None of them, I should say, were an X-Men pitch. I'd thought Fox had that movie universe pretty well in hand, but when I read some unfounded rumors about a possible series reboot by Fox, I tossed my hat into the ring and put together some ideas.
If given control of the X-Men movie universe, my first goal would be to scale things back by quite a bit. Not only do I want to leave a lot of room for things to grow and escalate, but I want to start from a position of "us against them." A world where mutants are grossly outnumbered by the normal humans who hate and fear them, and, while capable of some amazing feats, have powers a bit below what some hate mongers would have you believe. These X-Men aren't a global force of mutants capable of knocking jets out of the sky or mind-controlling a government. These are mutants on the defensive, who need to work together to survive.
With this in mind, I've decided to stick with the original five X-Men of Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Angel, Beast and Iceman. Not out of any commitment to comic continuity, but because these characters lack the global reach of later teams and have singular powers that require training, ingenuity and teamwork to get the most out of.
So with this small group of relatively weak mutants in the bag, step 2 is establishing a world that both hates AND fears them. A lot of great stories have been told drawing parallels to racism and homophobia, but I want to focus on another social injustice: the effects of terrorism and how it impacts its victims as well as others whose only crime is sharing the same heritage. You can see it in the modern world with American citizens fearing Muslims (or even anyone who might look like a Muslim) because of the horrifying actions of a minority of Islamic extremists. By comparison, our movie universe has recently suffered some terrorist attacks from mutant supremacists, and anybody demonstrating a link to this group is immediately suspect if not hunted.
This, of course, requires a group of mutant terrorists, and I've decided on the Acolytes, a group of mutant supremacists who follow the teachings and guidance of the first mutant terrorist: Magneto. To avert expectations a bit, Magneto isn't actually the main villain of my story. He mostly exists as an off-screen, Bin Laden-type who we'll see mostly reflected in the actions of the Acolytes and how they refer to him and his ways. With five X-Men and an almost equal number of Acolytes, it's going to be a crowded movie, but the easiest way to avoid getting bogged down is to stick to the idea of teamwork being the key. There won't be any one-on-one battles here. At its smallest, the X-Men operate in fire teams of 2-3 members together.
So with the cast and concepts set, let's dive in...
Act I
The latest mutant terror attack occurs in a San Francisco BART station just as commuters are exiting their train and the station is packed. The Acolytes boldly proclaim their presence and begin massacring everybody inside, with the promise that these attacks will continue if the government doesn't free their leader, Magneto.
Meanwhile, across the continent, a new student is arriving at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in Westchester County, New York. Jean Grey and her parents meet the professor and the four other students at this exclusive academy. The tour is interrupted by the news of the attack in San Francisco, and the Greys voice their opinion that the world would be better without mutants or maybe if they just found some place by themselves.
Scott and the others get riled up, but Xavier defuses it and the Greys leave. Afterward, the professor reminds the students that they still have to make up for the interruption in their school schedule, and directs them all to the Danger Room. This is when Jean learns that all the other students are mutants just as she is, and they all get to demonstrate their powers in a no-holds-barred game of keep-away in the ever-changing traps of the Danger Room.
Act II pt 1
Next day's lessons aren't nearly as interesting, but academics soon gives way to a discussion on the mutant population and the reveal of Cerebro, Xavier's device that can detect the activation of mutant powers. Despite its limited range, this is how Xavier was able to locate the rest of the X-Men and invite them to his school. During the demonstration, Cerebro notes a group of mutants entering New York together. The Acolytes have arrived in Manhattan. Of course everyone wants to go intercept them, but Xavier prohibits this and simply calls the authorities. Despite Scott's surprising acquiescence to Xavier's decision, his secret plan is to sneak out in the early morning and scour the city for the Acolytes who will likely wait until the next business day when it's most crowded for their attack.
