First published on: September 20, 2014 Post duplicated on: May 4 - May 19, 2016 (+ new content) Post duplication updated on: October 17, 2018 Written content here updated on: September 12, 2020
Hi, so, while this blog post is labeled as being published on 2014/9/20, if anyone actually does look through my blog, one'd know that the blog itself was only put back into use in late 2016, meaning, everything that's said to have been published before that, while true (correct published dates, just published elsewhere,) are republished here much later.
Normally it wouldn't matter that much, but for certain things, it's quite awkward for me to newly post something with dated comments, which is why that, though I'm overall still quite smug about how I put thought into this post, comments like "hopefully such and such can happen in later series" would obviously feel dated, especially when succeeding installments have come to past, making me feel like I should also update my thoughts on the matter etc., and that's why even though I have a strong opinion about the matter, I hadn't worked on relocating the content onto my blog until now, 2020/9/9, as I type this.
Looking back, the updated content (in my second location posting this) still contained the wording "WIP" and it has been almost 2 years since I last touched it. I suppose I really could go on and on, but I think what I had there was fair enough. I have no set date on when to completely migrate the content, but when it's done, I'd def. make it known lol. This is also hopefully the last time I'd be duplicating the post. The second location, while to me, very convenient for formatting and linking and basically anything you can think of, at the end of the day, has the risk of being deleted by someone else. Not saying it's going to happen anytime soon (or even at all,) but if I'm going to have a backup, might as well start sooner than later.
I'm done with first round of relocation (along with completing the last few touch-ups I meant to finish years ago,) but after being somewhat removed from my "phase," I see that adding updated opinions on the then-future installments, (that, and references on older ones,) made this blog post rather really lengthy. At first I contemplated on splitting the "solutions" into their own separate posts, but while it's still a possible approach, I realized I may very well just have posts for films I do have somthing to say, albeit not as creative as I do this one lol. Again, I don't have an estimation for when it'd be done, so just really want this to be out there first. Characters with images for the solutions were what I left unfinished in the second posted location, and if you get to reading that far, you'd notice it's not showing all the candidates; this is because, after posting out those ideas, a few years later, I've made elimination for ones that have multiple options; those, I'd like to share my new thoughts as well, like, when this post is really done being splitted. Comments are always welcome as long as they are relavant.
The following content was originally posted on September 20, 2014 at 1:23pm on my Facebook Note under the title Thoughts on X-Men: Days of Future Past; at the time I haven't joined [the second place I've posted this], but since I'm obviously [there] now and am more familiar with wikitext, I might as well tweak what I wrote and post it [there].
Please note that I do know the film adaptation (if you can still call it as such) is NOT meant to be exactly the same as the comics, and at this point I've given up all hopes for 20th Century Fox to remotely rectify their choice of direction, but it doesn't mean I can't "wish" what they "could have done."
Also please note that my knowledge towards X-Men and related X-titles is limited to publications during 1990-2015.
Content NOT originated from my initial FB note (aka brand NEW rant), are the updates and thoughts on X-Men: Days of Future Past - The Rogue Cut, which is written in this green color.
Overview
I decided to write this overdue 'overview' aka 'how-it-would-have-made-more-sense-and-better rant'.
First of all, I don't think it's a bad movie, I just don't think it's the most awesome sh*t. I think it is a tad bit overrated on Rotten Tomatoes.
Yes, I've started reading the comics, but I didn't have so much to say only because of it; even judging the movie alone, I still like the first 3 better than this one! A lot of dialogs just seemed forced, and a lot of fight scenes just seemed unnecessary. But I'm not going in to all that. I simply feel that the character selection itself if chosen better, would have helped pleasing the people who would like to get into X-Men even more, or the people who also read the comics. I've always felt this way, even before actually reading the comics. I watched the film versions, liked the characters, looked them up, and then got disappointed when their origins or relationships with each other were way off the mark from the original material. This movie had tons of opportunities to adapt canon character relationship continuity, and missed.
The Rogue Cut
If you have not watched this cut, you probably should avoid reading this section.
I'm not sure if this is the popular belief, but contrary to it, The Rogue Cut is NOT all about Rogue. While she's definitely more relevant to the story than her other version was to the theatrical release, she was still by no means the center of this alternative timeline.
It surprisingly does not change my overall opinion towards the film; and make no mistakes, there's actually several subtle and not so subtle differentiations with the changes of cuts they decided to use, but the undertone of either versions of X-Men: Days of Future Past to me is always like this:
"They thought the future was horrible so they wanted to go back and change it, but no matter what they do, there's always factors that deeply effected and altered the future in a way they weren't prepared for at all."
So regardless of what goes in between, the outcome was relatively the same. In the end the dystopian type future was in a way prevented, and members of previously deceased X-Men were alive, like Jean and Scott. The end.
