Kate Beckinsale for Betsy
Yep she'd do - I'm not sure they'd get her back in a leather outfit after Underworld, though.
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (Casting, Rumors, Pics till release)
- Thread starter Obiwanshinobi
- Start date
Yep she'd do - I'm not sure they'd get her back in a leather outfit after Underworld, though.
Well, Emma inherited the company so that's not so unbelievable. But being an electronics engineering genius and Headmistress of a school like twice? Nah.
She was originally supposed to be in her 30s, but I guess they de-aged her to make her more compatible with Cyclops (she's 27 actually). Scott is supposed to be 30 I think.
Yeah I figured she'd be about 35 ish - why did they think they needed to de-age her though? A young guy can't date an older woman? And it's not as if she'd even be that much older - unlike Cypher and Betsy, where the age gap was about 15 years. I was really hoping they'd make something of that over time but Louise Simonson took over and decimated Claremont's characterisation almost instantly leading to Cypher's crush on Wolfsbane instead. They might also have bottled it because he was only 16 at the time and while that would be legal in the UK, I'm not so sure about the USA! Oh well.
That would indeed be for the win!!Kate Beckinsale for Betsy
I think that casting is a no brainer! I wasn't kidding about Anwar doing his own X-Men Trilogy either, he'd have at least one reader here. I'd be curious as to how he would attempt to incorporate all of the elements from the comics he wants to see included in a movie treatment and make it work.
I so desperately want to see Singer's take on the Marauder's Massacre - if they followed the comic progression it is such a great way to screw up Kitty, 'Crawler, Colossus, and Angel to make way for some fresh Xmen in the second part of the trilogy. Betsy can be recruited in as a supply teacher/new team telepath to fill that gap. They could even keep her precognition (which inexplicably faded into obscurity) as a way to lead the established team to the masacre. If Magneto stumbles on the massacre too it gives nice excuse for him to become an ally of the Xmen to stop the Marauders. It also sets up Angel to become Death with Apocalypse's Horsemen in the next sequel, and the introduction of the Marauders and Apocalypse leads on nicely to Sinister's project to create Cable in the third, together with the reveal that Phoenix didn't actually kill Scott, and the possibility of resurrecting Jean somehow either as a de-powered clone or as her 'true' body as opposed to the psychic projection 'killed' by Wolverine which went crazy because it had none of Professor X's mind blocks in place. Sending the injured team mates to Muir Island to recover also lets the old team touch base with NuXavier - who perhaps suspects the truth about Jean but cannot locate her. I think it would all dove-tail nicely.
If they were true to the comic we'd even get Kate Beckinsale as Betsy in a futile attempt to fight Sabretooth solo to protect the wounded at the mansion while the massacre was still going on in the tunnels.
If they were true to the comic we'd even get Kate Beckinsale as Betsy in a futile attempt to fight Sabretooth solo to protect the wounded at the mansion while the massacre was still going on in the tunnels.
Psylocke was technically in X3 and in her asian form. Although she got wiped out along with Calisto and Quill boy, but I guess if they are retconning then yea sure cast Betsy Braddock with Beckinsale. I'm all for that!
Well, if they were doing an X-Men movie trilogy some things would HAVE to be changed from the source material simply because some characters just stink as is.
For example, I wouldn't have made the human characters so unsympathetic. In the first movie we'd have news reports of mutant terrorist attacks occurring, Magneto would make broadcasts about the Brotherhood and human oppression, it wouldn't be some sort of low-key secret thing the Government talks about but we never see. Sabretooth would be on the most wanted list, etc.
Kelly would come off as militant, but we'd be able to see his POV of how dangerous mutants are. Perhaps put in the bit of his backstory of his wife being killed by the Brotherhood or some random mutant attack. He'd have public support from Graydon Creed and his Pro-Human groups, as well as talking with Bolivar Trask on the phone over mutant suppression possibilities. Maybe the President could mention Nathaniel Essex as their mutant expert (without seeing him).
When Rogue is ambushed by the Brotherhood and rescued by the X-Men, Cyclops would be the Field leader of the Brotherhood (though his less violent approach is what allows Rogue and Wolverine to escape). Xavier would mention to Logan that Cyclops was once his favorite student but a while back he got tired of their mission being ineffective (The X-Men are a secret group to contain violent mutants as well as deal with Mutant Hate-Groups non-violently) and went to Magneto. Since she played very little role in the first movie except as a piece of meat for Logan, Jean could be injured and comatose (part of the reason Cyclops became bitter). Then she comes out of it halfway for the "Use Cerebro" part of the film when Xavier is incapacitated (maybe his psychic anguish is what awakens her).
