It’s the end of the world as we know it, and it looks fine.
The end of the X-Men prequel trilogy is coming, friends, and we have our first trailer to prove it. Apocalypse, as it’s called, will tie up all the plot threads from First Class and will probably be the last outing of Jennifer Lawrence as Raven/Mystique and Michael Fassbender as Erik/Magneto. What will be the ultimate fates of their characters?
Let’s analyze the newest trailer to find out.
[UPDATE 12/14/15] We’ve added information below from an interview with director Bryan Singer about the trailer.
The analysis:
This looks like the door to Cerebro opening. It’s a bit fuzzy, but that seems like the silhouette of Apocalypse (Oscar Issac).
Generic end of the world imagery!
… as seen by Jean Grey (Sophie Turner).
She tells her teacher, a very hairy Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), about her visions… though he seems pretty skeptical that it meant anything. Clearly he hasn’t seen the original films. [UPDATE 12/14/15] Director Bryan Singer will use another take with a different reaction from Xavier in the film: “The take I used for the movie is a less sincere take, In the movie it’s an intense moment, a psychic moment happens between them and the take is a much more suspicious take.”
Here’s Apocalypse with Storm (Alexandra Shipp) visiting a bald guy, though we don’t know who he is. [UPDATE 12/14/15] It’s been confirmed the bald character is Caliban.
Here’s Apocalypse with Storm over a voice over describing all the God names he’s been given over the years. Something tells us he recruits Storm as his first Horseman and uses this spiel to help convince her to join him.
Also, they’ve totally embraced Storm’s 80s look from the comics.
Xavier and Havok (Lucas Till) go to Dr. Moira MacTaggert (Rose Bryne), who was in First Class (which took place about twenty years prior to this film). She’s briefing them on Apocalypse. It’s great to see Havok again after he took a back seat in Days of Future Past. We’re willing to bet he’s going to be a teacher at the school and a senior member of the X-Men… but something tells us he’s not going to make it to the end of the film as we don’t see him later. Perhaps he dies and his brother Scott (Tye Sheridan) takes his role on the team as Cyclops?
Side note: Check out the grey in Moira’s hair as well as Xavior’s. Great touch.
A big ‘ole pyramid. Could it be part of a flashback sequence involving Apocalypse?
Beast (Nicholas Hoult), in what looks like a holding pen.
Raven, with an 80’s perm.
Young Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee)!
Jubilee (Lana Condor), in a spitting image of her character from the comics. [UPDATE 12/14/15] According to Singer, the trailer almost didn’t feature her: “There was one cut that did not have her in it – her role is not particularly large, but she is a part of the growing new universe.”
Someone’s in a cave walking to the light. Really hard to tell who’s in this shot and why, though.
Professor Xavier appears to be holding a meeting or teaching a class in his school.
Magneto (Michael Fassbender) looking like he’s full of anguish.
Apocalypse reveals himself to Magneto, courting him to be a Horseman.
Moira explains Apocalypse’s horseman, which in this film are: Storm, Magneto, Archangel (Ben Hardy), and Psylock (Olivia Munn).
Xavier using Cerebro, which is probably when he realizes just how screwed he and the X-Men are.
It seems as some point Apocalypse and his horseman break into the X-Mansion and assault their underground facility. Magneto is pulling Xavier toward him. We think Apocalypse wants to take Xavier out, as he’s really the only one powerful enough to give him trouble…
… and that means Raven is going to have to step up and become the leader of the X-Men in order to save the world, as Beast is setting up here. Great stuff.
Here’s our X-Men team for at least one part of the film: Raven, Beast, Quicksilver, Moira, Jean Grey, and Cyclops.
Mutants in some kind of strange cell. From what we can tell the ones locked up are Quicksilver, Raven, Beast, and possibly Moira? The one in heels is hard to make out. We have a feeling Apocalypse is capturing mutants and forcing them to participate in some kind of Fight Club in order to figure out which ones are the strongest and worthy of survival.
Jean, Cyclops, and Nightcrawler suited up. So, add Kurt to the X-Team line up in this film.
Raven cementing her leadership role of the X-Men during war time. [UPDATE 12/14/15] According to Bryan Singer: “She works alone. The very last thing she wants to be is in charge of a group of young mutants. But we find everybody at a certain place in the movie and take them to the very opposite of where they started.”
Scott losing control of his powers, as he’s wont to do.
Magneto looks like he’s overwhelmed. We’re thinking Storm’s assaulting him with gusts of wind.
Xavier vs. Apocalypse! This has got to be a battle in their minds, as Xavier’s walking. However, it looks like he’s getting his ass kicked.
[UPDATE 12/14/2015] Bryan Singer weighs in on the fight: “The two of them really go at it: The end of the movie becomes an all-out battle with a force that’s very formidable. He’s a hard man to break, Apocalypse. It’s why he thinks he’s God.”
We have a feeling this might be from a leftover idea they had for First Class which was going to feature a mental battle but was removed after Inception did something a little too close to what they had in mind.
[UPDATE 12/14/15] According to Brian Singer “”It’s part of the mythology of Apocalypse’s size, but I couldn’t go full Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man where he’s just Giant Apocalypse, swatting at things. I did something a little interesting in how I addressed the size thing, but I think the audience will get a kick out of it.”
Quicksilver running through the X-Mansion. [UPDATED 12/14/15] This sequence was reportedly very complicated according to Singer: “It involves the most complex camera moves, very sophisticated explosive algorithms, 3D Phantom cameras travelling at 50mph while shooting at 3,100 frames per second. Evan worked more days on this movie than any other actor because of this one sequence.”
Archangel, firing his metal projectiles from the comics.
Storm, powering up or possible dropping onto the battlefield through a bolt of lightning.
Magneto throwing some serious metal around. We have a feeling these last few shots are from the same confrontation, either halfway through the film or during a climactic battle at the end.
An explosion at the X-Mansion in slow motion. We’re wondering if this is a dream sequence, as it seems a little strange.
Apocalypse giving a speech to his followers. Is that Storm manipulating the weather behind him?
There’s some major destruction happening here. We’re thinking this is part of the extinction event Bryan Singer’s been talking about in regards to the film.
Apocalypse seems to be using Cerbero, or this is Xavier finding him with Cerebro and freaking out. Hence this shot:
Why are his eyes turning black?
Bald Xavier! How’d he lose his hair, we wonder? [UPDATE 12/14/15] Singer says Xavier is looking at something in particular: “He’s not looking at the camera… He’s looking at something else. And that’s in the film. You’ll see it.”
And yes, that is apparently the chair from the very first X-Men film:
We miss anything? Let us know in the comments!
