Ian McKellen, the veteran actor who is best known for bringing the popular Lord of the Rings character Gandalf to life on the big screen, recently turned 85 and fans are eager to know if he will return to the franchise. The actor nodded to the question but with a morbid condition.

In his vast career spanning over six decades, the Tony Award-winning actor has a wide spectrum of filmography ranging from genres Shakespearean drama to sci-fi to popular fantasy adventures. Check out what the actor has to say about returning as the fan-favorite wizard in the upcoming Warner Bros LOTR franchise and his reaction to getting roles in his 80s.

Ian McKellen wouldn’t mind reprising his role of Gandalf in new LOTR movie

As per a recent announcement, Andy Serkis is set to direct with Peter Jackson as the producer for a new Lord of the Rings film titled The Hunt for Gollum eyeing a theatrical release in 2026. In an exclusive interview with The Times, McKellen said that he has heard his character Gandalf is set to feature in the upcoming installment of the franchise. However, “there is no script, there is no offer, there is no plan,” he said.

When the actor was asked about reprising his role in the upcoming franchise after The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003) and its prequel trilogy The Hobbit (2012-2014), McKellen said he wouldn’t mind adding “If I’m alive.” He continued that he would be thrilled to return as the wizard in The Hunt for Gollum since his play Falstaff has kept him from shaving for months.

Touted to be one of the most active actors in British theater, McKellen celebrated his birthday on stage while playing Falstaff in director Robert Icke’s over three-hour adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry IV titled Player Kings. Reflecting on his age, McKellen said, “If you want to know that you are mortal, you just have to look at your address book. And so when a script comes through, or the hint of an offer, you think, ‘This might be my last job. No. I’m not doing that.’”

About the Lord of the Rings franchise and its upcoming film

Based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel of the same name, The Lord of the Rings is a trilogy of epic fantasy adventure films–  The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003). The ensemble cast includes  McKellen, Elijah Wood, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Christopher Lee, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis, and Sean Bean, among several others.

The film series, which takes place in the fictional world of Middle-earth, follows the hobbit Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship as they set out to destroy the One Ring in order to bring the Dark Lord Sauron, who created it, to an end. The Lord of the Rings is labeled as one of the greatest and most influential film series ever. With over $2.9 billion grossed worldwide, it is one of the highest-grossing film series of all time.

The upcoming installment marks the first of several planned new Lord of the Rings franchises in the coming decade which will be released by Warner Bros. The Hunt for Gollum is set to be the first live-action The Lord of the Rings film.