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Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart Talk 'X-Men: Days of Future Past'

by Ethan Anderton
December 18, 2013
Source: Wall Street Journal

We already know that X-Men: Apocalypse will be an immediate sequel to X-Men: Days of Future Past, but we've still got a few months before we see that franchise mash-up of the original X-Men franchise and the prequel X-Men: First Class. While we're waiting, The Wall Street Journal (via ComingSoon) sat down with friends and veteran actors Ian McKellen (Magneto) and Patrick Stewart (Professor X) to talk about next May's sequel and what it's been like matching up with their younger selves. We caught a glimpse of the elder Charles Xavier speaking with the young, disheveled version (James McAvoy), but Magneto won't get the same treatment to meet up with his younger self, played by Michael Fassbender, this time. Read on!

First of all, the two aren't beyond a little sarcasm. When asked if they met with Fassbender and McAvoy to sink up their performances between the past and present, McKellen said, "Nope. It's up to them to sync with us," with Stewart adding, "We came first." To be fair, McKellen doesn't really have to worry about his younger self because he says, "I just stay by myself and I never meet my younger self." Anyway, that scene in the trailer with Stewart and McAvoy is likely just a thought transfer from Wolverine's mind into the younger Xavier, so there's no actual physical meeting of the two mutant leaders in different times. Stewart talked about the cool timing of shooting that scene on set:

"There was a certain happy charm about it, in that, when we shot that scene, it was James' first day of work and it was my last day. So I was saying goodbye to X-Men and he was saying hello. James has seen everything I have done, I've seen everything he has done. He is illustrating a time in Charles Xavier's life which was very different from the time that I've been inhabiting in the previous three movies, and we just let that play out. I think we've both been looking forward to doing that scene immensely."

On the performance side of things, McKellen added that he and Fassbender haven't discussed trying to convey any similarities in their performances, which is a little disappointing, but not necessarily bad:

"I think [Fassbender] made it clear that he wanted to be his own Magneto and that suits the nature of the story and his part in it. And, Bryan Singer clearly doesn't mind that we're, Fassbender and I, don't look much like each other, although they have put out a poster where our faces are blended and you do a double take and think, ooh, my goodness, I didn't know I was that good looking and then realize the bit that's good looking is not me but Fassbender."

Anyway, as the franchise continues following X-Men: Days of Future Past, it sounds like we might be on an alternate timeline anyway. In addition, our spoilerly scoop from a little while back gives us a big hint as to what's in store for the X-Men from the past in 2016's forthcoming X-Men: Apocalypse. After all, it's been said that sequel will focus on the X-Men: First Class cast, and McKellen & Stewart seem to confirm that with their lack of knowledge about that sequel. Stewart said, "Well I don't know if Ian knows anything about this, but I know nothing about it. Has anybody called you, are you keeping something from me?" McKellen responded, "No, no. No, I know nothing about it. Which probably means we're not in it." It would be too early to round up the cast anyway, but we'll see how the X-Men franchise continues from here on out.

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