Ian McKellen says he always wanted a "good speech" in X-Men, but that comic book movie speeches are limited to "pow!"

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Sir Ian McKellen says comic book movie monologues are rather short in length... and that's pretty understandable coming from an award-winning West End and Broadway actor.

"I think the script has been grounded in work based on the most wonderful writing," McKellen told the crowd at a screening for The Christophers attended by GamesRadar+. "Whether it's Shakespeare or Marlowe or Oscar Wilde or Noel Coward or Tom Stoppard or Simon Stevens or in translation, and they express what they want to say in the most wonderful language, which is beyond those people. And I want to speak these words. Now what I'm doing... when I'm in X-Men mode, I'm always saying I got to have a good speech. Well, because X-Men is based on a comic, and the general length of speeches in the comic is 'pow!'"

In The Christophers, McKellen plays a famous artist named Julian Sklar. His children devise a plan behind his back to hire a woman named Lori Butler (Michaela Coel), a working artist and fan of their father's work, to complete a series of famously unfinished canvases...so they'll have an inheritance when he dies. Steven Soderbergh directs from a screenplay by Ed Solomon (who wrote all of the Bill and Ted movies).

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I can see why McKellen, who has won seven Laurence Olivier awards and a Tony, would think comic book movie monologues aren't long or in-depth enough. Though I'd argue that Magneto has gotten to say some pretty cool, evil stuff throughout the years... and I'm excited to hear him and Patrick Stewart converse in Avengers: Doomsday, when the two of them reprise their roles as Magneto and Charles Xavier, respectively.

Doomsday is set to hit theaters on December 18. For now, check out our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order, and keep up with upcoming Marvel movies and shows.

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Lauren MiliciSenior Entertainment Writer

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ based in New York City. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

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