- Title: "X-Men: Apocalypse" cast on crossover potential with Disney-Marvel superheroes
- Date: 16th May 2016
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 9, 2016) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTRESS, OLIVIA MUNN, SAYING: "I had to actually learn how to be a sword fighter and, you know, doing the martial arts every single day for months. And what's funny is, after I wrapped, I'd be at dinner and I'd be like, if somebody walked in right now I could take that chair and break off the leg and I could go after them. I mean I really started to think...like I'm not afraid of anything until I realised, oh wait, I should be afraid of everything. Then I went back to being afraid of everything. But it's that feeling when you get to play people that are so powerful that you do feel that sense of invincibility." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTRESS, SOPHIE TURNER, SAYING: "Yeah, I think the costumes and everything play a huge part in that. I don't really feel that in my normal life. But once you like slip on the costume, you find yourself like even talking differently, standing differently, the way you breathe is altered because of what you're wearing, like everything is different. You're like...[makes choking noise]" (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTRESS, OLIVIA MUNN, SAYING: "You can't breathe anymore...I feel powerful!"
- Embargoed: 31st May 2016 12:15
- Keywords: X-Men X-Men: Apocalypse Jennifer Lawrence James McAvoy Olivia Munn Sophia Turner
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM / VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM / VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA0044I23VIL
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Jennifer Lawrence and James McAvoy told Reuters they don't see their Marvel mutant characters joining forces with Disney-Marvel's superheroes despite Hollywood's expanding comic book cinematic universe.
Disney-Marvel has smashed box office records with its "Avengers" series, and this month "Captain America: Civil War" is raking in hundreds of millions of dollars globally.
The third "Captain America" movie features Iron Man, Ant-Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, as well as a new Spider-Man who appears after an agreement was reached between Disney and Sony Pictures. But so far 20th Century Fox, who owns the rights to X-Men, Deadpool and Fantastic Four, has not made any similar deals to share its properties.
"I don't ever think they're going to want to share their money-making gravy trains. I don't think they're ever going to want to share that," said McAvoy while promoting "X-Men: Apocalypse" in London.
"Maybe when people get really tired of superhero movies, they'll do it as one last ditch desperate attempt to kind of milk the cow dry...I think there are so many characters in the 'X-Men' universe that we could go and explore before we have to go and mash up with those guys. And with them as well, there's a ton more they can do," he added.
With "X-Men: Apocalypse", director Bryan Singer returns to the franchise with arch-villain Apocalypse (played by Oscar Isaac), who is believed to be the first and most powerful mutant in history. He is suddenly awoken in 1980s Cairo after entering hibernation in ancient Egypt. He then embarks on a mission to control the world and quickly recruits Magneto (Michael Fassbender), as well as the psychic ninja Psylocke (Olivia Munn), firework-producing Jubilee (Lana Condor) and the weather changing Storm (Alexandra Shipp).
Determined to defeat Apocalypse, Professor Xavier (James McAvoy) enlists the help of Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Quicksilver and a few of his other students. The latter consist of characters previously introduced in the first "X-Men" trilogy, but are brought to life here by a younger generation of actors, including Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) and Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee).
When asked about training for the action-packed movie, newcomer Olivia Munn said: "I had to actually learn how to be a sword fighter and, you know, doing the martial arts every single day for months. And what's funny is, after I wrapped, I'd be at dinner and I'd be like, if somebody walked in right now I could take that chair and break off the leg and I could go after them."
"It's that feeling when you get to play people that are so powerful that you do feel that sense of invincibility," she added.
Her co-star Sophie Turner said she also felt the same way during shooting.
"I think the costumes and everything play a huge part in that. I don't really feel that in my normal life. But once you like slip on the costume, you find yourself like even talking differently, standing differently, the way you breathe is altered because of what you're wearing, like everything is different," said the "Game of Thrones" actress.
"X-Men: Apocalypse" rolls out in cinemas worldwide from May 18. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None