You. Shall. Not. Recast!
This is not a thing I’d typically care to cover, but I can already see the “Gandalf has cancer” headlines popping up and, if judging by my own furrowed brow and desperately quick reading, I think a lot of people are going to experience unnecessary anxiety as they read to find out if Magneto’s gonna die soon. “Ian McKellen Has Cancer” is certainly a link-harvesting headline, but don’t fret guys, Ian’s alright.
“I’ve had prostate cancer for six or seven years,” he says. “When you have got it you monitor it and you have to be careful it doesn’t spread. But if it is contained in the prostate it’s no big deal. Many, many men die from it but it’s one of the cancers that is totally treatable so I have ‘waitful watching’. I am examined regularly and it’s just contained, it’s not spreading. I’ve not had any treatment.”
So there you go. You should read his entire interview with The Daily Mail, as he lets out his trademark wit about aging, his health, and his decision to play Gandalf again.
That’s it- I just wanted to put one non-link-bait, anti-incendiary headline out there so a few less people will have their days temporarily ruined. I wouldn’t expect anyone to find McKellen and Patrick Stewart in a desert cooking meth anytime soon.