It won’t be coming until 2016, but X-Men: Apocalypse is attracting a lot of attention as it pretty much gives the whole franchise a soft reboot. It’s recasting actors, omitting some franchise favorites, and bringing in some new, and scary, supervillains. So, here’s what we know, so far.
It’s Set In The ’80s
Arguably the first thing we knew about it, it’s heading from the ’70s straight to the ’80s, although which specific time will be anybody’s guess.
It’ll Focus On Magneto And Mystique
We know, it’s shocking that a movie featuring what’s arguably the single biggest actress in Hollywood at the moment would put that actress front and center, but the story will apparently revolve around Magneto, Mystique, and their difficult relationship. Although really you’d think it’d be ol’ Chuck she’d have the bigger problem with, considering how he treated her in First Class, but hey, Mystique goes her own way.
It’s Setting Aside The Movies That Have Come Before, And That Includes The Cast
X-Men: Days Of Future Past was meant to wrap up the first couple of films, as it more or less establishes that X-Men: The Last Stand never happened. As a result, it’s going to be entirely about the past of the X-Men, which means you won’t see Ian McKellen or Patrick Stewart, and that Storm, Cyclops and Jean Grey have all been recast with younger actors.
The only actor from the original movies who might come back is Hugh Jackman, since, well, he’s Wolverine for at least another few solo outings. But that’s yet to be confirmed and in fact, you might not see him at all. Fox may want to keep Wolvie and his shenanigans firmly apart from the rest of the franchise so audiences don’t get confused about the admittedly ridiculous timeline.
They’re Adding Some Major Star Power
As we all know, Channing Tatum is playing Gambit and getting his own movie to boot, and Oscar Isaac is playing the titular Apocalypse. Also don’t be shocked if Ryan Reynolds has a cameo; the Merc with a Mouth has his own movie coming, after all.
Yes, Quicksilver Is Coming Back
The key piece of the single best scene in Days Of Future Past is indeed cast for the next movie. Whether he’ll have a more in-depth role or just play with superspeed again, who knows, but hey, more Quicksilver!
It’s Going To Be Messy
Apparently they’re still working a few things out, but Apocalypse, the main villain of the story, doesn’t get that name for funsies. Apocalypse gets his name because he can completely control the molecules of his body, which means he can give himself any superpower, heal instantly, reform his limbs into weapons, and basically be a real pain in the ass to take out.
If that weren’t enough, he’s also a scientific genius and a master tactician. We’ll remind you the last movie ended with him, as a teenager, building a temple for his worshipers. The timing, similarly, might reflect Marvel’s Age Of Apocalypse storyline, where Apocalypse wakes up ten years before the timer is supposed to go off, takes over the Earth, and essentially makes life about what you’d expect when the absolute ruler of the planet is named “Apocalypse.” While we doubt they’ll be doing yet another alternate reality, expect the timing to come up.
Also expect to know more soon; Fox will likely start rolling out trailers this summer. Until then, you can help us figure out exactly where Wolverine 3 fits into all this as we update our timeline, and argue over whether or not Gambit will be set in the ’90s.
