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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3. David Hemblen

Appeared in: X-Men: The Animated Series

The late, great David Hemblen voiced Magneto in X-Men: The Animated Series, which makes his portrayal of the character the most famous among the many animated interpretations. The 1992 cartoon is widely considered to be one of the greatest animated shows of all time and a large part of that is down to its exceptional voice cast.

Hemblen's performance as Magneto was one of the finest on the show. He first showed up in the third episode of the series and made an instant impression. His voice was a powerful one, and it grabbed your attention right from the offset; it made even the character's more typically villainous dialogue sound convincing and realistic. He also worked extremely well with actor Cedric Smith, adding depth and nuance to the long-standing friendship between Magneto and Charles Xavier.

Hemblen sadly passed away in 2020, so the role of Magneto will be recast for upcoming sequel series X-Men '97. It goes without saying that he made such an indelibe mark on the character that it it's almost impossible to imagine anyone else voicing him. His Magneto will live on as one of the greatest interpretations of the character to ever grace the screen.

For many, his portrayal remains the definitive version of Magneto, and it isn't hard to see why.

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