Mad Men With Mutants?
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There have been tons of rumors about who is going to be who in the newest installment of the X-Men franchise. Kick-Ass was going to be Cyclops, Shark Boy was going to be The Beast, Adam Lyon was going to be Ice Man. All of those are crap. And no one was actually saying that last one.
But now- Bryan Singer, the producer of X-Men: First Class, has finally released some really juicy details in a phone interview with AICN. First of all, it’s going to be set in the 60’s. People love mutants, people love Mad Men. I like the idea. And it’s not just going to be a wardrobe and swinger slang situation, they’re going to weave in some real life events. John F. Kennedy, M.L.K. Jr. and Malcolm X are all said to make an appearance.
It’s safe to assume that they’ll be used to show the similarities between the mutants’ fight for acceptance and the civil rights movement.
As far as casting goes, we already knew that Kevin Bacon would be in it. Singer confirmed that not only will Bacon be playing Sebastian Shaw, but the whole Hellfire Club will be the main villain of the film. Perfect for the 60’s setting. And, as if they’re trying to trick us into thinking we’re watching Mad Men, Emma Frost will be played by January Jones, the former Betty Draper.
A few more interesting things- We won’t have to worry about what James McAvoy (Professor Xavier) will look like bald. He’ll not only have hair, but also be able to walk during the majority of the film. The 60’s setting apparently means it’s before the accident that forced him to use a wheelchair. (And I’ve seen how he was paralyzed in a few different comics and it was never the same way twice. What’s canon these days?)
Finally, as of right now, neither Jean Gray nor Cyclops will be appearing in the movie. I think this means they’re trying to create some continuity in the X-Men franchise. We already partially saw those two as kids so trying to fit them into the 60’s setting wouldn’t work. I’m wondering if it might be better to throw movie continuity out the window and focus on telling a good X-Men story that is a little more true to the comics.
What do you think of the decision to set it in the 60’s? I think it’s bold and, more importantly, imaginative. Exactly what the superhero genre needs.
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Comments
Posted by: Forbiddendonut at August 23, 2010 6:24 PM
I like the move. It really needed something to distinguish it from the prior X-Men movies. Also, by trying to maintain some assemblence of continuity with the prior films it will also make the movie a little more meaningful. If they hadn't at least tried to fit this film in with the others, the movie would seem almost entirely superfluous.
I've never been a huge fan of either Jean Grey or Cyclops. They were always kind of boring characters, so replacing them other mutants is fine by me.
I do loves me some Hellfire Club.
These recent developments have shifted this movie from "I might rent in on Netflix" to "I might go see this in the theater." Given how few films I see in the theater nowadays, that's a huge leap.
Hopefully, the news will continue to be positive.