Then and Now: Looking at the Mutants in 'X-Men: Apocalypse'

The X-Men film franchise has been a smashing success. Fox has crafted something pretty special and with X-Men Apocalypse, the 8th film in Fox's run (9th if you include the Generation X TV movie), coming in 2016, there's a lot of characters being reintroduced into the X-Men film franchise that we haven't seen in quite some time.

With the release of a slew of pictures from Entertainment Weekly, we thought it's time to compare the newest additions to of the cast and their looks to what these characters looked like in their first live-action appearances.

Psylocke

First Appearance: X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

One thing that's easy to miss is Psylocke's inclusion in the 2006 film X-Men: The Last Stand, which had a knack for including as many mutants as possible and killing them off. In the 2006 film, Mei Melançon took on the role of the telepathic assassin. Now, Olivia Munn is set to play Betsy Braddock.

Munn's Psylocke is directly ripped from the comics. The outfit is nearly identical as well as the hair. While Munn doesn't match her The Last Stand counter-part, Melançon's version of the character was buried in the story. Munn looks pretty awesome and the whole look is a huge step up from the last time we saw Psylocke in this film franchise.

Nightcrawler

First Appearance: X2 (2003)

Kodi Smit-McPhee isn't the first person to put on a whole bunch of blue Nightcrawler make-up. Back in 2003, Alan Cumming put on an extremely memorable performance as the blue devil, BAMFing his way through our hearts.

Smit-McPhee looks pretty awesome in this picture and it's really cool to see that he still has the marks on his face and it really does look like a younger version of theX2 character. The only curious thing is that both Nightcrawler's father (Azazel) and mother (Mystique) are already in the movies, so we're guessing he's going to have different parents.

Cyclops

First Appearance: X-Men (2000)

Taking over the roll of Scott Summers is Tye Sheridan. In the 2003 film X-Men, James Marsden played the roll before eventually being murdered off so he could be in a Superman film. Hopefully, Tye can grab that same cockiness and attitude Marsden brought to the role.

Sheridan really does have a younger Marsden look. His face is a tad thinner, but the hair really works here, in comparison. Plus, he's got a snazzy 80s version of those ruby quartz glasses. What about his connection to Havok? Is that something they'll delve into in X-Men Apocalypse? By connection, we mean they're brothers in the comics, in case you didn't know!

Jean Grey

First Appearance: X-Men (2000)

Taking over the iconic role of Jean Grey is Sophie Turner, who many people know from HBO's Game of Thrones. The first person to play one of Marvel's most powerful mutants was Famke Janssen. That's quite the tough act to follow, since Famke did a fantastic job in the five X-films she appeared in.

As far as the actual look goes, Sophie Turner doesn't look too much like Famke Janssen, but that's ok because Turner is pretty awesome herself. With more images comes more continuity questions and how she'll relate to the characters around her.

Jubilee

First Appearance: Generation X (1996)

In this history of X-films, there have been three actresses, prior to X-Men Apocalypse, who have played Jubilation Lee: Katrina Florece (X-Men), Kea Wong (X2, X-Men: Last Stand) and Heather McComb (Generation X). Jubilee has pretty much been relegated to the background of the newer X-films, but she did have a larger role in 1996's TV movie Generation X, where Heather McComb wore some fantastic yellow lipstick.

However, now newcomer Lana Condor is playing the role in X-Men: Apocalypse and she totally looks like an 80s mallrat, just the way fans love her. The sweet yellow jacket and pink sunglasses are back and the giant hoop earrings are totally way rad. Hopefully, Jubilee will get a lot of screen time and lines in this next film.

Storm

First Appearance: X-Men (2000)

Storm has never looked tougher and more awesome, sorry Halle Berry. Alexandra Shipp takes of the role of Ororo Munroe in the newest film, taking the reigns from Berry who portrayed the role of Storm in four of the X-Men films. That's some big shoes to fill, but man, Shipp looks really awesome and intense in the couple of pictures we saw thus far.

First and foremost, the fan-favorite mohawk will be featured in the upcoming film and there's just something about her face that screams "villain" here. That and the fact she's standing next to Apocalypse in some of the other photos. There are elements of a younger version of Halle Berry's Storm, like the shape of her face and nose, but we seriously can't get over how awesome that mohawk is.

There you have it. Which look do you think works the best in the X-Men film universe? Which one doesn't match up. We'll keep you updated as more photos from the characters are released.

Eww. Just yuck

I'm quite looking forward to seeing these portraits, especially Nightcrawler. I would have liked Apocalypse to have been a bit bigger though.

Also, loved that quip about James Marsden's Superman appearance. Very good ha.

The awkward moment when they actually got worse lol. Except Storm of course, Halle Berry Storm is the worse.

I find Jubilee's new look adorable!! Looking forward to hearing her speak.

Based on another image shown before, I like the hinted triangle in Nightcrawler's costume. I had the same question about his parents.

looks like we're finally getting an X-Men movie about how the iconic mutants we all know and love were brought together and trained to use their powers

I'm liking all the new actors apart from Nightcrawler. The original actor was fantastic, this new dude looks a little off...

Nightcrawler looks worse now than X 2s. And Apocolypse just looks god awful. Every one else looks ok.

I am still confuse on the franchise is continuing, are the majority of the movie going to happen in the 80s? Because if Harry Potty taught me anything, teenagers acting like they are forty is not a good idea.

That generation x movie was painful

I still love that opening sequence to X2 when Nightcrawler assaulted the White House. One of the best opening scenes in comic movie ever.

I'll take 2000 X-Men Jean for $1,000 please.

