Why You Haven't Seen Ian McKellen Onscreen In A While Why You Haven't Seen Ian McKellen Onscreen In A While David M. Benett/Getty Images By Thompson Smith/April 14, 2021 7:16 pm EDT If you'll allow us to indulge in a shamelessly ironic metaphor — the term "nerd" is not the social and cultural scarlet letter it used to be. For that, we have the mainstream success of nerd media to thank. But before we get MCU shows on Disney+ and Zack Snyder's Justice League dominating water cooler conversations — or maybe we mean Slack channel chats, depending on your circumstances — we have to get through the turn of the millennium.