Ian McKellen on Returning as Gandalf: ‘A Good Man Like That Doesn’t Come Along Often’

Ian McKellen is heading back to Middle-earth — and he’s the first to admit he didn’t quite see it coming. The legendary actor, who played Gandalf across all six of Peter Jackson’s live-action Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, confirmed his return in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum during a Q&A in London for his new film The Christophers. And he did it with the kind of dry wit you’d expect from a man who’s been playing wizards for over two decades.

“I’m going back to do more Gandalf,” McKellen told the audience, attended by GamesRadar+. “Who would have thought there was more? The person who thought there was more was Andy Serkis, and he’s going to be directing Gollum’s early life.”

It’s a cheeky line — but if anyone’s earned the right to be cheeky about Lord of the Rings, it’s McKellen.

Why Gandalf Means Something Different to McKellen

The comment came as part of a longer answer about what kinds of roles he’s drawn to at this stage in his career. McKellen’s response was honest, thoughtful, and a little unexpected. When asked whether he prioritizes one type of role over another, he said no — but then gave a window into exactly what excites him about the craft.

“It’s always nice to play the baddie, you know,” he said. “The devil has the best shoes. Only occasionally, you play a good man like Gandalf, but they don’t come along very often.”

He went on: “Am I looking for something in particular? No, I think I’m always looking for a script that will resonate beyond itself. It’s not just a simple story, not just an Agatha Christie… something more complicated that will make an audience, as I like to when I’m in the cinema or in the theater for a play, lean forward, gasp, laugh, a day to think about, talk about. I think, when I do, at this point, what I’m looking for is something that nobody else has ever done.”

For a man who’s about to reprise both Gandalf and Magneto — he’s also returning as the X-Men villain in Avengers: Doomsday — that tension between good and evil is clearly something he finds genuinely interesting, not just professionally convenient.

What The Hunt for Gollum Is Actually About

The film picks up in the years between Bilbo Baggins’ famous birthday party and the Fellowship’s ill-fated journey through the Mines of Moria — a stretch of untold story that screenwriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens have described as “quite an intense” period in the mythology. Gandalf and Aragorn are both searching for Gollum to uncover the truth about the One Ring, while Sauron’s forces close in behind them.

Serkis, who originated the role of Gollum and is now stepping behind the camera for the first time in this universe, will also reprise his motion-capture role. Walsh and Boyens are writing, with Peter Jackson producing alongside them and Zane Weiner. Ken Kamins will executive produce, along with Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish of The Imaginarium.

McKellen isn’t the only familiar face returning. Elijah Wood is back as Frodo Baggins, and Lee Pace returns as elven king Thranduil, a role he played in The Hobbit trilogy. The big casting shake-up is at the center of the story: Viggo Mortensen will not return as Aragorn. Instead, Jamie Dornan — best known for Fifty Shades of Grey and The Fall — steps into the role of Strider.

Serkis addressed the recasting carefully when asked about it recently. “I really, really don’t want to go into it right now because I do want to save that for further down the line,” he said. “We’re at a crunch stage now, we’re just about to start shooting. So, I’m going to save all discussion about casting, other than that, we are thrilled that Jamie’s doing it. We’re absolutely thrilled. And, by the way, so is Viggo.”

Shooting is set to take place in New Zealand, keeping the production anchored in the same landscapes that defined Jackson’s original trilogy. A second new film, The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past — co-written by Stephen Colbert — is also in development, though details on that project remain sparse and McKellen’s involvement hasn’t been confirmed.

McKellen mentioned at the Q&A that he has a play lined up for “when I come back from Middle-earth” — a production exploring his connection to King Lear. The man is, in every sense, not slowing down.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum arrives in theaters on December 17, 2027.