Cyclops' role would be slowly realizing Magneto is going too far with his plan to sacrifice Rogue until he goes back to Xavier, helps them stop Magneto in the end, and is openly welcomed back by Xavier, Jean and everyone else EXCEPT Logan. This is the source of their conflict.
Those are the changes I'd have made to the first film.
For example, I wouldn't have made the human characters so unsympathetic. In the first movie we'd have news reports of mutant terrorist attacks occurring, Magneto would make broadcasts about the Brotherhood and human oppression, it wouldn't be some sort of low-key secret thing the Government talks about but we never see. Sabretooth would be on the most wanted list, etc.
Kelly would come off as militant, but we'd be able to see his POV of how dangerous mutants are. Perhaps put in the bit of his backstory of his wife being killed by the Brotherhood or some random mutant attack. He'd have public support from Graydon Creed and his Pro-Human groups, as well as talking with Bolivar Trask on the phone over mutant suppression possibilities. Maybe the President could mention Nathaniel Essex as their mutant expert (without seeing him).
When Rogue is ambushed by the Brotherhood and rescued by the X-Men, Cyclops would be the Field leader of the Brotherhood (though his less violent approach is what allows Rogue and Wolverine to escape). Xavier would mention to Logan that Cyclops was once his favorite student but a while back he got tired of their mission being ineffective (The X-Men are a secret group to contain violent mutants as well as deal with Mutant Hate-Groups non-violently) and went to Magneto. Since she played very little role in the first movie except as a piece of meat for Logan, Jean could be injured and comatose (part of the reason Cyclops became bitter). Then she comes out of it halfway for the "Use Cerebro" part of the film when Xavier is incapacitated (maybe his psychic anguish is what awakens her).
Cyclops' role would be slowly realizing Magneto is going too far with his plan to sacrifice Rogue until he goes back to Xavier, helps them stop Magneto in the end, and is openly welcomed back by Xavier, Jean and everyone else EXCEPT Logan. This is the source of their conflict.
Those are the changes I'd have made to the first film.
Interesting. I like everything except Cyclops. I'd switch his role in favor of Logan and have Wolverine working for Magneto as his paid mutant assassin and he defects to the X-Men (like in the first Ultimate X-Men arc). In fact my version of the first movie would be very close to the "Tomorrow People" with a few alterations. It would be made clear that part of the reason why Logan chose to work for Erik was because Magneto promised to help unlock his memories, when he meets Xavier he realizes that Magneto never had the ability to help him but that Charles does.
Problem with that is I don't want the team-as-presented at the end of X3 (plus one or two others) to suffer the Massacre without a full movie to themselves. Plus, the Morlocks haven't been established in any way, though I guess that's not actually necessary.
How about make the Massacre a mid-point in a fifth film after introducing 3-4 new characters at the start and letting them get acclimated before being thrown into the fray?
There is no other role for Scott than leader. He just needs I think to be a more prominent character and I think his character was hurt by having the film focus on Logan.
I think having him be more pro-active and clash with Xavier more, favoring them go out and squash anti-human mutant terrorist groups before they fuel the fire (as well as do their best to discredit anti-mutant groups) would make for a good dynamic. Xavier is willing to sit back and get swiped at, Scott is more go out and make sure they can't take swipes in the first place. It fits his current characterization where he overthrew Xavier and took over the X-Men for himself, with a more "Offense than defense" attitude.
I would do something really funky for X4 and reveal a clone of Scott Summers called Scott X and make Sinister responsible for his creating him, explaining that he found DNA samples of Scott at Alkali Lake and spliced his and Jean's DNA together. It'd kind of be the movie version of Cable.
Can he hunt down Apocalypse?! I'd love to see that movie.
