MCU Magneto: Should they update his origin?

[Rorschach2012]

If they decide to keep Magneto’s Holocaust origin intact, he will have to be ridiculously old. He would have to possess decelerated aging if this origin remains.

They have the option to update his origin to make him part of a more recent genocide, and I’ve seen a lot of people in favor of this.

Personally I think the Holocaust origin is crucial, and they shouldn’t update it. There’s a lot of potential there by showing Erik during WWII in the MCU.

What do you guys think?

 

[DrCosmic]

I think delving into WWII is precisely the kind of potential that the MCU has avoided once already, and will continue to avoid.

Instead of decelerated aging, which seems tremendously lazy and always results in failure to tell the natural story that would result from such an experience, I think a mind-swapping, knowledge-swapping or youth-restoring mutant should be involved, if they insist on tying him back to that time.

I voted to update it.

 

[Kuwolski]

Update it. I'd make Magneto an Israeli, whose suffering and loss came from the border conflict. He's been exiled (by his own people) for retaliatory actions and for planning something much worse which could start an all-out war. This went a long way for him not just despising a certain group of people, but humanity in general, who lack the power to create any real change. The mutant conflict would rip those wounds even further apart and drive his Homo superior agenda to further extremes.

 

[ludovica]

Update it. I'd make Magneto an Israeli, whose suffering and loss came from the border conflict. He's been exiled (by his own people) for retaliatory actions and for planning something much worse which could start an all-out war. This went a long way for him not just despising a certain group of people, but humanity in general, who lack the power to create any real change. The mutant conflict would rip those wounds even further apart and drive his Homo superior agenda to further extremes.

Leaving aside any huge issues with Israel's militant settlers, making Magneto one would take away from his obsession of never being a passive victim anymore and making him a terrorist from even before the mutant cause will immensely decrease his sympatheticity (is that a word?).

I'd go with the Rwandan genocide.
Cynically, it's not even a problematic historic episode, marketing wise.

 

[Venom 1988]

Didn't we have a a thread talking about this exact topic not long ago?

 

[DrCosmic]

ALL the threads were talking about this when the buyout news first broke.

 

[Kuwolski]

Leaving aside any huge issues with Israel's militant settlers, making Magneto one would take away from his obsession of never being a passive victim anymore and making him a terrorist from even before the mutant cause will immensely decrease his sympatheticity (is that a word?).

I'd go with the Rwandan genocide.
Cynically, it's not even a problematic historic episode, marketing wise.

Well the retribution would not be immediate, the turmoil and rage would have festered until he was a young man. Much like Fassbender in First Class, instead of hunting the Nazi's, he hunt's the people responsible for the bombing that took away his life. His burgeoning powers would give him the incentive, the push to do something because it is within his "powers" to do so. The terrorist plot that that Israeli intelligence foiled represents his awakening into a more political world view of extreme measures.

Also, I think having loved one taken away by others and the desire for revenge (and the internal conflict of coming to terms with one's own morality) is universally understood. Given the context I don't think it would rob Magneto of being sympathetic. It would also demand the audience look within themselves.

 

[ludovica]

Well the retribution would not be immediate, the turmoil and rage would have festered until he was a young man. Much like Fassbender in First Class, instead of hunting the Nazi's, he hunt's the people responsible for the bombing that took away his life. His burgeoning powers would give him teh incentive, the push to do something because it is with his "powers" to do so. The terrorist plot that that Israeli intelligence foiled represents his awakening into a more political world view of extreme measures.

Also, I think having loved one taken away by others and the desire for revenge (and the internal conflict of testing/coming to terms with one's own morality) is universally understood. Given the context I don't think it would rob Magneto of being sympathetic. It would also demand the audience look within themselves.

I disagree but most of all it would be a too charged scenario.
I'm all for real world politics in my entertainment but realistically this' a road to rocky.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

I think with introducing Magneto into the MCU, there is less of a need to "update" the origin. Because you have options to slow his physical aging and maybe tie his origin to Hydra (they tried to experiment on him).

 

[SPO2 Dalisay]

I think with introducing Magneto into the MCU, there is less of a need to "update" the origin. Because you have options to slow his physical aging and maybe tie his origin to Hydra (they tried to experiment on him).

That is precisely what the Soviet wing of Hydra did with the Winter Soldier with no comments and the SHIELD wing of Hydra did with Doctor Whitehall which was important plot point in the Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.

 

[Kuwolski]

No offense to those who like the decelerated aging angle, but to me it just feels like unnecessary poppycock.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

No offense to those who like the decelerated aging angle, but to me it just feels like unnecessary poppycock.

If we're keeping the Holocaust origin then it would be likely necessary.

Changing that origin would be a bigger change than merely updating Iron Man's origin to be Afghanistan instead of Vietnam. Being a Holocaust survivor is not the same thing as being a survivor of a Rwandan genocide or a Israeli exile. Those are bigger changes to Magneto's character then adding Hydra to his existing origin.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

I'm very conflicted about this and am glad that it isn't my decision to make.

