Fans of 20th Century Fox’s X-Men movies rejoiced this morning, when it turned out – rather predictably – that they wouldn’t have to wait until Star Wars: The Force Awakens came out to get their first big preview of next summer’s X-Men: Apocalypse. (We can only assume that the trailer for Star Trek Beyond, which was also heavily touted to premiere in front of the new Star Wars movie, will also wind up online soon.)
The trailer for the eighth X-Men movie features the first live-action version of one of the superhero team’s most popular villains: Apocalypse, the so-called “first mutant,” who has lived for millennia and had a profound influence on human culture. As the trailer points out, he may even be the source of all modern religion, including Christianity, which is a conceit which may or may not prove controversial. (It’s the era of internet outrage. We wouldn’t put it past anyone to get all up in arms about it.)
Related: 12 Mutants Who Got Screwed Over By The X-Men Movies
What’s most impressive about the trailer is the fact that Bryan Singer, directing his fourth film in the franchise, has already effectively sold the threat of Apocalypse even though – in a vacuum, at least – he’s the most broadly visualized character in the franchise since Vinnie Jones’s S&M enthusiast version of The Juggernaut. The gag, ever since Oscar Isaac’s version was originally revealed earlier this year, was that Apocalypse looks a hell of a lot like an old Power Rangers villain… which he kind of does. But then again everyone hated Bryan Singer’s X-Men costumes when they first turned up online, and as a culture we eventually rallied around them. (But, that said, the same couldn’t be said of the Green Goblin costume from Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man movie, which we all said sucked when we first saw it, and which still kind of sucks.)
In any case, check out the trailer, come up with your own opinions, and get ready to see X-Men: Apocalypse in theaters on May 27, 2016.
Photo: 20th Century Fox
William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and watch him on the weekly YouTube series Most Craved and What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
