Ian McKellen gave a clear answer to the question of who would win in a hypothetical fight between Gandalf and Dumbledore. McKellen, who portrayed Gandalf the Grey in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, expressed his decision in an interview with The Guardian, starting with the question, "Why would they fight on the ground?" and then stating clearly: "Of course Gandy wins. He is the original wizard." McKellen's statement reflects his assessment of the power dynamics between two iconic characters often compared in the Human Industry.

Gandalf and Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter are both designed based on the archetype of the wise wizard with a long white beard, pointed hat, and flowing robes. Due to McKellen's portrayal of this character in the early 2000s, he was offered the role of Dumbledore after Richard Harris's death. Harris played Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films (2001 and 2002), both directed by Christopher Columbus. However, McKellen declined the role because Harris had criticized him in the past. Michael Gambon then took over the role starting from "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" and continued to play it in all subsequent films.

McKellen's decision has been an issue beyond just a professional preference. Harris's past criticism led McKellen to find it ethically wrong to take on a role that someone else had not approved of. Instead, he preferred to return to the upcoming 2027 version of "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum's Hunt," directed by Andy Serkis.

According to the mythology of the Tolkien universe, it makes sense that Gandalf is more powerful than Dumbledore. While Dumbledore is a skilled and powerful wizard, Gandalf is equivalent to an angel in Tolkien's world - an immortal, divine being sent to Middle-earth by the Gods (Valar). Prime Video's series "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" tells the story of Gandalf's first arrival, where the character is portrayed by Daniel Weyman.

McKellen will soon play Jacob Marley in Ti West's "Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol," but he will always remain Gandalf to the world. Fantasy fans seem likely to continue searching for answers to such trivial questions. The Lord of the Rings films are available to watch on HBO Max.