X - MEN: APOCALYPSE THE ESSENTIAL S
Back to the future! X- Men: First Class was set against the jittery but stylish backdrop of the early ’ 60s Cold War. Days Of Future Past moved the mutants to the hairy, funky ’ 70s. Apocalypse updates the action to the ’ 80s – specifically 1983, the era of Ronald Reagan, Men Without Hats and Mutually Assured Destruction ( we know the title refers to the movie’s villain but does it also hint at the very contemporary threat of nuclear apocalypse too?). There’s said to be a touch of Spandau Ballet about James McAvoy’s wardrobe choices in this one – we’re thinking Soul Boy suit rather than New Romantic kilt ’ n’ blouse combo – while the new Nightcrawler is rocking a jacket straight from Thriller era Michael Jackson. Oh, and look for Return Of The Jedi playing at the movies… Michael Fassbender returns as master of magnetism Erik Lehnsherr. Apocalypse may signal the end of his current deal with Fox but he’s up for more metal- warping action beyond the trilogy’s conclusion. “I will shoot a hundred of them,” he tells Variety. “The contract is in three- film deals, and this is the last of that. But I’ll be curious to see what happens next.” But it’s goodbye to Jennifer Lawrence as morally ambiguous shape- shifter Mystique. “It’s my last one,” she confirms, doubtlessly relishing the prospect of life beyond blue paint and prosthetic glue. Apocalypse is rumoured to crank up the romance between Mystique and Magneto, capitalising on the A- list chemistry of Lawrence and Fassbender – little wonder, given how both stars have risen in the Hollywood firmament since 2011’ s First Class. There’s also talk of a hot mutant love triangle between Mystique, Magneto and Beast ( that’s love triangle, we stress, not a preposterously kinky superpowered threesome). Nicholas Hoult is back as the blue- furred boffin. Jennifer Lawrence is back in blue for one last X- outing. Evan Peters’ cocky speedster Quicksilver officially stole Days
Of Future Past and he encores in Apocalypse, this time with a meatier role – and an expanded power set. “Hopefully we can do some more unique things with his powers,” producer Simon Kinberg tells
IGN, “and go a little deeper with the character too.” Lucas Till returns as Havok, now confirmed to be Scott ( Cyclops) Summers’ brother Alex. We’ll also meet the parents of the Summers siblings. Tye Sheridan will be unleashing the optic blasts as the new Cyclops, inheriting the ruby quartz lenses from James Marsden. Sheridan made his big- screen debut in Terrence Malick’s The Tree
Of Life and starred alongside fellow X- Man Nicholas Hoult in Dark Places. We’re promised a slightly edgier take on Scott, potentially less wholesome than