Next summer’s X-Men: Days of Future Past will see the old and new casts of the franchise’s films coming together for one giant mutant epic, sometimes with the pairs crossing over. Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, stars Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart talked about working with their “younger selves” on the film and whether they all worked together to have four performances that synced up.
“Nope. It’s up to them to sync with us,” McKellen joked with Stewart adding, “We came first.”
McKellen was then asked if he meets up with Michael Fassbender as Magneto in the film, as the trailer revealed the two Xaviers will share at least one moment.
“No, I don’t, I just stay by myself and I never meet my younger self.”
Speaking about his scene with James McAvoy as the young Charles Xavier, Patrick Stewart had this to say, “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.”
McKellen further confirmed that not only do the two Magnetos not share screentime, but he and Fassbender never discussed playing the two roles in a similar manner to each other.
“No, No, I think he 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.”
The subject then switched to the recently announced X-Men: Apocalypse, with the pair asked if they’re returning for that film.
“Well I don’t know if Ian knows anything about this, but I know nothing about it. Another X-Men movie has been announced and I said yes, yes, yes, it opens in May and they say no, no, no. Not that one, the one after.” Stewart said before asking McKellen, “Has anybody called you, are you keeping something from me?”
“No, no. No, I know nothing about it,” McKellen said. “Which probably means we’re not in it.”
Stewart added, “And then they’ll find they need us after all, if we’re lucky.”
Hitting theaters on May 23, 2014, the highly-anticipated film also stars Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Halley Berry, Nicholas Hoult, Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore, Peter Dinklage, Omar Sy, Daniel Cudmore, Fan Bingbing, Boo Boo Stewart, Adan Canto, Evan Peters, Josh Helman and Lucas Till.
