X-Men: Apocalypse Will HAVE To Recast Storm and Cyclops, Says Simon Kinberg (Exclusive)

‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ screenwriter Simon Kinberg has confirmed to Yahoo that they will need to recast classic X-Men characters for the 2016 film.

Watch the video here.

It was confirmed overnight that Bryan Singer will return to direct ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’, the third ‘X-Men’ film to feature the younger cast including Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult.

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The news came from Deadline along with the snippet of info that classic X-Men characters from the first three films would feature in ‘Apocalypse’, albeit in younger guises.

"Charles (James McAvoy), Erik/Magneto (Michael Fassbender), Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Hank/Beast (Nicholas Hoult) are joined by young Cyclops, Storm, Jean and others as the X-Men must fight their most formidable foe yet: an ancient unrelenting force determined to cause an apocalypse unlike any in human history.”

X-Men: Apocalypse Will HAVE To Recast Storm and Cyclops, Says Simon Kinberg (Exclusive)

Screenwriter Simon Kinberg told Yahoo earlier this week that recasting these classic characters (originally portrayed by James Marsden, Halle Berry, and Famke Janssen) was a necessity, due to the 1980s setting of the film.

“If we included some of the original X-Men, like Storm, and Jean, and Scott [Summers, AKA Cyclops] and others in ‘Apocalypse’, then yeah, we would have to recast them because it takes place a good 20 years before ‘X1’ which now, insanely, was now 10-15 years ago. It’d be very hard to do.”

He also clarified that the next X-Men film probably wouldn’t feature any of the “future” mutants from ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ such as Ellen Page’s Kitty Pryde or Omar Sy’s Bishop.

You can watch the edited highlights of our in-depth interview with the ‘X-Men’ screenwriter below, but make sure you come back on Friday for the full, uncut 17 minute video chat with Simon.

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Simon Kinberg Answers YOUR Questions

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Image credit: 20th Century Fox

‘X-Men: Days Of Future Past’ is released digitally on 20 October and on Blu-ray and DVD on 8 November.

Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Writer Simon Kinberg reveals X-Men: Apocalypse will take place in 1983, 10 years after Days Of Future Past

More time travel: Writer Simon Kinberg reveals X-Men: Apocalypse will take place in 1983, 10 years after Days Of Future Past

By HELEN ZHAO

PUBLISHED: 17:23, 16 June 2014 | UPDATED: 21:06, 16 June 2014

Simon Kinberg has revealed X-Men: Apocalypse will be set in 1983.

The 40-year-old writer and producer of the superhero film series made the announcement during a podcast about the latest installment, X-Men: Days of Future Past.

That means there will be a 10 year gap between Apocalypse and the events of Days Of Future Past, which took place in 1973.

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Getting in character: Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Michael Fassbender (Magneto), James McAvoy (Charles Xavier), and Evan Peters (Quicksilver) in a scene from X-Men: Days Of Future Past

Revealed: Writer and producer Simon Kinberg, 40, recently revealed X-Men: Apocalypse will take place in 1983

Recent X-Men films have been rooted in the past, with X-Men: First Class taking place in the 1960s during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The news means that Michael Fassbender (Magneto) and James McAvoy's (Professor X) characters will be 20 years older than when they first appeared in X-Men: First Class, suggesting they will have to undergo an aging makeover for the next film.

It is so far unknown how Apocalypse himself will be introduced into the series, although it's been suggested that something earth-shattering will have to take place in the intervening 10 years in order to awaken the world's oldest mutant.

Fassbender and McAvoy are expected to be rejoined by Days Of Future Past co-stars Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), Nicholas Hoult (Beast) and Evan Peters (Quicksilver).

It's also been confirmed that younger versions of characters Cyclops, Jean Grey and Storm will appear, along with Gambit and possibly a younger Nightcrawler.

Channing Tatum may also join the cast as Gambit, though it has not been confirmed.

'I would do anything to be in those movies,' the 34-year-old actor recently told Screen Rant.

Check it out! Days Of Future Past hit theaters May 23 and his since surpassed $200 million, grossing the most domestically of any film this summer so far

'I mean, I love the Marvel world and what they’ve created as a real brand and they’ve sort of changed the face of the industry. I would be in anything they put up, especially Gambit,' he added.

X-Men: Apocalypse is scheduled for UK release on May 19, 2016 and a US release on May 27, 2016.

X-Men: Days Of Future Past came in sixth place at the box office this past weekend, earning $9.5 million.

It has already surpassed $200m in total box office take.

It has grossed the most domestically of any film this summer so far.

Official UK Trailer: X-Men Days of Future Past