Of course, you can't keep secrets from a telepath, so Xavier intercepts them at the garage. However, an impassioned speech convinces the professor that this is a mutant issue that needs to be solved by mutants or else the rest of humanity will never learn to trust them. Xavier agrees, and the team heads to Manhattan to find the terrorists.
They find the Acolytes taking over the Chrysler Building and herding all the occupants together as hostages with the intent to bring the building down on all of them. The X-Men leap into action, but are forced to split up into smaller teams to handle the Acolytes and it's a stalemate. They're able to free the hostages, but when Cortez amps up Cyclops' eyeblasts beyond his ability to contain them, it's Scott himself who blows out a portion of the building. As the dust settles, most of the Acolytes and X-Men have gotten clear, but Scott and Senyaka are apprehended by the FBI.
Act II pt 2
While Scott and Senyaka are interrogated by the FBI, the X-Men plan a rescue. The professor has a better way, though. He and Jean go to the federal building in civilian clothes and convince them that he was called as an expert in genetic mutation to assist in the detention of the mutant prisoners. During the debate between the agents and mutants, it's revealed that the government is not just unwilling to meet the Acolyte's demand to free Magneto, but they're actually unable to. They don't have Magneto and don't know where he is. The second bomb-drop is the reveal that Xavier knows where he is and always has.
That's all the Acolytes needed to know, as they break into the building and attempt to get Xavier to tell them where Magneto is. His will is too strong for threats or torture, though, but Cortez is able to use Xavier's telepathy against him by boosting his powers beyond his control until he's broadcasting every thought to anyone nearby. The Acolytes escape in the confusion with the knowledge of where Magneto is, but the FBI now also knows and the race is on.
Act III
The X-Men get to Magneto's cabin in Maine to find the federal government has gotten there before them judging by the number of bodies lying at the feet of an angry Magneto. He accuses Xavier of breaking his promise and disrupting his seclusion. Xavier's attempts to convince him otherwise are interrupted by the arrival of the Acolytes. While Xavier argues there's still time for peace, Cortez tries to convince Magneto to return to the world and lead them. When Magneto decides he's too tired to continue, Cortez loses it and attacks Magneto himself, turning his own power against him. The X-Men leap to Magneto's rescue (irony!!) and a full-on melee ensues.
The X-Men are ready, though, and their training and teamwork are able to take down the Acolytes with their faltering convictions and shifting loyalties. In the end, Cortez is the last Acolyte standing and he shifts gears. He boosts Magneto's powers until he's a veritable magnetic bomb, wreaking havoc on the area and the X-Men. The only solution is to take out Magneto, and Cyclops reveals he has absolutely no problem at all doing that. One optic beam to the forehead and Magneto is down for the count. A sock to the jaw by Beast is all it takes to lay out Cortez.
Cast
Scott Summers / CyclopsDavid Lambert
When I think of Cyclops, I think of a reserved, uptight leader of mutants, but I'm pretty sure he didn't start out that way. Over the course of the film, I'd like to see ol' Scott here have the most character growth as he realizes the responsibility of his powers and takes on the mantel of leadership, perhaps sacrificing some of his own happiness in the process. We'll see the birth of the love story between him and Jean, but it will only end in sadness for both as he distances himself away from others for fear of his uncontrollable power.
Scott was the first mutant taken in by Xavier and the inspiration behind the plan to find other young mutants struggling to control their mutant abilities and training them at his academy. A stubborn and opinionated young man, Scott gravitates to a leadership position in the team. His determination matches Jean's strong will and this shared quality is what will ultimately bring them together.
David Lambert already has years of acting experience under his belt. His recent resume includes a four-year run as the lead character in "The Fosters" where he's been nailing the "on the cusp of growing up" drama I'm looking for in my evolution of Scott Summers in this film.
His powers have been very well recreated in the X-Men movies, showing an almost gushing stream of uncontrolled power coming from his eyes. And while he struggles with having to constantly contain his power behind special glasses or a visor, that gear is just as much a shackle as he's unable to use his powers if he can't reach them. Even his visor has to be opened and closed manually.
