Bryan Singer tweeted today a look at his casting board for Days of Future Past. So, what does it tell us?
From left to right, top to bottom, we have the following:
- Hugh Jackman – Wolverine
- Jennifer Lawrence – Mystique
- James McAvoy – young Xavier
- Michael Fassbender – young Magneto
- James Stewart – old Xavier
- Ian McKellen – old Xavier
- Nicholas Hoult – young Beast
- Peter Dinkledge – unknown villian
- empty space
- Halle Berry – Storm
- Ellen Page – Shadowcat
- Shawn Ashmore – Iceman
- Omar Sy – unknown
- Anna Paquin – Rogue
- space
- Daniel Cudemore – Colossus
- space
- Fan Bingbing – reported to be playing Blink
- space
- Booboo Stewart – unknown
So, now that we know who is up there, what does their position on the board mean? It’s unlikely that Singer just picked them out at random (though he could have just moved them around to mess with us). His tweet does mention all the awards this group has won but with Halle Berry, the first African American to win the Best Actress Oscar, dangling off to the side, I doubt that has anything to do with how they are placed.
Notice Hugh Jackman is first and before the original cast members. This again feeds into my opinion that Wolverine will be the time traveler, tying to the two timelines together. That would be a pole position role and worthy of being first. Though I am listening if anyone has a better idea.
Next is Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique. She’s the first of the ‘main three’ and, at a guess, I would think Singer put her there because he couldn’t resist putting the Xavier’s and Magneto’s together (it’s something I would do). It could also be because she just won Best Actress at the Oscars and he did comment about ‘award winners’ (thought I doubt that as it doesn’t seem to have effected the rest of the layout).
McAvoy and Fassbender are next as part of the ‘big three’ with their older counterparts. Stewart and McKellen are going to have a big role in this film, even if it’s just a small scene, because it’s going to be the crux of the film. It stands to reason that they, of all of the previous cast, would be put up there with their counterparts (that or, again, Singer couldn’t resist putting them together).
Nicholas Hoult comes next which makes sense as he’s Beast and part of the original First Class cast coming back and should have a fairly big role.
Peter Dinklage is the first ‘new’ cast member and he takes a prime position because he’s reported to be the major villain of DOFP. It makes sense that he would be next to the other major roles.
Then we have a space… was this deliberate or is Bryan leaving room for someone who hasn’t been confirmed? Either another villain (to go with Peter) or a former cast member who hasn’t been confirmed as coming back yet, like Cyclops or Jean? Or, such as the case with those two, he took the picture down because that would be a major spoiler?
Here is where it starts to get a little less sure…
Halle Berry is next as Storm, a role that didn’t get a lot of love in the previous films and didn’t have any kind of major sub-plot, not like Jean, or Iceman/Rogue. She could be first simply out of seniority… or maybe Storm will finally get her due? Though if it’s little more than a cameo, it could be that this casting board is a side heavy layout (see thoughts below).
Ellen Page is next and Shadowcat was the time traveler in the original comic storyline. Somehow I doubt if she was that important to the plot in the movie that Singer would put her all the way over there on the end.
Shawn Ashmore as Iceman starts the next row and I have to really wonder if this layout could be side heavy. Mostly because he’s right next to Omar Sy, an actor Bryan specifically told us was added to the film, which hints at Omar having a big role. It makes me wonder if there might be some resolution to the Iceman/Rogue storyline that was prominent in the films and that’s why he’s in a more prominent position next to Omar and under Hugh.
Omar Sy, whose role is still unknown to us, though personally I think he’s Bishop, is on the bottom, but again, I think this is a side heavy layout. Singer specifically welcomed Omar Sy, something he didn’t do with three other people on this board, so it stands to reason that this character has a fairly large role. Bishop would make the most sense as he was the time traveler in the 90s cartoon version of Days of Future Past, but at this time he’s still listed as unknown.
Anna Paquin is next and I want to note that the ROMY in me loves that Omar is between her and Iceman… could this mean what I think it means? The couple is split up? Alas, no Cajun in sight… but again, from what I listed above I do wonder if Rogue/Iceman’s story isn’t going to get a decent treatment/resolution in this story. Though, with a new kid and her own tv show, Anna could be on the bottom towards the end of the line simply cause she can’t spare much time… which completely ruins my thoughts about Omar and this being a side heavy layout.
Again, another space, and then we have Daniel Cudmore who played Colossus in the movies. Seeing as there is a space between two former cast members, could that be a holding spot for another past actor yet to be confirmed (or pulled for spoilers)? Then another space which could mean anything…
Fan Bingbing is the first of the two new unknowns and will be playing Blink apparently. One of Blink’s ancestors, of all people, was Apocalypse. Could this hint at an ‘Age of Apocalypse’ future that they are trying to avoid? Unfortunately there isn’t a lot in her background to go on, plus Singer never announced her like Peter and Omar, and she’s dangling off in the ether over there. Perhaps she’s just a cameo/side character who has a speaking part?
Another space and then we get the lonely Booboo Stewart whose claim to fame is Twilight… yeah, no idea what this guy is playing though he does have ‘walking around with a shirt on’ as a skill-set. And again, he’s a not a very well known actor and is way over there, so probably not a big role.
Well, that’s my thoughts on what this means… until shooting starts in April and we start getting set photos and leaked info, well, it is a guessing game… but a fun game!
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Bryan Singer’s X-Men: Days of Future Past promises to bring together multiple generations of the mutant superhero team, with the worlds of the original X-Men trilogy and Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class colliding, but today it has been sadly announced that one fan-favorite character has been axed from the final cut of the film. During a recently interview with Entertainment Weekly, the director revealed that Anna Paquin, who plays Rogue in the cinematic X-Men series, is no longer going to appear in next summer’s blockbuster.
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