8) Dr. Pretorius – Ian McKellen
The Character: Dr. Pretorius might not be a household name like most of other guys and gals on this list, but he’s a hugely important character in 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein. Introduced as Henry Frankenstein’s former mentor, it’s he who goads the doctor into making the Monster a mate.
Yes, the character is even more of a mad scientist than the original mad scientist. Played with OTT relish by British character actor Ernest Thesiger, Pretorius absolutely steals the show away from both Boris Karloff’s Monster and Colin Clive’s Doctor. His most famous moment in the movie is his delivery of the iconic line: “To a new world of Gods and monsters.”
The Actor: As Thesiger’s Pretorius was an elderly British gentlemen, we can’t think of anyone better to play the rebooted version than Ian McKellen. The X-Men and Lord of the Rings star would be a perfect fit for the part, as he could bring the right mix of gravitas and twinkly-eyed charisma.
There’s a good chance that this one could happen, too. Director Bill Condon frequently casts McKellen in his movies. He played the titular detective in Mr. Holmes, talking clock Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast and, most pertinently, he even portrayed Bride of Frankenstein‘s director James Whale in 1998’s biopic Gods and Monsters.