Actor Ian McKellen Battling Prostate Cancer

Accoring to People.com, Sir Ian McKellen confirmed that he has prostate cancer.

McKellen, 73, starred in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and X-Men, and has high hopes for a full recovery. He says he's been battling the disease for 6,7 years now.

"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," he says.

"Many, many die from it, but it's one of the cancers that is totally treatable so I have 'wasteful watching.' I am examined regularly and it's just contained, it's not spreading. I've not had any treatment," he adds. "I have heard of people dying from prostate cancer, and they are the unlucky ones, the people who didn't know they had got it and it went on the rampage. But at my age if it is diagnosed, its not life threatening," he says.

As for the upcoming X-Men movie which features a new "Magneto," there's no bad blood between the new and old classes of X-Men.

Comic book enthusiasts can even expect the two to cross paths. According toYahoo! News, Ian McKellan had nothing but love for his younger Magneto counterpart Michael Fassbender.

"First class I would say," the actor said at the "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" when asked about Fassbender's performance. "I thought he was terrific."

While the original Professor X and Magneto - Patrick Stewart and Ian - are set to return in Bryan Singer's next installment of "X-Men: First Class", the younger cast (James McAvoy and Fassbender) might have some competition from the veterans.

"Two Magnetos together? Who knows!," he said cheerfully. "We'll give him a run for his money when we get there."

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" is expected to hit theaters in summer 2014.