Michael Fassbender says his role in X-Men: First Class is an 'elaborate James Bond audition'

The 34-year-old actor is currently promoting the action drama, where he portrays Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto.

The movie is set in 1963, and director Matthew Vaughn has previously spoken about the influence retro James Bond movies had on the picture.

Michael accepts there are nods to the iconic spy in his performance, and teased he’s hoping to star as the smooth agent one day.

"I just saw it as an opportunity to do a really elaborate James Bond audition," he laughed to MTV. "I just really exploited that fact really, and one always has to worry about the next job, that's the problem."

Michael went on to explain the process of developing his character with Matthew. He admits he was more focused on staying true to the original Marvel Comics which inspired the X-Men franchise than worrying about other movies though.

"In all seriousness, director] Matthew [Vaughn] did say to me that the fact that it was set in the '60s, and this character, Erik, he had envisioned him as a James Bond from the past, perhaps the Sean Connery-type mould," said Michael.

"I was like, 'That's interesting,' but it didn't really affect my portrayal. I just concentrated on what was in the comic books. The biography available in the comic books was so dense that I was spoiled for choice to go away and create this Machiavellian character."

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