The women of X-Men: Apocalypse don't take a backseat to the superpowered dudes. They’re right there in the forefront of the newest mutant superhero film.
Director Bryan Singer’s movie (in theaters Friday; previews start Thursday night) pits the ancient villain Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) vs. pretty much all of humanity (plus a scrappy bunch of X-Men) — and female characters play important roles on both sides of the fight.
Singer and his actresses break down the movie's high-profile X-Women:
Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence)
2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past disrupted the timeline and allowed Singer to play with characters' destinies and had “the freedom to do something different,” the director says. In the case of the shape-shifting Mystique, who was an antagonist in previous films, she became a hero for all mutants — although “she didn’t want that mantle,” Lawrence says. Ultimately, “she accepts the leadership position, she steps into the role that Xavier usually occupies, and leads the young X-Men into the final battle.”
Jean Grey (Sophie Turner)
Previous depictions of the character have shown Jean as super-powerful and sure of herself; Turner portrays her as a teenager with no limit to her telekinetic and telepathic abilities, but one who is insecure, alienated and not at all accepted in the mutant world. “A big part of this movie is about her trying to let it go,” Turner says. “Once she accepts that she has this power and can use it for good, then hopefully she’ll be able to hone her craft and really learn to control it.”
Storm (Alexandra Shipp)
While Halle Berry’s version in previous X-Men films was poised and controlled, Shipp’s young Storm — a Mystique fangirl recruited by Apocalypse to be one of his Four Horsemen — is much more animalistic and primal when it comes to kicking up wind, rain and lightning. “I wanted to portray that she’s really trying,” Shipp says. “This is her first rodeo, so I wanted people to see her really struggling to get these powers out but at the same time not being in control in any way, shape or form.”
Psylocke (Olivia Munn)
Another of Apocalypse’s Horsemen, Psylocke is a woman of few words, which was just fine with Munn — getting to brawl with her psychic swords and slice through flying cars was, for her, a good way to respect the beloved character from the comics. “If you can see that part of her, that’s the best introduction to allow fans to want to see more,” says Munn. Singer adds that he wasn’t afraid to utilize Psylocke’s sexuality as well. “It’s a part of her character, her costume, the way she is. She’s subservient to a broker of mutants and finds a better man, or so she thinks.”