Jean Grey / Marvel GirlKathryn Newton
Secretly a mutant while living with anti-mutant parents, Jean struggled with self-image issues and parental authority. I don't want to go so far as to say she attempted suicide, but that's something that could've been in her future had she not been invited to Xavier's. Finally able to accept herself for who she is, Jean is really coming out of her shell.
As the most recent arrival at the school, Jean is our point-of-view character, allowing the audience to learn about the school, the X-Men and mutants at the same time she does.
While the romance between Jean and Scott is one of the classics of Marvel Comics, I only want to see the beginning stages of that here. I don't want to reduce the only female on our team to just being the love interest, but a good love triangle between her, Scott and Warren is a great storytelling tool to highlight all their different personalities.
You might remember Newton from 'Paranormal Activity 4' or maybe as Claire Novak on 'Supernatural' or her current gig as rebellious teenager Abigail Carson on 'Big, Little Lies.' In none of these has she been the demure, quiet teenaged girl, and I think that same strength would suit Jean Grey very well.
For this beginning, at least, Jean's powers will be limited to just telekinesis. Xavier may hint at the potential for developing telepathy like his, she's mostly limited to just moving things around. And really it's just moving other things, she doesn't levitate herself, keeping her grounded and not stealing Angel's "I can fly" spotlight.
Luke Benward
You know how much you hate that hearthrob guy who busts out the guitar at all the parties and serenades all the swooning ladies? Well, give him a net worth of $3 million and see how much more unlikable he becomes. And for good measure, tack on some majestic wings that let him fly around. That's Warren. He comes from big money and was looking forward to taking over the family business when he was older. When he started developing his wings, though, his father was aghast and immediately carted Warren out of the public eye.
Power-wise, he's actually the weakest of the team, something he's aware of but masks with his devil-may-care attitude. Ironically, despite being more than a little self-centered, Warren actually develops into one of the better team players, if only out of necessity. His nonchalant airs also hide some daddy issues stemming from the way his father packed him off as his wings developed. These issues mirror Jean's own parental problems and is what draws the two of them together into the other leg of our love triangle.
The last time I saw Luke Benward, he was a little kid in the Disney TV film 'Minutemen,' and he was great in that. Since then he's only matured and honestly is about as far as possible from the rich douche-boy I'm imagining Angel to be. Still, I'm certain he can nail it, especially as we lead into scenes where he drops his cover and opens up to Jean.
Angel's wings don't have to be scientifically accurate, and while the temptation might be to give him huge, majestic wings, I want to make sure they're small enough to feasibly be harnessed flat against his back and hidden under some bulky clothes.
Hank McCoy / BeastWill Poulter
Coming to Xavier's was the best thing that ever happened to Hank. While his physicality drove him into school sports, he never felt challenged by them and resented how they kept him away from his real love, academics. At Xavier's, he's found a place that challenges him on both fronts and he's taking full advantage.
I know you've seen Poulter before, just as I know it was likely as some sort of bully or bad guy. Maybe it's that bit of "animal" you see in his features that often puts him on the wrong side of the fight, but here that's his ticket to the good team. He got to play a bit of the nerd in "We're the Millers," and here I'm hoping for a good mix of the two personas.
Apologies to Poulter, but there's a certain beastial cast to his features that I think would sell the character, but I wonder how much we could enhance his body by making it broader or enlarging his hands and feet. If they can make a scrawny Chris Evans, I'm sure they can reverse the process on Poulter's extremities. While the rest can be his stance and posture to represent his mutant musculature, some oversized hands and feet (with splayed toes for grabbing things not quite to the level of "First Class" monkey feet) would cap the effect.
