We don't know much about "X-Men: Apocalypse," but more details are starting to surace online. For one, Patrick Stewart recently mentioned that he won't be starring in the film (which makes sense, as you couldn't really have Stewart playing the 1980s version of Charles Xavier. Going from James McAvoy to Stewart in 10 years is a bit of a stretched).
But Stewart has revealed that someone else is- Ian McKellen will be reprising his role as the older version of Magneto, according to Stewart.
Here's what Stewart told Oregon Live (via MovieNewsGuide): "Yes, I understand that it seems to be very unlikely that I will be in the next 'X-Men' movie, which is almost getting ready to start shooting in Montreal, but Magneto, Ian McKellen, is certainly going to be in it."
So how does that work, exactly? What X-Men plot could give us a future Magneto, but not a future Xavier? MovieNewsGuide suggests a flash-forward, but more likely some form of time travel in the film. ComicBook.com agrees, pointing out a particular comic book storyline where a future Magneto leads a resistance against the forces of Apocalypse in an alternate future timeline.
Although frankly, we can probably scratch that particular storyline. "Days of Future Past" already did the future rebels thing, and we'd like to think that director Bryan Singer wouldn't make two films in a row sharing that kind of glaring similarity.
As well, Singer recently shared a photo on Instagram from the set, which hints at the beginning of Professor X's School for Gifted Youngsters. While it's likely we'll see the beginning of the school in the latest "X-Men" film (especially when "Apocalypse" has already cast multiple young "X-Men"), it's still not clear how McKellen factors in. Perhaps we'll find out as the film moves closer to production.
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