X-Men: All 5 Magneto actors ranked from worst to best

We've seen more actors play Magneto than you might think, but which version of the legendary X-Men character is the best?

By Michael Patterson | Mar 7, 2024, 10:07 PM EST

akb_dtlra_stills_120415.089228 – Erik/Magneto (Michael Fassbender) has the power to manipulate magnetic fields. Photo Credit: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox. /

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Perhaps no name in the world of comic books commands such fear and respect as Magneto. The Marvel Comics anti-hero has been creating chaos with his enhanced mutant abilities since his first appearance in 1963, and he remains among the most popular comic book characters to this day.

Magneto is a complicated individual. Real name Erik Lehnsherr, he is an incredibly powerful mutant with the ability to manipulate and move metal with his mind, controlling magnetic fields all around him with ease. He's a longtime enemy of the X-Men, as well as an occasional friend to them. Like I said, he's a complicated individual.

One of the things that has made Magneto so fascinating to audiences over the years is how his way of thinking directly conflicts the viewpoint of Professor Charles Xavier; his longtime friend who he loudly disagrees with. Magneto believes mutants are the next step in evolution, making them superior to humans. That makes him a threat to the world, and one that Professor X and the X-Men regularly has to stop.

The character's popularity has seen him make the jump onto both the big and small screen over the years. From animated TV shows to live-action film franchises, we've seen a number of actors take on the role of the metal-moving mutant. The question is: Who played Magneto the best?

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