film, arriving in theaters in May 2028. Last weekend, Disney's D23 convention featured bombastic announcements from Marvel, but while Kevin Feige revealed part of the X-Men cast, one prominent character did not come to the party: Magneto.
Magneto, or Max Eisenhardt (also known as Erik Magnus Lehnsherr), is one of the most vital characters in the X-Men universe. He started as a villain, but as his difficult past was revealed, he became a complex character rather than just an angry type. Magneto is a Holocaust survivor who lost his family and was sent to Auschwitz during World War II. The trauma he endured became central to his worldview, leading him to conclude that humans are, well, real jerks, and that like the Jews during the Nazi era, mutants will always be under the threat of persecution. The 'never again' idea is integral to his doctrine; in his view, mutants must never be at the mercy of humans.
Moviegoers first encountered Magneto's origin in X-Men (2000), played by Ian McKellen (who will return to the role in Avengers: Doomsday as a 90-year-old Magneto). Although it is unclear if Magneto will appear in the next X-Men, the X account 'No More Mutants', which deals with leaks, claimed the new Magneto will be in his 30s, with an origin story rooted in modern persecution rather than the Holocaust. One irresponsible post was enough to ignite the web with the headline: 'Marvel is erasing the Jewish Magneto.'
If the rumor is true and Magneto is in his 30s, it doesn't fit with him being an Auschwitz survivor. A 35-year-old in 2028 would have been born in 1993, nearly 50 years after the war. Speculations don't stop there. While Magneto wasn't even announced for the film, the web has started suggesting actors for the role, led by Lee Pace. It is important to emphasize: this is a 'fan cast,' not an official candidacy. Pace is not Jewish, and the rumor about a young Magneto quickly rolled into a question about whether the actor will be Jewish. True, Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender, who played Magneto previously, are not Jewish either—but on the web, that is enough to ignite another round of discussions.
Unlike Achilles or Helen of Troy, the fact that Magneto is a Jewish Holocaust survivor is not just a marginal detail; it is the engine of his actions. Does Marvel want to erase his Jewish identity? According to what is known so far, the answer is no. The most amusing thing is that Marvel didn't even announce Magneto will appear. We do know the main villain will be Mister Sinister, played by Adam Driver. But as always, the web doesn't rest, and for users, one rumor is better than a thousand facts. It seems there is no shortage of nonsense to argue about until May 2028, and there is a good chance that, just like with the Odyssey, in two years we will discover that we can throw all these cheap theories into the eternal trash can of pop culture.