Tyrel Jackson
Unlike the rest of his teammates, Bobby never suffered from his mutation. He wasn't physically different like Warren or Hank, he didn't endanger people like Scott, and he was never ostracized like Jean. Learning to control his powers isn't making him better able to fit in, it just makes him more awesome. Of all the X-Men, he's the one who most loves being a mutant, and has a bit of a wake-up call the first time he faces anti-mutant racism on the streets.
Okay, maybe I just watch a lot of Disney shows, but when it comes time to find young actors, I don't know if there's a better source. 'Lab Rats' was a favorite of both mine and my kids', and I knew I'd have to keep an eye out for a place to fancast Jackson in something. Some might call it racebending for the sake of diversity, but Jackson is an acting machine and easily captures Bobby's fun-loving, youthful personality.
I never bought into Iceman's powers as presented in the X-Men movies. He just seemed to emit a cold beam and it would turn into some kind of ice structure. I'm not saying that's impossible in a world of super-powered mutants, but it feels lazy. I actually prefer the way Frozone's ice powers were presented in 'The Incredibles'. Almost like he was hurling frost and letting it pile up into his ice slides and walls. Similarly, his ice form should be less like a crystaline ice body and closer to a layer of frost that accumulates when he uses his powers.
Charles Xavier / Professor XTom Mison
Certainly not the first mutant on Earth, but definitely one of the first to research the up-till-now isolated incidences of human mutation. Before losing the use of his legs, Xavier traveled the world meeting with and studying mutants. Some felt isolated and afraid, others felt empowered to take what they felt they deserved. Few felt that they should be working to improve humanity as a whole.
The discovery of Scott Summers, a young mutant with a dangerous and uncontrollable power, inspired Xavier to start a school for others like him. The idea was not to just teach them how to control their powers, but to instill in them a sort of citizenship to the world and more positive representations of mutants among humans. He never intended for his students to become soldiers, though. That's a turn that comes out of necessity and something he fights against for as long as he can.
Unfortunately I couldn't find any pictures of a bald Tom Mison to give the full effect here, but just look at that intensity! This man is reading your mind right now, and it's just a blog page! If you want to see Mison in action, he's currently crushing it as Ichabod Crane in 'Sleepy Hollow'. Now imagine that same determination and gravitas as the headmaster of a school.
Like most things, Xavier's telepathy is going to be scaled back a bit from what we've seen in the movies and comics so far. He can't control minds, per say, and erasing memories is only achieved through a long and detailed process. He is very good at rooting out information, though, and is able to teach all the courses he does at the school simply by virtue of having "learned" from some of the greatest minds alive today.
Fabian CortezMiguel Angel Silvestre
Say what you will about Cortez, but he actually believes in his cause. Inspired by the promises of a mutant paradise by Magneto's first global attacks, he's assembled the Acolytes to free Magneto and help him build this promised land, even if it's on the bones of humankind.
While you can't downplay his charisma, part of his control over the Acolytes comes from a level of addiction to his power-boosting abilities. And because his abilities are useless without other mutants to affect, he's gotten very good at working with others.
Silvestre has a long history on Spanish stage and television, but if you really want to see what he can do, check out his lead role in 'Sense8' or his recurring role on 'Narcos'. There's no doubt he can portray Cortez' conviction, menace and, ultimately, sense of betrayal.
Like Xavier, Cortez' power doesn't have a visible effect other than the way it impacts the mutant he's touching. At best there might be a "vein" effect where he touches them, but otherwise it's all in the performance.
Pietro Maximoff / QuicksilverAustin Butler
Maximoff bought his way into the Acolytes by virtue of claiming to be Magneto's son. Not everyone in the group believes him, but Cortez certainly supports it. He's a little disgruntled in that he hasn't been chosen to lead the Acolytes, but he's easily mollified by Cortez. Beyond that, he's petulant and self-entitled to a dangerous degree.
Up until now, I've tried to avoid casting anybody who's already been in a superhero show if only just as a personal challenge. I'm breaking that rule with Butler partially because he's a good fit for the character of Quicksilver, but also because his role in 'Arrow' was pretty minor and I feel I can be excused on this one. In any case, that role receives top marks in "cocky" and "entitled", and was pretty much an audition for this one.
