Ian McKellen Brings 400-Year-Old Shakespearean Monologue to Late Night Before Returning to Marvel and Lord of the Rings
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
At 86 years old, legendary actor Ian McKellen delivered a powerful pro-immigrant Shakespearean monologue on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, all while preparing to reprise his iconic roles in upcoming Marvel and Lord of the Rings projects.
At 86 years old, acting legend Ian McKellen is proving that his stage presence is just as sharp as ever. During a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as originally reported by Polygon, McKellen delivered a powerful, centuries-old Shakespearean monologue addressing immigration and public empathy. Rather than relying on green screens, the veteran actor used the platform to showcase the enduring relevance of classical theater, drawing a direct line between historical text and modern social realities.
While theater remains a temporary art form that few fans get to experience live, McKellen is keeping his massive footprint in modern blockbuster franchises alive and well. The legendary actor is set to reprise his iconic roles as Magneto in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and return as Gandalf in The Hunt for Gollum. As he noted during his chat with Colbert, blockbuster spectacles require a different kind of performance compared to live theater, often involving green screens and motion capture rather than the shared energy of a live room.
For modern entertainment fans, seeing a titan of stage and screen seamlessly pivot from comic book cinematic universes to politically charged classic literature is a masterclass in craft. Whether you are catching him on a massive IMAX screen or watching late-night clips go viral across streaming and social feeds, McKellen continues to remind audiences why cultural icons of his caliber remain essential fixtures in our digital age.
Tags: Ian McKellen, Marvel, Lord of the Rings, Entertainment, Culture
Original article: Polygon