You’ve seen the amazing trailer for X-Men: First Class – now pore over every mutant detail, with our insane roundup of 75 screencaps. Welcome to the first meeting of our school for gifted mutants… whose mutant power is over-analyzing screencaps. Shall we begin?
So we start with a close-up of Professor X’s wheelchair, which he doesn’t actually need in this movie. As near as I can tell, it’s the same chair that Patrick Stewart sat in. On the desk, there are two figures which appear to be holding hands, and a tiny cannon.
The back of Patrick Stewart’s head wearing the Cerebro helmet – although he probably won’t be in this movie. (Maybe a cameo? Seems unlikely somehow.)
And then Charles Xavier in the early 1960s, looking extraordinarily foxy.
Magneto’s helmet and gloves, surrounded by candles and shit. There is a running theme of the two helmets in this trailer – the Cerebro helmet worn by Professor X, and Magneto’s helmet.
The back of Magneto’s head, as he confronts some cops.
Young Erik, looking just as foxy as Charles Xavier.
Charles and Erik, together. Why are they being escorted by two cops through what looks like a prison? Are they prisoners – or on their way to visit a prisoner? An imprisoned mutant, perhaps?
The mansion where the X-Men learn to be X-traordinary.
The gang sitting and watching black-and-white TV together. From left to right, I believe that’s Erik/Magneto, Alex Summers/Havok, Raven/Mystique, Hank McCoy/Beast and Sean Cassidy/Banshee. Sitting down are scientist Moira MacTaggert and Charles Xavier.
Kennedy, looking foxy. And warning the Russians that any missile strike will be seen as an act of war.
Watching this, Charles Xavier and Moira exchange looks. Note that Erik is holding a gun. Something about Kennedy’s speech seems to have spurred the mutants into action – maybe to stop World War III?
Galvanised, Charles goes to open a Secret Locker full of serious shit… maybe some cool yellow costumes?
Emma Frost (January Jones) being held prisoner in a weird vault of weirdness.
Zoe Kravitz as Angel Salvatore.
And here’s Zoe from the back, showing her dragonfly wings to Charles and Erik.
A closer look at Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy/Beast.
Lucas Till as Alex Summers/Havoc. What is that vault door he’s opening, and what’s that flame next to him? And why did he cut the sleeves off a perfectly good hoodie?
Edi Gathegi as Armando Munoz/Darwin.
Moira MacTaggert in someplace that looks like Oxford. Didn’t they do some filming there? Definitely Oxbridgey. I think we get to see either her or Charles Xavier graduate from Oxford in this film.
Closer look at Morgan Lily as Mystique, in bed. Why does she have a brass bell by her bedside?
The Missile Crisis is on! An aircraft carrier launches a fighter.
Charles Xavier prepares to jump out of a plane and do something stunty. And he’s wearing the yellow uniform!
He asks Erik if he’s ready for this. And honestly, if James McAvoy looks at you that way and asks if you’re ready for something, the answer is always yes.
Erik says we’ll find out. Note that he and Charles Xavier are both wearing the yellow uniform!
And Beast, in the cockpit of a plane, looks somewhat alarmed. I’ve got to say, this version makes the Frazier Crane version look weak by comparison. Nice eyes.
Looks like Beast flies to intercept the missile, using his mega-genius IQ to do something clever.
Except that there’s not just one missile. There’s rather a lot.
Someone dives into the ocean, probably from that plane we saw earlier with the hatch open.
Erik, wearing a smooth leather jacket, uses his magnetism powers on someone, in a nice old-looking hallway. In Europe someplace, I’m guessing.
A Russian soldier is on the receiving end of Erik’s wrath.
Erik has a hold of something, and he squeezes.
and one Russian soldier is having a bad day.
Hank McCoy is freaked out by something around foot level.
And it turns out to be his foot! The original storyline of how Hank McCoy becomes blue and furry is pretty ridiculous in the comics, so any version they replace it with her will be a vast improvement.
And finally we meet our main villains: the Hellfire Club. I believe that’s Oliver Platt as the Man in Black, Kevin Bacon (!) as Sebastian Shaw, and January Jones as Emma Frost. Who is getting sparkly.
And turns all diamondy. Much much cooler looking than in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Which really set the bar somewhere in the Earth’s substrate as far as mutant cameos went.
Our gang is in some facility, with an enormous fan covering one wall. A hangar? A lab? Something military? And Hank McCoy/Beast uses his mutant agility to leap really high.
Hank could win a breakdancing competition. Who is that on the far left? Is it the Man in Black?
Notice he’s lost his shoes, which are still sitting on the ground. And now we get a better look at that facility, which has a huge control room with a fancy elevator. And it’s very empty.
Another look at young Mystique, giving someone a romantic look…
And it’s Hank McCoy! He’s one lucky Beast! Could this be the Spock/Uhura romance of summer 2011?
Lucas Till as Alex Summers, looking pissed off and ready to unleash…
… a beam of stored up cosmic energy. Looks like they’re in the grounds of the X-mansion.
Erik is in a diner someplace. The menu is in Spanish but the prices are in dollars. He’s sitting at a table talking to an old guy, when someone comes at him with a knife. Erik uses his magnetism powers to snatch the knife out of the guy’s hand.
And brings it down onto the table. Not looking happy.
Charles puts on Cerebro, for probably the first time ever. How long before Erik puts on his own helmet for the first time?
Charles is not quite ready for the intensity of Cerebro. Note that Erik is watching.
Here’s a glimpse of Charles’ Cerebro-vision.
Back with the Hellfire Club, who have added the demonic Azazel (Jason Flemyng from Primeval) to their ranks. Azazel offers a hand to a bald guy who’s on the ground.
But then Azazel and the bald guy start to glow…
…and they vanish in a puff of mutant demonic smoke.
A trio of guards are aiming their rifles at somebody, but check out the puff of demonic smoke…
…and turns into Azazel! And possibly the bald guy.
And Azazel wastes no time in kicking their asses.
Four guards are already down and Azazel is attacking the others. It’s some kind of compound, and there’s a nice lobby.
And here at last is Erik picking up his trademark helmet, probably for the first time.
He’s in the same room where Emma Frost was being held prisoner.
Charles tries to tell Erik that violence will never lead to peace, blah blah blah…
And Erik has the quite nice line of dialogue, “Peace was never an option.”
Ooh, how is this sub being lifted out of the water?
Oh, that’s how. Note that Erik is wearing his yellow outfit again. And straining to lift something so huge.
But you can’t keep Erik from something he’s decided to go after.
And here’s the logo! All in all, a huge improvement on the last two X-films, at least so far. Fingers crossed!
