Acclaimed actor Sir Ian McKellen has become synonymous with his iconic role of Gandalf the Grey. Appearing in two cinematic trilogies based on J.R.R Tolkien’s epic novels, it is hard imagining someone else taking on the magical character – in fact, according to McKellen, it is downright “upsetting”. In response to an opinion piece on who would replace him as the famed wizard in Amazon’s upcoming The Lord of the Rings TV series, McKellen shared a perfect response to the article via social media.
Amazon Prime’s upcoming TV series will be set years before the hobbit Frodo’s famous quest to Mount Doom to destroy the one ring begins. Set during Middle-earth’s Second Age, fans will see a cast of predominantly new characters in the show. However, some familiar faces are scheduled to make an appearance. Lady Galadriel, and Elrond are said to be included in the series, leaving many to question if we could potentially see a young Gandalf in this new adventure too.
Screen Rant recently published a piece, speculating on whether the wizard will return in a feature titled, 'How Gandalf Can Appear In Amazon's Lord of the Rings (But Not Ian McKellen).' The piece caught the attention of Ian McKellen, who took to Twitter to share his opinion on the headline.
The actor tweeted: “I think this would be the most upsetting headline I’d ever read, if I weren’t gainfully employed elsewhere”. It’s no secret that the character of Gandalf, and his time acting in the fantasy movies, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, holds a special place in McKellen’s heart. In 2017, the actor confirmed that he’d love to play the wizard again on Graham Norton’s radio show. Sir Ian McKellen has left some enormous wizarding shoes to fill if any other actor takes on the role of Gandalf the Grey.
I think this would be the most upsetting headline I’d ever read, if I weren’t gainfully employed elsewhere. https://t.co/VuletTxAGA
— Ian McKellen (@IanMcKellen) August 31, 2021
However, it is worth noting that while Tolkien’s literary work says Gandalf is alive during the Second Age, technically, he and his fellow wizards didn’t arrive in Middle-earth until the Third Age. We are curious to see if Amazon’s show will stick to Tolkien’s work, and if it will have any wizards at all, much less a younger version of Gandalf.
Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings series is scheduled to premiere in September 2022. If you are interested in signing up for the streaming service Amazon Prime Video, you can do so through our link here.