7 Times Ian McKellen Refused to Join Doctor Who, and 1 Unexpected Role He Took

Even though a Doctor Who appearance seems to be a must for any British actor who is becoming incredibly popular, some personalities just can't find the right time to jump into the TARDIS and take a trip through time and space. For the longest time, this was the case with a legendary actor Sir Ian McKellen.

Here are all 7 times the actor was considered or invited to play some kind of role in Doctor Who since the early 80s, and 1 time he actually managed to drop by.

Who Was Ian McKellen Supposed to Play on Doctor Who?

Aukon in State of Decay (Season 18 Serial 4)

Doctor Who tried to get the actor on board long before its reboot in the early 2000s. McKellen was considered for the role of Aukon, a human who fell into E-Space and came to serve King Vampire in a serial State of Decay. In the end, Aukon ages to death without the King Vampire's influence.

Nilson in Warriors of the Deep (Season 21 Serial 1)

There were many problems with this series during its production in 1984, including the political allusions to the Cold War at the time of the British election. Ian McKellen was considered for the role of an officer aboard Sea Base 4, Nilson in 2084, among other actors such as Peter Arne, Nicholas Ball, or Tom Chadbon. Ian McCulloch finally got the part.

Captain Cook in The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (Season 25 Serial 4)

Portrayed by T. P. McKenna, Captain Cook was an infamous intergalactic explorer whose role was originally intended for Ian McKellen. The charismatic character, who despite his fame had little regard for anyone but humans, was an antagonist to Sylvester McCoy's Seventh Doctor in one of the most entertaining classic Doctor Who serials.

Cyrian in Dimensions in Time (30th Anniversary Special)

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the series, Doctor Who invited Sir Ian McKellen to play an assistant to the First Rani, Cyrian. If you think there's a slight pun in the character's name, which is reminiscent of 'Sir Ian', you're not wrong. And even though the actor passed on the role, the name stayed the same.

The Eighth Doctor

One of the greatest offers an actor can get in relation to Doctor Who is the chance to be the Doctor himself. Since the humanoid alien tends to change his appearance through regeneration, Sir Ian McKellan could have been the 8th iteration of the leading character in the series. However, this did not happen and the role went to Paul McGann.

Martin Bannister in Deadline (Big Finish)

Even though the Big Finish audio stories are not exactly the canonical events of the series, they have a huge audience, and many actors from the original series are still involved in them. Appearing as Martin Bannister, an English writer who starts dreaming up Doctor Who sets, could have been McKellen's first foray into the new Doctor Who, but it never happened.

Doctor Moon in Silence in the Library & Forest of the Dead (Series 4 Episodes 8 & 9)

To this day, many people wonder if Doctor Moon was meant to be one of the Doctor's iterations, or just a protector of virtual reality with a coincidentally similar title to the main hero. Sir Ian McKellen would have been perfect for the role, but in the end it went to Colin Salmon, who was just as chillingly convincing.

What Episode of Doctor Who Did Ian McKellen Star In?

One episode the actor did appear in was the Christmas special episode The Snowmen, which starred Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor and introduced his new companion, Clara Oswald, played by Jenna Coleman. But even the duo's most ardent fans may have missed Sir Ian McKellen's cameo.

McKellen took on the role of the Great Intelligence and provided several lines of dialogue for the character. Although many fans are still upset that his only cameo was spent on such a minor character, in reality it was probably the only part the actor could fit into his schedule. That's not a bad thing, though, because it allows Ian McKellen to return to the show.

If you are interested in seeing what the Doctor is up to today, be sure to check out the latest series of the show starring Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor on Disney Plus.