X-Men Movies: 5 Awesome Performances & 5 That Sucked

3. Magneto - Michael Fassbender

The X-men's time travel adventures began in earnest with 2011's X-Men: First Class, serving as a prequel/soft-reboot to the franchise and introducing fans to younger versions of the principle characters (Wolverine naturally excluded). One of the stand out performances came from Michael Fassbender in the role of a tortured young Magneto.

Fassbender - an accomplished actor noted for his commitment to smaller independent films that allow him to stretch his acting range - isn't just about his resemblance to Ian McKellen either. He also succeeds in bringing the same degree of gravitas to the role which McKellen pulls off so effortlessly while adding his own take to the character.

There's something iconic and cool about Fassbender's take on Magneto, with an undercurrent of moral ambiguity that captures the sharply intelligent, Machiavellian nature of the character. Now that he has played the role in three movies it's impossible to think of anyone who could fill the role any better.