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X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (Casting, Rumors, Pics till release)

^ I'm not at all sure that fans are the only ones who think about these things. Fans aren't the ones, for example, that popularized the "reboot." Creators did, or at least studios and producers.

True, but they don't define the term the same way. Fans have gotten this notion into their heads that "reboot" means a complete restart of the continuity, because that's the way Battlestar Galactica did it. Just because one prominent reboot did that, they assume that defines the whole term, which doesn't make any logical sense. But in the industry, whether two works are in the same continuity doesn't matter as much as whether a franchise is commercially successful. A reboot, in industry terms, is any reinvention or revitalization of a dormant franchise in order to make it commercially viable again. This can be a reinvention in the sense of starting completely over like BSG or the Bionic Woman remake, or it can be a reinvention in the sense of continuing the original continuity with a fresh style and attitude like Doctor Who, or it can be something in between like Star Trek, an alternate timeline spun off from the original, at once an outgrowth of the old continuity and a fresh start. As I said, continuity is just a tool in the box. Fans focus much more on drawing these arbitrary distinctions and labels, because as outside observers, they have the luxury of dwelling on such matters. The people actually making the works and hoping to profit from them have many more pressing concerns to occupy them than whether story X is exactly consistent with story Q. They will use continuity to the extent that it serves their more urgent priorities, like telling a good story and making the property financially successful. Continuity is a tool, not a straitjacket.
 
^ There are a lot generalisations in your post about what "fans" think and what "fans" focus on, but none of them strike me as especially accurate. For example, in discussions such as this, "fans" have no trouble at all with the idea that "reboot" is a malleable concept, i.e. that there are different kinds and different approaches that might fall under that label. It is just a label, a useful term in some situations. "Fans" know this.

As for the cliché that "continuity is a tool, not a straitjacket," I'm not sure what relevance it has to this discussion since no one has actually posited that X-Men : First Class should treat continuity as a straight-jacket or anything close to it. I don't think anyone has even expressed the slightest concern about consistency with the earlier X-movies (except possibly the producer when he called the movie a "prequel").

Your post seems to be directed at a largely imaginary group of extremely inflexible and unimaginative fans that are not posting here to the extent that they even exist.
 
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^ There are a lot generalisations in your post about what "fans" think and what "fans" focus on, but none of them strike me as especially accurate. For example, in discussions such as this, "fans" have no trouble at all with the idea that "reboot" is a malleable concept, i.e. that there are different kinds and different approaches that might fall under that label. It is just a label, a useful term in some situations. "Fans" know this.

Well, I hope you're right about that, but it's not the impression I've gotten from the way a lot of people post online. Still, you have a point; I'm certainly aware that online posters aren't a representative sample of fandom.


As for the cliché that "continuity is a tool, not a straitjacket,"

I'm surprised to hear that's a cliche, since I just made it up.


Maybe I did make my case a little too assertively, in reaction to past discussions I've been involved in. I just meant to say that trying to frame the question in terms of whether the filmmakers intend a reboot or a prequel is quite possibly mistaken, because their intentions may not be defined in such terms at all, certainly not to the extent of them being mutually exclusive concepts.
 
^ The impression I got was that Singer envisaged this as a prequel to his movies; Vaughn seems more intent on doing his own thing and being less obliged to follow their continuity. Purely my own impression, I add.
 
As for the cliché that "continuity is a tool, not a straitjacket,"
I'm surprised to hear that's a cliche, since I just made it up.

My apologies, that part of my post probably came across as more antagonistic than I intended. The idea that continuity should be open to interpretation and re-interpretation is raised pretty frequently in these types of discussions, however, with the "it's not a straitjacket" metaphor being a common choice for illustrative purposes. For what it's worth, I agree, but then I don't think most fans would really disagree with that notion, generally speaking.
 
^ It has already. To great acclaim, even though none of speak Russian (though Jackson Archer is learning it so he can understand the trailer).
 
^ It has already. To great acclaim, even though none of speak Russian (though Jackson Archer is learning it so he can understand the trailer).
I guess I posted the wrong link.
Someone on Youtube already translated it.
If I can find it I'll post the translation.:)


Ok, got it: This is what they're saying according to the translation;


1; Before he was Professor X.. #2; He was called Charles #3; Before he was Magneto.. #4; He was called Erik #5; Before they became enemies to the death.. Charles; "Hello, my name is Charles Xavier." Erik; "For you." (like a toast) #6; They were friends. #7; One put his hopes on the world #8; The other was full of pain. "My son!" "Mother!!" #9; Their super abilities made them different. Charles "There is more in you than you know. Not only pain and rage."
http://www.youtube.com/user/scaryfish91#10; But fate will turn them into allies. Charles; "There is also good in you. You can use all of this. You have power that no one else does. Not even in me." #11; This year "Tomorrow people will know that mutants exist" #12 See the beginning of the hostility Charles "We can become the best" Erik "We are already the best" #13 That will determine our world Charles "Listen to me very carefully. Death will not bring you peace" Erik "Peace is not my goal" 'X-Men: First Class' 'Coming soon'
 
^^^^
Darwin is one of these newer characters that I'm largely unfamaliar with due to not following the X-books with any regularity.

How exactly is he useful in a team situation? His power seems only relevant to something happening to him. His is a defense as it relates to his personal need not an offensive power that could help a group achieve an objective.
 
^^^^
Darwin is one of these newer characters that I'm largely unfamaliar with due to not following the X-books with any regularity.

How exactly is he useful in a team situation? His power seems only relevant to something happening to him. His is a defense as it relates to his personal need not an offensive power that could help a group achieve an objective.
I think it can be used as both.

For example: I'm guessing if the team is underfire, his skin would turn hard not allowing bullets to penitrate. That defensive power is now an offesive one for the team to get through a gun fight. If the lights go out, he'd be the only one to see in the dark to lead a team to safety or their objective.
 
Someone already posted the SHH link that had a translation for the trailer. I assume secondary characters like Darwin, and Leech will play supporting roles or have bit parts in this movie. I can't see them as being particularly important. I like the Mystique and Hank pic.
 
Wait, Leech is in this movie too? He was only a kid in X3 played by Cameron Bright.

Actually, having just rewatched the trilogy, I'm less sure that First Class is going to be particularly faithful to what those films established. Some of Xavier's backstory exposition in the first film (and man, there was a ton of talky exposition in that movie) doesn't seem to fit what I've gathered about FC, like how old Xavier and Magneto were when they met. And The Last Stand suggested that X & M started recruiting mutants somewhat later in life than they do in FC, though I doubt Singer cares too much about consistency with that film anyway.
 
^ As has already been stated in this thread several times Christopher, Singer and Vaughn have stated they're ignoring The Last Stand. Basically just Singer's two films count in terms of continuity.
 
WHAT?!! There was an X-Men 3? WHAT? They subtitled it The Last Stand WHAT?!! The Rat directed it. WHAT? Brett Ratner. WHAT?!Zak Penn (that pompous ass) wrote it? WHAT? It sucked?! WHAT?!
 
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