The 20th Century Fox X-Men film universe presents problems for longtime readers of the comic book exploits of Professor Charles Xavier’s mutant team. Director Bryan Singer is currently in production on the latest entry into the franchise, Days of Future Past, which is supposedly aimed at “correcting”continuity problems within the previous six films. (Good Lord, he’s basically making a movie to fix the damage from his past movies?) For better or worse – Singer is returning to the franchise he’s overseen in creating, with 12+ hours of screen time, a core mythology, and breadth of scope over 100 years in locations across the globe. However, for longtime readers of the X-Men, that’s 12 hours of irreparable harm to the stories we’ve loved for so long.
Days of Future Past—an essential story in the X-Men library—was possibly the last great moment of legendary writer Chris Claremont’s lengthy tenure as chief X-scribe. I’ve read most of it, #142 was the last crest of the high-water mark. (It’s Giant Size #1 into #94-143 if you’re wondering.) There’s been solid work since, but this story is truly the last of the “Good Old Days” for the X-Men. Considering the changes Singer’s already made to the canon, and what we’ve heard so far from SDCC and Twitter, we’re in big trouble. Here’s ten reasons why Days of Future Past is going to be a disaster in terms of repairing continuity for the characters:
1. Singer’s Hero
Let’s start with Wolverine. He is the core of the film franchise due to Jackman’s solid portrayal, and it is he who undergoes the Campbellian Hero’s Journey for the first X-trilogy and drives the narrative structure. His characterization and choices are consistent with the comics. The 2013 Wolverine film was a solid improvement and doesn’t really rattle continuity in a damning way. Jackman looks like him, except that the actor is too tall. Big deal. The “FoXverse” adaptation of Wolverine Origins replaced his brother Dog with Sabretooth, angering many, but ultimately impacted the story minimally – Dog hasn’t been a factor in the books outside of the origin story until very recently, and nobody is quite sure where Jason Aaron is going with the reintroduction of this minor character. So I will give a pass to the substitution in that Sabretooth is a necessary funhouse mirror character to Logan, so why not just have him there from the beginning?
No, Wolverine has fared very well in the FoXverse. The biggest problem I have had with the films is Logan’s rise to leadership: he’s not a leader. He’s a loner and a loose cannon. The only squad he’s ever been in charge of was a later incarnation of X-Force, which began as Cyclops’ Black Ops team. So in effect, he wasn’t even in a leadership role, he was no more than a pit bull set upon those who Cyclops deemed as a threat. Having him rise to leadership in the films was a bit of a departure from the comics, but worked within the narrative structure of the films, and so therefore, isn’t unforgivable. However, now it appears that Logan, not Kitty Pryde, will be the time-traveler in DOFP, so that will screw up the Future parts, probably denying us the big Sentinel showdown from #142. So once again, Singer is choosing to highlight Wolverine and de-emphasize other characters. After six films, it’d be nice to flush out somebody else. But, since the central character from the comics has been switched, you can already kiss accuracy to the source book goodbye.
2. Cyclops
We’re in big trouble here. James Marsden looked the part, fine. X-Men and X2: X-Men United don’t make him look all that awesome, though. I mean, the “616″ Scott is the shizzle. He’s a brilliant strategist. He’s in ridiculous physical condition. And he’s got laser eyeballs. This guy is the wrong guy to piss off. But at no point in any of these films is there a moment when you say, “Sheeeeeeeeeeeeet, look what that dude just did, that was awesome and I want laser eyeballs right now, I’m going to get some on my way home from watching this movie dammit!” Quite the opposite – Cyclops is completely ineffective in every scene. He gets his glasses taken away. He gets his motorcycle stolen. He gets brainwashed. And then, he gets disintegrated in the Dark Phoenix dilemma. So, um, there goes pretty much every possible X-Men storyline after issue 137. That’s only 30ish years and a scant 407 issues. Kind of a problem. But wait, I’m not done.
Singer’s screwed with having Scott in the prequel, too, because FoXverse Scott is barely a teenager in 1979 when Professor X shows up to take all the captured mutants back to Westchester in Origins. So, Singer, you mean to tell me that your prequel will have Cyclops on the X team in 1973 before Chuck found him in 1979? Not to mention that Cyclops is not one of the original five team members in the First Class film. If Days of Future Past negates X3, fine, you can have a future Cyclops, but as far as having him in 1973 scenes, Singer, you have painted yourself into a corner on that one. Verdict: Screwed. They took a perfectly awesome character and ruined him onscreen, simultaneously hamstringing a conservative estimate of 85% X-Men stories since 1963. The only saving grace is that Cyclops quit the team in issue 138, so he’s not in the original Future Past storyline, but he remains an essential part of the X-universe afterwards.
