WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
With the title X-Men: Apocalypse, the next film in the X-Franchise suggests that not only will the most ancient of mutants makes his film debut, but that the stakes are going to be raised past the typical “mutant vs. human” struggle that has created the conflict in 90% of the previous films (The Wolverine is really the only film that goes past that and is more personal to Wolverine). One thing that always excited me for a new X-movie is the appearance of characters not yet seen on film. The X-Universe has a deep roster to pull from, and everyone has a favorite X-Man that isn’t in the main group you hope to see some day. It’s also pretty great to see the powers in action, rather than on a page. Say what you want about X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but at the very least the filmmakers gave us a great/funny characterization for the Blob and while they tanked Deadpool, the film version of Gambit was near spot on. There’s not a ton I want to remember from that film, but all three of those stand out. With Days of Future Past in theaters now, you can be sure Singer and company bulked up the cast with new X-Men, even if they didn’t take up a ton of screen time. It was awesome to finally see Bishop on screen, especially in a post-apocalyptic setting. Blink also made her debut and the way the film dealt with her teleportation powers was pretty spectacular to see and made for some great moments. All this leads me to X-Men: Apocalypse and from what we saw of the post-credit in Days of Future Past, we know Apocalypse’s presence will be felt. Also, based on comments from Singer, we also know that it’s going to be a “period piece” set in the 80’s.
With this knowledge these are some characters I want to see in X-Men: Apocalypse:
1. Dazzler: A mutant who can change sound into light, Dazzler AKA Alison Blair was created during the disco era and to some is just a punch line to that bygone era. Dazzler was more than a mutant though; she was also a famous recording artist. When Brian Michael Bendis started writing X-Books, he used this fact to us Dazzler as a “Human/Mutant Liaison” working for SHIELD as she was well known for both her music and X-gene. After the events in Days of Future Past, mutants are no longer an unknown population, and Dazzler could use her status to hide in plain sight. With the setting of the 80’s Dazzler could be a washed up former disco queen, or be established as a New Wave darling. Either way, the challenge of presenting her powers on screen is on I’d love to see solved.
2. Nightcrawler: Yes, we’ve seen everyone’s favorite blue elf in Singer’s X2, but he’s been surprisingly absent ever since. First Class featured a red version, Azazel, who in the comics is Nightcrawler’s father, but that’s as close as its come. Also worth mentioning is that Mystique is Nightcrawler’s mother and when First Class ended, Mystique leaves with Magnetos group, which also included Azazel… Coincidence? Maybe, but the X-Franchise could use a dose of the fuzzy blue guy, especially if Wolverine is to play a prominent role again. Their abnormal friendship would add some levity and c’mon, the BAMF effect is still awesome.
3. Angel: Another X-Man we’ve seen, but after Days of Future Past’s time travel, it seems X3 doesn’t count as much. It seemed like Angel was only featured in X3 because he makes for a great visual. As an original X-Man, it’s strange that the others have gotten such a spotlight, while Angel has been left behind. Set in the 80’s I’m sure we will see the First Class era cast meet younger versions of the Original Cast, blending the two and putting Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast and Angel on screen for the first time. That’s where Apocalypse comes in, who plays a major role in Angel’s story. After an unfortunate series of events, Angel ends up wingless, and Apocalypse makes him an offer to become a Horseman for new wings. I can see this playing out throughout the film and would make for a great emotional crux of the film, with Apocalypse calling out to the winged hero throughout the movie. Giving in to despair, Angel turns his back on his friends and reappears with new metal wings… And Magneto gives a wry smile.
4. Mr. Sinister: He’s a weird one, but with its time for this baddie to make his debut. The X-Franchise has made a great job and interpreting characters into the film version and Mr. Sinister is a prime example for this position. Just as geneticist Nathaniel Essex, who creates a synthetic X-gene capable of giving non-mutants powers, he is very knowledgeable on the mutant gene. He could also be a follower of Apocalypse, who has given Essex all he needs to make mutants the dominate species. There was a little of this characterization in First Class’s Sebastian Shaw, but Essex would be the real deal and make a perfect foil for Charles. Add in the AIDS Crisis of the 80’s parallels and subtle hints of the Legacy virus and Essex is quite sinister indeed.
Even without mentioning minor characters, these four could make a major impact in the story and help drive the franchise forward. With Days of Future Past resetting the problematic aspects of the series, there are plenty of great stories to mine inspiration from, and I hope to see some of what I mention involved in Apocalypse.
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