 

[UltimatePyro9]

I'll admit I don't know how to do a MCU Magneto properly, but I'll try to bring something to the table:

First, I probably wouldn't put Magneto himself in the Auschwitz concentration camp, but maybe his family, like his grandparents or great-grandparents. The family survives Auschwitz and settles in an unnamed European country, where the man who will become Magneto is born. Growing up, he hears about the horrors of the Holocaust, and witnesses other injustices based on race, religion, sexuality, etc. Additionally, he realizes he has the ability to control magnetism and hones in his skills.

As a man, he decides to find other mutants like him and meets the man who will become Professor X and the two form a friendship. Together, they search for other mutants, but eventually go their separate ways.

However, Magneto gets captured by HYDRA, appropriately enough. He is then taken to an island where other mutants are imprisoned, where their powers are dampened. There, Magneto is tortured and experimented on alongside the other mutants. Remembering the stories of the Holocaust and all the injustices, Magneto becomes angry releases a powerful magnetic blast that destroys the dampeners. Soon, Magneto leads the other mutants and they slaughter their captors. Afterwards, Magneto claims the island for all mutant, renaming it Genosha. There, Magneto begins his plan to conquer Earth for mutantkind everywhere.

Again, its just a scenario I thought of to fairly 'modernize' Magneto without the deaging thing. I realize this story has problems and holes in it, but I'm just spitballing here.

 

[ludovica]

If we're keeping the Holocaust origin then it would be likely necessary.

Changing that origin would be a bigger change than merely updating Iron Man's origin to be Afghanistan instead of Vietnam. Being a Holocaust survivor is not the same thing as being a survivor of a Rwandan genocide or a Israeli exile. Those are bigger changes to Magneto's character then adding Hydra to his existing origin.

I ask honestly: what do you think would be lost in the change?
Except genocide "name recognition" (gosh, this sounds so wrong, sorry).

 

[2kt09]

I ask honestly: what do you think would be lost in the change?
Except genocide "name recognition" (gosh, this sounds so wrong, sorry).

Holocaust is easily identifiable in the same breadth as how easy it is to default to Nazi.
Why else would the same few wars have so many movies dedicated to them?

 

[ludovica]

Holocaust is easily identifiable in the same breadth as how easy it is to default to Nazi.
Why else would the same few wars have so many movies dedicated to them?

Why "wars" plural?
I do not understand your point here? I reckon the Shoah is more "sellable" and I mean it from an audience awareness POV.
To me that's another reason to use a different genocide as his motivation, it would be politically aware without getting into current "politics".
Sadly genocides kept happening around the world.

 

[Kuwolski]

Holocaust is easily identifiable in the same breadth as how easy it is to default to Nazi.
Why else would the same few wars have so many movies dedicated to them?

I understand the importance and weight that World War II carries on the consciousness, but it's 75+ year old history. There are more contemporary and urgent conflicts that parallel the themes of World War II, not the least of which is the middle east conflict. That war has been going on in some form or another for 100+ years. This is just one example, but I think the X-Men franchise needs that sense of immediacy and urgency, which would give it more potency.

 

[2kt09]

Why "wars" plural?
I do not understand your point here? I reckon the Shoah is more "sellable" and I mean it from an audience awareness POV.
To me that's another reason to use a different genocide as his motivation, it would be politically aware without getting into current "politics".
Sadly genocides kept happening around the world.

Because a few of the easiest to identify wars get the most movies.

It would be politically aware, but not as poignant since any other genocide would be so alien to viewers. You have to show & tell even more with such a change when you could just move on sooner to the current story.

 

[ludovica]

It would be politically aware, but not as poignant since any other genocide would be so alien to viewers. You have to show & tell even more with such a change when you could just move on sooner to the current story.

That's exactly why I'd do it.

 

[2kt09]

That's exactly why I'd do it.

Yeah, I understood that from the previous post.

 

[Marvel united]

Holocaust is easily identifiable in the same breadth as how easy it is to default to Nazi.
Why else would the same few wars have so many movies dedicated to them?

To be fair, I could see this being used as a point of contention for Erik's rage. That nobody talks or cares about whatever Genocide he comes from

 

[SirStrangefolk]

WWII --> Bosnian War
Germany --> Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Jew --> Muslim
Holocaust --> Bosnian genocide and ethnic cleansing of Bosniaks (Bosnian muslims)
Auschwitz --> Omarska

etc.

 

[ludovica]

There is no possible ranking of genocides and I'd be totally fine if they went with a Bosniak Magneto, they could even keep the German surname, there are a lot of mixed families in the Balkans.
BUT the Bosniak Genocide was less wide and less unchecked (that totally does not make it less repugnant or less relevant) than the Tutsi and Batwa one, in which the world really did just look the other way.
That combined with the sheer and widespread savagery with which it was carried out is more than enough to push Erik in a radicalized direction.

That would present an occasion/issue: Wakanda is really near Rwanda, this Magneto would probably have something to say about their indifference.

There's also the issue that turning Magneto to a Bosniak muslim would be attacked by some as a criticism of Israel.
That would be totally baseless but you know it would come up...
Mind you, there are muslims also in Rwanda.

 

[TheYetiLair]

Could be successful either way. Depends on the story. Personally, I'm nostalgic. I'd like the origin to stay intact. It would do the MCU well to create the stories in his time period. Moving forward, his legacy still affecting major events. Awesome opportunity to introduce the new generation of characters with occasional flashbacks to the older characters to see how they're tied.