3. Iceman
I’ll be honest, I can’t think of a single X-Men story in the books that I read and thought, “Oh, thank God Iceman was there,” or, “Wow, they really delved into the soul of Iceman in that story, and man, I’m impressed.” Bobby Drake is the X-Men’s wallflower. Seriously, what the hell is this guy good for? They used him more in three films than they did in 50 years of books. Claremont ignored this guy for good reasons, because, frankly, he sucks. Are we supposed to be happy that a crappy actor is reprising a crappy character? It’s not very reassuring. He’s never, ever been a significant factor. Why spend the money, however minor, to bring him back?
4. Angel
Warren Worthington III. Founding member. Archangel. Deathangel. Heir of Apocalypse. And on film, a Backstreet Boy with fluffy wings who shows up for 17 seconds in X3. Wasted potential. He’s established as a teenager or young adult in the 2000-ish X3, so it’s safe to say that he’s not appearing in the ’70s of Future Past unless in a diaper. But, for the future scenes, run with it! Screw it, make him Archangel in the Future, because we’re not going to get to the Morlock tunnels in the FoXverse ever, and if we do get to Age of Apocalypse (more on that later), he’s still Fluffy Angel there, running a nightclub like some kind of hovering Casablanca wannabee. Tell me you don’t want to see metal wings and a hellstorm of flying blades. Throw Archangel in the Sentinel Prime Future, Singer, it’ll fit just fine. It’s not like any of the other continuity has stopped him making any other changes. Just get him on screen. Such a waste of the talented Ben Foster.
5. Jean Grey
Aw hell… I… it’s… well…because…um…Okay…First off, Famke Jansen is smoking hot, but she’s not Jean Grey. I imagine that even if I dropped 17 hits of acid, there’s no way I’d put a photo of Famke next to a Cockrum or Byrne drawing of Jean and say, “Yes, clearly, that’s the actress we’re looking for.” Where the hell was Julianne Moore when they first were throwing this thing together? Recast now, get Amy Adams. Okay, fine, moving on.
Now, I will actually accept that X2 and X3 was as close as we’ll ever get to the Dark Phoenix Saga. FoxVerse will NEVER EVER EVER see the Shi’Ar Empire. There is no way 20th Century Fox will greenlight that, because this is the company that thought making Taken 2 was a good idea. Clearly, no one working there can think clearly. So, when you break down the Dark Phoenix storyline either on film or in print, Jean selflessly risks her life to save the team while on a mission, she reawakens with uncontrollable powers, and has to die or she’ll destroy everything. If you read Uncanny #129-137 and then watch X3 immediately afterwards, you’ll pour a tank of gas over your head and set yourself on fire like a Vietnamese monk in an immolation protest. But if you take the basic core of her story arc from Claremont, her inability to control her growing power, then it’s salvageable. Aging and dates pose the same problems with Future Past as Cyclops; she’s dead in the Future and too young in the Past.
Verdict: Really screwed. Unless you do like the comics and resurrect her every decade or so. Or clone her. Or have Scott date a girl that looks just like her, except that he’s dead in the films too, so there goes Madelyne Pryor, and X-Factor, and Inferno, and… Oh shit, there goes Cable… and Rachael Summers… and X-Force……And Hope Summers…SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT we’re in big trouble here.
In short, when you combine the Cyclops damage to the Phoenix damage, the FoXverse continuity is completely irreconcilable with the Marvel canon.
6. Kitty Pryde:
Hey, here’s an established character in the FoxVerse played by a decent actress, Ellen Page. Whoa, she’s the central lynchpin character of the Days of Future Past storyline. I know, why don’t we rewrite her part so that Wolverine does everything in the film that she did in the book? That’s a fantastic idea! But wait, even though we’ve effectively neutered her character by moving the focus off of her, we’ll still waste a good chunk of change by hiring a medium-high range actress. Great plan. I strongly object to shifting the focus of the story off of Kitty.
7. Blink
Yes, Blink is going to be in this movie. She is an Age of Apocalypse and Exiles character – a teleporter and a dimension-hopper, and let’s be honest, a minor character. My best guess was that she’d be in the Sentinel Prime Future, replacing Rachael Summers, and she’d be the one sending Wolverine back to the Past. However, it would appear from what’s been said that Chuck is the one doing the astral projection, so that’s out. So basically, established teleporters Azazel and Nightcrawler aren’t returning, so we’ll take a character completely out of context and force feed her into the story.
8. Bishop
Again, before reading about the Wolverine time travel, I’d wondered if Bishop would replace Kitty as the displaced one. Not ideal, but understandable, and a way to work in a fun character. But nope. So now Singer is forcing in another character into the story. Bishop is from a trashed future but not the Sentinel Prime future. So will that be overlooked? Or will he be in the future only? I guess, since you’re sending Wolverine back, you can keep Bishop in the future, and have him be the one leading the suicide mission against Master Mold instead of Logan. Throwing him into the timestream and having two time travelers will be too much for the narrative to sustain. Crap, that means Singer’s probably doing exactly that. The only good news is that Omar Sy is a serious actor and the initial pictures of him as Bishop look respectable. I am glad that Singer got some talent into the cast.