This is the third casting of Quicksilver in the past decade, but I couldn't not include him thanks to the interactions he brings with his claims of being Magneto's son. Using him as a villainous douchebag will also help differentiate him from Evan Peters and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
His speed will naturally be a bit slower than the too-fast-to-see speeds shown in the earlier films, figuring that even a 200mph race car can still be seen by the naked eye. It's not until Cortez boosts his speed that he becomes practically invisible.
Anna Torv
Voght is undoubtedly the smartest member of the Acolytes and the least invested in the group's goals. Having met Magneto in Europe at the same time Xavier did, Voght had a chance to join with Charles' dream, but instead felt Magneto's vision was the harsh reality. She's not power hungry like Cortez, or self-important like Quicksilver, rather, she's pragmatic and believes it's not possible for humans and mutants to live as equals.
When she meets up again with Xavier, she's the one making the arguments against his dream. Cortez follows Magneto's vision out of faith and can't be reasoned out of it. Voght, meanwhile, has made the decision to follow Magneto, and can present her arguments to anyone who challenges her.
Voght's power to turn into smoke makes her one of the more elusive Acolytes and the hardest to pin down. She can choke the life from you and there's nothing you can do about it. She can also infiltrate anywhere, and there's a strong argument that Cortez couldn't achieve what he has without her.
Anna Torv is an acting machine. You've likely seen her on 'Fringe' or 'Secret City'. Plus, look at that picture of her. Doesn't it look like she's seen some shit? That's a woman who's made some hard choices.
Raza Jaffrey
During his childhood, Senyaka was on the receiving end of the Sri Lancan caste system. When his powers developed, it was easy to convince him that he was now of the superior caste, and took to Magneto's message with great conviction. That his power is so deadly to others is of no consequence, he fervently believes it's his right to use them, and is a remorseless killer of normal humans who all belong to a lower caste than he does.
Raza Jaffrey is an English actor who has been turning in some awesome work in 'Homeland'. Meanwhile, he also has dedicated himself to promoting his Indian heritage, including dance, and I suspect that will help bring an interesting physicality to the mutant who steals the vitality of others.
In the comics, Senyaka has "psychic whips" that he can use to drain energy from his victims at a distance. I'm skeptical that that can be portrayed convincingly and have no problem giving him an energy draining touch that increases his own strength and agility. Perhaps when he's souped up by Cortez we can see a late-game appearance by his energy whips (or even have his own veins or tendons whip out under the power boost...eww).
Eric and Harlan KleinstockMichael Mizanin
And then there's the Kleinstock brothers. Little more than thugs and bullies, these muscle-bound twins are good at following orders, especially when they enjoy the orders they get.
To be honest, they won't get much story on screen. We can suggest that they're the result of the abuse they received as children from the third brother, or showcase how they only respect someone who they think they can't beat, but at the end of the film, those will just be character moments rather than character arcs.
Professional wrestler Michael "The Miz" Mizanin is looking to follow in the steps of such success stories as Roddy Piper and Dwayne Johnson, and I'm ready to give him his big break. Without a character evolution, the Kleinstocks will succeed or fail based on the little moments imparted by the actor portraying them, and, say what you will about the Miz, but he's not without his charms.
Power-wise, the Kleinstocks are going to see some significant changes from how they're portrayed in the comics. There's really a lot going on with them, and I decided to strip it down to the most interesting visual they offer. I've cut the third brother and his plasma energy blasting, and stuck with the idea of the twins just fuzing themselves together into a massive, 4-armed monstrosity. To be honest, I've never been able to figure out how they stick together in the comics, with one brother's stomach coming out of the other's spine (?) so here we'll make it a back-to-back fusion, with one pair of legs, four arms, and two heads facing opposite directions. Visually grotesque AND hard to take in a fight.