The existence of the Morlocks can be explained with a line of exposition while their plight can be explained away if Psylocke has a pre-cognitive vision. The massacre team should feature Storm, Wolverine, Shadowcat, Colossus, Iceman, and Angel. New teacher telepath (and pre-cog?) Psylocke and de-powered Rogue would babysit at the mansion. That's 8 X-men to carry the film plus the team in the tunnels would pretty much be the same team as X3 and they'd have the first 2/3 of the movie to themselves. Nightcrawler would be cool but I'm not sure that they'll revisit him. Beast's self-contained arc worked well in X3 and I don't think I'd want him back on the team because 8 X-men is plenty. The injuries can be worked into the plot as they go with the final scene as they leave the tunnels being Angel strung up by Harpoon (Colossus's problem was just that he would have bled to death the second he turned back to human form so it didn't stop him fighting in the tunnels and it was Magneto's attempt to heal his metal form at the mansion that paralysed him).
Back at the mansion, Sabretooth shows up in a flanking attack and Psylocke has to take him on single handed to protect the students. In the comic Wolverine showed up to save her but it might be just as cool if Rogue's powers re-manifest and absorb the powers of an injured mutant at the mansion to work in some flight and super-strength plus guilt and a multiple personality disorder for the next flim. She could then smack him in the head and save the day.
There was a powerful scene in the comics where Storm lectures Logan and tells him she needs him to be with her and not wandering off on his own. The injured team members and Morlocks are flown to Muir Island leaving Storm, Wolvie, Iceman, Psylocke, and Rogue to recruit some new members at the start of the next movie. Havok and Dazzler were interesting choices in the comics but bringing in Gambit would work great too especially if one of Rogue's personalities takes a shine to him.
X4 team: Storm, Wolverine, Iceman, Colossus, Shadowcat, Angel (Psylocke & Rogue as reserves, possibly Magneto joins forces) vs Marauders.
X5: Storm, Wolverine, Iceman, Rogue, Psylocke, Havok, Dazzler, Gambit vs Four Horsemen of Apocalypse (possible B-plot is Colossus, Shadowcat, Angel (until Apocalypse chooses him), and Magneto go to Muir Island to recuperate and meet Professor X, Moira. Maybe use Polaris as a lure for Havok at the end, Iceman can leave due to jealousy, and if Psylocke is captured maybe Sinister can re-image her for X6?).
X6: Storm, Wolverine, Rogue, Colossus, Shadowcat, Gambit (Nightcrawler?) vs Hellfire Club & Sentinels (Cable comes back to stop them and B-plot is what Sinister is doing in his lab to pave the way for Cable's birth and the return of Scott and Jean and Ninja Psylocke)
Sigh - I really need to start stalking Bryan Singer...
^ You'll have to join JacksonArcher and form a club.
I think the only problem with this by adding Apocay & the Sentienls is that it no longer represents the X-Men's main theme of equality and civil rights. The X-Men aren't superheros, they're freedom fighters. They aren't really supposed to be saving the world, just mankind from itself. They are a version of the Underground Railroad for mutants.
Folks picked up X-Men for the cool characters powers but we stayed reading because we identified with them on a personal level. Many of us knew what it was like to be Rogue. In a school surrounded by people like me but yet I still keep to myself because I fear I'm too different to really be around them. It was impact like that that made Singer's films great. Focusing more on the powers and fights instead on that is what IMO brought down Ratner's film.
The problem with that, is that the humans have every right to be afraid of mutants. This isn't something petty like skin color or ethnicity, they're dealing with people who can kill hundreds just by LOOKING at them. Or lunatic serial killers with superhuman powers. It's much more complex than mere racism, it's a perfect gray situation since the humans are mostly valid in their fears while innocent mutants are valid in not wanting to be persecuted for not having done anything.
The movie just made the humans WAY too unsympathetic and simplified the situation too much. And they made the mutants too sympathetic.
And Hell, the presence of mutants who are in powerful position in Society and are perfectly willing (or even backing) to let things be adds another layer in that mutants can be just as scummy and corrupt as any human. So the question really does come to whether or not co-existence really is possible when there are mutants just as bad as any human out there.
The movie just made the humans WAY too unsympathetic and simplified the situation too much. And they made the mutants too sympathetic.
And Hell, the presence of mutants who are in powerful position in Society and are perfectly willing (or even backing) to let things be adds another layer in that mutants can be just as scummy and corrupt as any human. So the question really does come to whether or not co-existence really is possible when there are mutants just as bad as any human out there.
Humans are unsympathetic to things they fear and don't understand. That was the point of the films and the comics. I disagree that they were "too" unsympathetic.