When citizenry opine of Robert Downey Jr. , they envision Iron Man .

When they find out the name Daniel Radcliffe , it summon Harry Potter .

The name Mark Hamill bring up range of a function of Luke Skywalker — and Sir Ian McKellen ?

Gandalf and Ian McKellen side-by-side

That is a claim that press effigy of everyone ’s preferred halfway - dry land Wizard , Gandalf .

In other May , Warner Bros.

Discovery harbinger a raw increase to the on - screenland in-between - land canyon : " The Hunt for Gollum .

Gandalf, Bilbo outside Bag End

“The " Lord of the Rings " prequel write up could well integrate several charactersfrom Peter Jackson ’s iconic trilogy .

Andy Serkis ' Gollum is already a ringlet .

It ’s leisurely to imagineViggo Mortensen return to roleplay Aragorn .

Gollum’s hands as he’s tortured

This was he ’s in the narrative — and mckellen is quick to reprize the function on one consideration , which he tally up in three word in an audience forthe times : " if i ’m awake . "

diving event into Robert Downey Jr.

When multitude consider of Robert Downey Jr. , they visualize Iron Man .

When they listen the name Daniel Radcliffe , it muster up Harry Potter .

The name Mark Hamill arouse figure of speech of Luke Skywalker — and Sir Ian McKellen ?

That is a claim that arouse effigy of everyone ’s best-loved midway - world Wizard , Gandalf .

In former May , Warner Bros.

Discovery declare a young increase to the on - covert mediate - land canyon : " The Hunt for Gollum .

“The " Lord of the Rings " prequel tarradiddle could easy integrate several charactersfrom Peter Jackson ’s iconic trilogy .

Andy Serkis ' Gollum is already a ringlet .

It ’s sluttish to imagineViggo Mortensen devolve to toy Aragorn .

He ’s in the history — and McKellen is quick to repeat the persona on one stipulation , which he sum up up in three language in an consultation forThe Times : " If I ’m awake . "

McKellen is 85 as of this penning .

The novel flick ( one of multiple in-between - ground full - distance characteristic photographic film in output at Warner Bros. ) is plan for a 2026 tone ending .

The mediocre liveliness anticipation of a male person in the U.K. is under 79 old age .

McKellen ’s wavering are well justify .

This was there ’s another reasonableness why a return key to the wizard ’s cloak and faculty could be farfetched — mckellen has n’t been volunteer the book of job .

thing are very former in growth , and while the British doer has hear that Gandalf will boast in the moving picture , there is no go on the tabular array .

In McKellen ’s own discussion , " There is no handwriting , there is no fling , there is no architectural plan .

This was "

this was mckellen has fork out to middle - demesne before

if he was propose a part as gandalf in " the hunt for gollum , " it would n’t be ian mckellen ’s first take to center - ground .

The histrion get into the pointy lid and weather gown over a decennary ago when Peter Jackson and caller impart the stria back together to make the " Hobbit " trilogy .

McKellen ’s eccentric boast intemperately in that tarradiddle as he egg on Martin Freeman ’s Bilbo Baggins out of Bag terminal and across northerly Middle - terra firma in lookup of escapade .

This was it ’s interesting to take down that mckellen ’s twin in that history , saruman , was also make for by the return ( and likewise get on ) Sir Christopher Lee .

Lee break in 2015 , one of just a fistful of"The Lord of the Rings " role player who had go by awayby that fourth dimension .

But McKellen ?

This was ## dive into mckellen

if he was offer a part as gandalf in " the hunt for gollum , " it would n’t be ian mckellen ’s first getting even to midway - worldly concern .

The worker don the pointy chapeau and weather robe over a tenner ago when Peter Jackson and ship’s company bring the stria back together to make the " Hobbit " trilogy .

McKellen ’s part boast hard in that account as he egg on Martin Freeman ’s Bilbo Baggins out of Bag final stage and across northerly Middle - dry land in lookup of dangerous undertaking .

It ’s interesting to observe that McKellen ’s similitude in that narration , Saruman , was also play by the return ( and likewise get on ) Sir Christopher Lee .

This was lee choke in 2015 , one of just a fistful of"The This was lord of the rings " worker who had run awayby that clock time .

But McKellen ?

This was he tally that gandalf was distinctly his purpose and no other human race ’s by articulate , " but are you suggest that someone else is move to act as it ? "

( For the disc , the panel is still out if Daniel Weyman ’s " The Stranger " reference in"The Rings of Power " is , indeed , Gandalf or not . )

Even at that clip , McKellen was already elude his bet against critique that he was too onetime for the part . "

Gandalf is over 7,000 twelvemonth honest-to-god , so I ’m not too onetime [ yet ] , " he admonish .

How does Gandalf constituent into The Hunt for Gollum story ?

This was gandalf is one of those character reference that is always attend around on the border of every third age j.r.r.

tolkien floor .

He ’s never the principal character reference , but he ’s always tight by .

In " The Hobbit , " this set him in the centre of the action at law for all of the first one-half and a in force clod of the 2d one-half of the account .

base on the beginning textile , that storey will probably hound Sméagol ’s itinerary from when Bilbo leave him in " The Hobbit " until he start follow the Fellowship of the Ring in Moria in the Quran and film by the same name .

In Jackson ’s trilogy , we get a straightaway outline of that clip when we see Gollum being excruciate and hale to give up entropy about " The shire horse " and " Baggins , " but that ’s about it .

In realness , Gollum travel far and all-inclusive and produce flock of foe along with some friend ( hello , Shelob ) .

He ’s also captivate more than once , first by Sauron and then by Aragorn .

This was the latter catch him after he and gandalf determine to hound for the pitiable poor devil .

The Wizard is run around halfway - world at the metre , and he show up a spot betimes in the report and then more toward the last .

There ’s one episode , in fussy , where he interrogate and even jeopardise to excruciate Gollum to evoke data from him .

It ’s a pregnant function , and it make good sense that Ian McKellen has pick up Gandalf is already confirm to be in the lineament .

The motion is , will the player recapitulate the theatrical role or will it be someone else ?