Max Eisenhardt / Magneto Iain Glen
Some great writers and actors have done some deep work on the character of Magneto and his origins in a Nazi concentration camp, but I'm going to break from that. Not only do I not want to compete with those amazing performances, but I feel the time gap between WWII and now makes tying them together difficult at best. So our Magneto will be a new character. Max Eisenhardt is an alternate name he's used in the comics, and it'll do here to represent a break from earlier portrayals.
As one of the first mutants to appear on Earth, Eisenhardt witnessed many of the bigotries and abuses heaped on the newly-appearing race. He took the name Magneto and carried out a number of attacks against humanity in the defense of mutantkind, eventually seeking mutant sovereignty by claiming a land exclusively for mutants. His invasion of San Marco was met with a US-lead coalition, assisted by mutation expert Charles Xavier, that ultimately drove Magneto off and into hiding. While the popular perception was that the US took him into custody at an unknown location, the truth is that Eisenhardt slipped away and went into seclusion. He'd tired of bearing the burden for all mutants, and now just wants to be left alone.
Most of you may recognize Iain Glen from Game of Thrones, but he really caught my eye as Bishop 2nd Class Octavian on Dr. Who. This man has dignity for days, and I want to see that same level of nobility hiding behind the man whose use of violence is, he believes, for the greatest cause of all.
Magneto's mutant powers are easy to visualize, basically just moving metal things with his mind, but with an added visual of some of the magnetic energy at play to differentiate it from Marvel Girl's telekinesis. His particular flavor of power also gives him some power over machines and electronics, and he's VERY experienced at using it to its greatest potential.
And THAT'S why it took me so long to finally get out an X-Men pitch. That's a huge cast and while I'd normally argue that everybody needs a personal story, I have to cede that not everybody gets a story on screen. Sorry, Miz.
Future Expansion
In the comics, some of the greatest X-Men stories have involved stepping out of the mutant situation and engaging with space aliens or exploring a dinosaur-laden lost world. As much as I like a good gonzo showing, I don't think you can introduce these elements within the limited number of stories we have to tell in a handful of feature films.
So even though I've heard criticisms about the current Fox films keeping themselves "too grounded" for the stories they're trying to duplicate, I too want to keep these stories in modern day Earth and not try to introduce anything like the Phoenix Force or High Evolutionary.
Of course, many of the best Earth-bound villains the X-Men have faced have already been used in the movies, so there's a certain amount of retreading that'll be done, but that's a risk of reboots anyways.
X-Men 2
A Mutant Registration Act has been proposed in the US Senate, leading some of the more violently outspoken mutants to form a Brotherhood of Mutants to act out against it. The X-Men find themselves defending the people who would have them branded and monitored. Ultimately the bill is passed, but the X-Men become the figureheads of a peaceful opposition, publicly refusing to reveal their identities or allow them to be registered by the government.
X-Men 3
A deadly, air-borne virus has begun afflicting mutants around the globe, and the X-Men race to locate Patient 0 and find a cure. A number of previously unknown mutants are outed when they fall victim to the plague, and fears begin ramping up on both sides as humanity realizes how many mutants there actually are hiding among them while at the same time mutants fear their race is finished as human scientists drag their feet to find a cure. The global nature of the quest for a cure allows for the introduction of more international mutants, including one Canadian mutant whose extraordinary healing factor is the key to a cure.
**Bonus Pitch**
Normally I only do a trilogy of films in these pitches, but the young age of the principal actors at the start of the series, with the 3rd episode's introduction of international X-Men allows us to carry on past a 3rd film with only a slight shifting of membership. So...
X-Men 4
The X-Men discover a secret society of deformed mutants called Morlocks hiding underneath New York City. These unfortunates are contrasted by the rich and powerful mutants of the Hellfire Club whose decadence leads to them frequently abducting Morlocks to fight for their amusement.
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