Psylock was in last stand??

Totally way rad! Is it bad that I miss the eighties? Or just my youthfulness? I don't know, it's all so hazy.

Geez...haven't thought about the Generation X movie in years.

Hoping that this new version of Nightcrawler borrows from the X-Men Evolution cartoon where Nightcrawler was a fun comedic relief character instead of a melancholy traumatized character (no hate to Alan Cumming, a terrific actor).

Yeah, for 30 seconds.

I'm excited to see how the new actors fare. I hope they drop a trailer or at least teaser soon :(

Psylocke looks better. Nightcrawler looks better. Cyclops looks meh. Jean Grey looks okay. Jubilee looks awesome! I never liked Storms mohawk.

I am actually pretty excited for Turner as Jean

@inferiorego: The Gen X TV pilot is on Youtube. I tried watching it just now because your article reminded me of it and... I think my eyes are dying.

Where do you think I got the screencap from?

I couldn't watch it either.... it's rough

I'm kind of surprised how much the new cast look like their original movie counterparts. Psylocke being the obvious exception, who is roughly the same age in the 80s as in 2004. X-Men movies have never cared too much about continuity, so I doubt they will address it, but they could easily explain that away saying that Munn is the original Betsy Braddock, and the one in The Last Stand was after she switched bodies.

Okay, Psylocke and Jubilee now look WAY better, everyone else looks worse than the old vers, Storm is okay

WHAT???? COLORS????!! IN AN X-MEN MOVIE???? BLASPHEMY!!!!!

Jubilee and Storm look the best. What a makeover!! Nice work digging up a Generation X screenshot. I had that on VHS!

I'm a little worried that Psylocke's super accurate costume won't look good on screen. Hope I'm wrong.

Oh God...Now I remember Generation X. It made Batman And Robin look like Superman 2.

Apocalypse is a bit unusual but the rest does look good, especially Psylocke.

At least we don't have to worry about a massive purge like what Ratner did on The Last Stand.

I'm wondering if another character will comment on Psylocke's costume. Something like "Who's the chick in the swimsuit and boots?" I will be waiting for it.

Wait a sec? People actually like Storm's Mohawk? I think it's ugly personally.

Or they're pass over it as part of the 80s

I havent been keeping up with X-Men news, can somebody tell me if Wolverine will be in this movie? Thanks

I think all these designs are terrible. Pretty sure in xmen they made fun of the lack of blue and yellow, because making them like the comic tranlates to goofy looking.

I won't be watching this for the simple fact apocalypse is one of my fave villians and they had it okay at the end of future past but this dude looks cheesy. Every apocalypse i have ever seen had the blue eye liner looking lips that extend from his mouth to his ears.

I like nightcrawler but Im guessing he is going to be a typical depressed teenager which is why he has a emo haircut.

They coulda got someobody buff to play apocalypse, i think the black lycan from underworld would fit. And used one of the many realistic comic versions of apocalypse.

Why did they pick a fat chick to play Jean Grey? Jean Grey isnt fat!

Jubilee and Storm are really good. The others are meh.

Men really excited to see this new generation of X-Men :D

The new night crawler is awful. But the others are good.

I will never, ever, EVER understand how people like the Storm mohawk. It's incredibly lame!

coolio

@soarlozer:

I can't tell if you think they should or shouldn't have yellow and blue costumes?

I also think that if you are a fan of the X-Men you should reserve your judgement on the film until after our comes out. I don't think costume design is a great reason to boycott a movie. I mean costumes come and go. It doesn't exactly make or break a movie... Unless it was a movie about fashion I guess.

If you look carefully at the EW cover, you'll see that the lines that extend from Apocalypse's mouth to his ears ARE there. However rather than being a different color it's a ridge or some other sort of surface detailing, and possibly a slightly darker shade of blue than the rest of his skin.

And ignore the BTS set pic. It's HORRIBLY lit and overexposed.

Man the times have changed for the X-Men movies. I feel really old.

I think the replacement for Jean Grey is awful. Doesn't look a thing like Famke Janssen. Other than that though, I think the replacements are pretty good!

Is the new Jean Grey wearing a wig? Her head looks fake somehow.

Can't believe I'm saying this but Psylocke looks alot more convincing in X3 than XM:A.

Some of these guys I'm surprised were in X movies earlier. Psylocke? Jubilee? Damn. News to me that they've been here.

Sophie Turner as Jean Grey? Awesome. She's a good actor Even though Sansa's a little bitch

HAHA! are we really going to pretend that any of previous appearance was of any significance. Other than the few main one.

So possible cameo from X-Men cosmos, like Shiar and Badoon?

They all look amazing, true to the comics while staying relevant to the 80's time period of the movie. I'm so pumped for this move, you should all be too. Keep in mind this is Bryan Singer knows what he's doing, Days of Future Past proved that 100 times over.

@d9000: Against. I can deal with terrible costumes though.

I can't deal with terrible character design, just googling apocalypse you can see versions that would have been easy to use practical effects and get very close, they were basically human actors with ridge lines on the lips and extended to the ear. Xmen legends 2 cover makes him very realistic. Only way I see them saving it is giving him some bulk with cgi like a little smaller thanos.

There is a reason that Jubilee was kept as a background character. Mainly because she isn't that great of a mutant. Sorry to all the people that like her, but she is awful. Also I think that it is going to be tough to surpass Cumming as Nightcrawler. He was about the only good thing in the first trilogy. I wonder how they are going to change the origins for the character in the new movie.

Jubilation Lee also made a first appearance on X-Men (2000) which looks better than the Generation X one... LOL