The Magneto spin-off of X-Men we’ve been hearing about since nearly X2 is finally showing some sign of life. The Hollywood Reporter says David Goyer has been hired by Fox to develop and possibly direct Magneto for them.

The movie is to be about the younger days of Magneto and Professor X and the development of their friendship. The bad news is that since it’s about younger versions of the characters, neither Sir Ian McKellan nor Patrick Stewart will be involved in the film in any way. You’d think they’d leave the door open to work them in somehow, maybe as narrators or to introduce the movie as a flashback, but apparently Fox is ruling them out completely in favor of getting hot young actors in their 20s. Is Michael Rosenbaum busy? He’s good at being bald. I’m sure he’ll get Professor X consideration.

To me though, there is no movie without Ian McKellan. I’m just not interested in watching the character if he’s not playing him, and there’s really nothing exciting to me about a younger version of Magneto anyway. Magneto is intriguing because of his past, by making him younger you take that away from him and all we’re left with is another run of the mill mutant movie only without the gravitas of Stewart and McKellan to anchor it. It’s great to hear Goyer is involved, he’s a whiz with superhero properties, but if he doesn’t have McKellan he doesn’t have anything.