Shortly after fans in Hall H were the first to see 20th Century Fox’sX-Men: Apocalypsetrailer, theComic-Con trailerleaked online for all to see. Ever since production wrapped in Montreal last month, fans have been wondering when the first official trailer will arrive, and it seems we may have our answer, albeit unconfirmed at this time. Heroic Hollywood reports that the firstX-Men: Apocalypsetrailer will be attached to prints of 20th Century Fox’sThe Martian, arriving in theaters October 2.
The site also speculates that the trailer will “very likely” debut online before it hits theaters withThe Martian, but that information hasn’t been confirmed either. WhileThe Martianisn’t asuperhero movieby any means, asci-fidrama likeThe Martianis a better fit for the trailer than any of the studio’s other offerings this year. The studio will also releaseThe Peanuts Movie(November 6),Victor Frankenstein(November 25),Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Road ChipandThe Revenant(December 25) before year’s end.
If this report does turn out to be true, then it’s possible the studio could be setting up the second trailer forX-Men: Apocalypseto arrive alongside its next superhero offering, theX-MenspinoffDeadpool, which is set for a February 12, 2016release date. It isn’t known if this first trailer will be the same, or similar to the Comic-Con footage, but we’ll have to wait and see. The production surely has more footage to work with, since filming has wrapped, so don’t be surprised to see a much different version than the trailer which debuted at SDCC.
In related news,IGNspoke with screenwriterMichael Dougherty, who helped craft the story forX-Men: Apocalypsealongside directorBryan Singer, writer-producerDan Harris.Michael Dougherty’s first screenplay credit was forX2: X-Men United, alongsideDan HarrisandDavid Hayter. When asked what it was like to return to the franchise,Michael Doughertyhad this to say.
“It was great because it felt like a reunion.Bryanessentially got the band back together. It was myself,Dan HarrisandSimon Kinberg, and we just became this little team. It was neat to get reunited, not just with people behind the camera, but also with the characters. Writing for Mystique, or Professor X, it just felt comfortable.”
As for the villainous Apocalypse, fans got an early look at the character during an end-credits sequence inX-Men: Days of Future Past, where we saw a very young En Sabbah Nur create the Egyptian pyramids through his telekinetic abilities. In the comics, Apocalypse is considered the very first mutant in history, and in this adventure, he assembles his Four Horsemen on a mission that could destroy the world. When asked about their approach to this villain,Michael Doughertyhad this to say.
“It was interesting because, the way thatBryanapproaches theX-Menfranchise is making it as realistic as possible and as grounded as possible. With someone like Apocalypse, it’s tricky because he’s literally such a giant character. What was fun was talking about, let’s say the first mutant was really worshiped as a deity? Once you take that seed and run with it, the character kind of writes itself. The idea that he sort of comes from a world where things might have been reversed, where mutants weren’t a persecuted minority, that there was a period where they were considered supernatural deities, it’s a fascinating premise. And what happens when that character, in sort of a Rip Van Winkle fashion, enters our world where everything’s flipped. It sets up a character that’s relatable, in a weird way. It made that character not just a big guy hellbent on world domination, but it gave him a heart that I think we can all relate to.”
DirectorBryan Singerhas already said thatX-Men: Apocalypsewill end the trilogy that starts withX-Men: First ClassandX-Men: Days of Future Past, but where the franchise goes from there is uncertain. Along with theDeadpoolspinoff, the studio will also releaseGambitnext year andWolverine 3in 2017, but after that, plans for the franchise are uncertain. When asked if they ever discussed the future of this superhero film franchise, the writer had this to say.
“We actually didn’t talk that much about where things are going to head. We were really focused on just laying the groundwork for this film. And knowing that of course you’re going to have an ending that opens itself up to more exploration. The X-Men universe is sort of built for that. It’s built for growth.”
X-Men: Apocalypsefeatures a number of new cast members playing younger versions of iconic mutants, such as Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) and Storm (Alexandra Shipp), just to name a few. This story is set in 1983, 10 years afterX-Men: Days of Future Past, which set up a brand new present-day timeline. It isn’t known if subsequent follow-ups will continue with this 1983 storyline with the younger characters, or go back to the rebooted present-day timeline, which brought Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) back to life. When asked about the future of this franchise,Michael Doughertyrevealed a tantalizing bit of information.
“Once you introduce young Jean Grey into a new X-Men film, where do you think it’s going to go? It’s gotta go in some directions, that’s all I’m going to say.”
It’s possible that future movies could bridge the gap between 1983 and the timeline that started with the original movie, 2000’sX-Men, but we don’t know for sure. What do you think about these newX-Men: Apocalypsedetails? Are you excited for the new trailer to debut next month? Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to the trailer premiere.