9. Warpath
How in the shit does he fit in? He’s a New Mutant and then an X-Force operative. And he’s being played by someone from Twilight. I really don’t know why this character was picked to be thrown into the mix. Now, look a picture of Warpath, and compare that to the picture of the Super Weenie Hut actor that will be portraying him. I’m a psycho killer with knives! And…FEELINGS!
10. Storm
I like Halle Barry. I do. But she is wrong for Storm. Always has been. She’s been remarkably flat playing her, almost phoning it in, but then keeps saying how much she loves the character and is dedicated to the franchise and wants her role expanded. If that’s true, READ some issues about the girl, lady, and put some elbow grease into it! Also, after all that whining about expanding her role, Halle is pregnant, can’t film action scenes, and has already wrapped her portion of shooting. So Storm Vs Sentinels ain’t happening folks. I say kill her character and reincarnate her the way Claremont did in the 240’s-260’s, and recast her with Quvenzhane Wallis from Beasts of Southern Wild. That girl? That’s Storm. Angela Bassett? That’s Storm.
BONUS BITCHING:
Mystique: Great, Jennifer Lawrence is expensive now. That’s a solid chunk of the budget thrown at our little Oscar winner. The good news is that she can act ( see: Winter’s Bone), and that she added a great deal of depth to the character in First Class.
Angel 2: Who the hell is this character from First Class? Gee, I remember in about 2010, I was sitting around thinking, “You know, I can think of a couple hundred mutants that Marvel has thought up in the past 50 years, but I wish Fox would just make up a flying fireball-vomiting stripper for the new X-Men film. And then, give her the same name as another prominent character that’s been underused onscreen, just to confuse the hell out of everyone.” And look! My wish came true. In all seriousness, I can’t tell who this is supposed to be. Pixie?
Nightcrawler: Alan Cumming nailed it, and he’s refused to come back. Dammit. Well, at least he’s dead in the 616, er, well, he was, until Marvel just announced Amazing X-Men with Nightcrawler coming back after Battle of the Atom.
Rogue: In my humble opinion, the worst character modification in the whole series. Rogue is a tank, an unstoppable and foxy tortured soul who is not afraid of anything. Anna Paquin’s little girl lost was a fine performance, but the soul of the character was destroyed. They also alluded to her giving up her powers in X3, so why spend the gajillion dollars to get Paquin back?
Deadpool: Other than the Dark Phoenix, Deadpool is probably the most fan-maligned appearance in the FoXverse. If Cyclops and Phoenix’s adaptations didn’t give you an aneurysm, then you can’t really complain about Wade Wilson – he’s a fun character, but in X-Men continuity, he barely scores a footnote. I don’t have anything new to add. If you need a chuckle, there’s a Deadpool and Gambit watch ’X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ animated commentary piece on YouTube that I highly recommend. There’s really nothing further to add on the subject. Since Deadpool isn’t technically an X-Man, there’s no point in putting him in another X-Men film ever. Please. God. That said, go ahead and make a stand-alone Deadpool movie, done right, it’d be brilliant. As far as the costume goes, imagine spending $10 million on Ryan Reynolds, and then telling him to put on what amounts to Spider-Man pajamas and a ski mask. That’s money well spent right there. Don’t hold your breath for the suit.
Sebastian Shaw: Nerds are never happy. “Shaw and the Hellfire Club weren’t in the Dark Phoenix film.” “Okay, we’ll put them in the very next movie. And we’ll get Kevin Bacon!” “NO! FORM A MOB AND GET THE TORCHES AND PITCHFORKS!” Tough crowd. Anyhow, a dead Shaw in 1960s FoXverse is troubling, but not too damning. If you want the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club again – Harry Leland, Donald Pierce, and Mastermind are still untouched. Substitute and continue relatively safely.
William Stryker : Well, first off, in the comics, he’s the Reverend William Stryker, head of the Purifiers. In the films, he’s Colonel William Stryker, head of the Weapon X Project. Ah, it’s easy to see how they made that jump, because… Oh screw it, never mind. God Loves, Man Kills was successfully adapted into X2. Stryker didn’t do much for 30 years in the comics until he started blowing up school busses of mutants, and the Weapon X project is pretty much a closed loop as well. I would argue that this doesn’t matter in either timeline. Taking Stryker off the board isn’t a factor, because if you want to go with the Purifiers in a later film, you could use Matthew Risman in place of Stryker with little impact. And to be honest, the odds of getting to the Purifiers in the FoXverse are pretty low, so it’s a moot point anyhow. Of all the filmable story arcs, it’s not going to jump out at any producers.