"They told me you can control metal, my mom once knew a guy who could do that"
But then isn't that catering to the comic/cartoon fans, who do know Pietro Maximoff is in fact Magneto's son? (By the way, they couldn't even keep his actual name; why changing it to Peter? Does that HELP?) Seriously, other than the easter egg, why him? Why pick him when it was confirmed this character would also be in MCU's Avengers: Age of Ultron?
The hairstyle Actor Evan Peters had in the film imo was actually pretty close to Jean-Paul's (just different hair color,) and I don't believe Pietro ever had his hair like that; not to mention Northstar actually does wear those glasses/goggles whereas Quicksilver mostly does not. It would have also been nice for he would have been the first homosexual mutant on screen (I'm pretty sure Mystique can only be counted as bisexual at this point.)
Sure, the characteristic might be way off, as Northstar's pretty uptight and stern, but seeing that they made silly and humorous characters (Iceman and Beast) serious and calm, I honestly wouldn't mind an OOC adaption for this case.
Rogue being cut
TBH, IMO, the so-called Rogue Cut still isn't Rogue enough.
While I've come to accept that Fox's Rogue would possibly never become the spunky southern belle who'd use endearments like "sugar" to placate people, the character treatment again left a lot more to be desired. Let me be perfectly clear, the most vocalized problem with this version of Rogue I saw on the Internet, is mostly about how Anna Paquin sucks at delivering the strong female character the fans love. I think it's safe to say that Fox's version of Rogue is basing on a combination of Rogue herself, Jubilee, and Shadowcat... So fans should already know NOT to only compare Rogue's film version to her other counterparts, but factoring the various versions of the other two characters as well. I mean, let's be real; even the Eartch-616 one alone, when handled by different writers, could cause fans to debate whether they thought she was acting OOC; so how is it fair to judge a portrayal that had even more material to pick and choose from?
So yeah, my point is, while I, like most people, do love the sassy outspoken Rogue, I'm wise enough to not get all upset about not getting what I love, because I've already accepted that Fox's Rogue just has a different temperament. What I am actually upset about though? Like probably the second most raised criticism... Fox's crew just either don't know how or don't care to utilize the character to its full potential. What am I talking about? Fans voiced their disappointment about Rogue not having the notable ability of Superhuman Strength and Flight.
Some "smarter" fans pointed out those specific powers would be tricky to explain, as in canon they were from Carol Danvers aka (then-)Ms. Marvel, and Fox does not own the film right of that character. Some even smarter fans would then point out, since when have we seen a superhero film adaptation completely following its source material anyways? The first real failure Fox did to their Rogue, was how they treated her in X-Men: The Last Stand (and no, just to be clear, I actually do not hate that film.) Don't get me wrong, I think it's completely understandable that she would want to be "cured" (I've always wonder what's ver.Earth-616's take on the matter) seeing that at the time she still had no control over her power. BUT, I really don't think you can deny that... That film is virtually the most crowded film featuring crapload of mutants. A lot of people have commented that, while not enjoying her powers, Rogue seriously could have grabbed a bunch of individuals during the final showdown, and consequently gaining the well-recognized Superhuman Strength and Flight etc. from different mutants.
Like I stated below, personally I honestly don't see the significance of Bishop's role; they could have just used Rogue as one of the main fighters. WIP.
X-Men's roster in the dystopian future
Breakdown
The future recruits are just such a mismatch! (Judging from the canon perspective, that is.) Let's see:
Brotherhood of Evil Mutants → X-Men → Avengers Unity Division
Side note: I formatted Rogue's name differently from the others because she is definitely first and foremost known as Rogue; "Anna Marie" was revealed/added MUCH LATER.
For the new characters, Sunspot and Warpath kind of have just a little to do with each other, but throw in the other two, the four almost just seemed like random picks. And I HAVE TO mention, Kitty's power to send people's mind back is just complete bull crap; I'm not even saying this basing from the comics or cartoons, for 3 movies all she could do is PHASING! Her explanation is not an explanation as to how the eff she could do it, throwing in the term Secondary Mutation could have slightly save it, but they didn't, so Ima insist adding just one more telepathic-ish character in all the fixes.
Just to be clear; I do know that prior to The Rogue Cut, Rogue does have a cameo in the theatrical release, but that's the thing! Her appearance was indeed nothing more than a mere cameo, which was why although definitely qualified as "old characters", I did not initially include her in the list. Having actually seen the alternative version shortly after its release in 2015 is another story. Hence the overdue WIP update.
I'm pretty certain Bishop was only chosen as homage to the 90s X-Men animated series' same title arc, and the fact that he's a mutant from the 'future'; ("why not just put him in, as the story isn't set in the 'present'?") other than that, I don't see how his powers and character matters to the film at all; nonetheless, so he can absorb other people's energy, the best substitute I can come up with is Everett, who can SYNCH with other people's powers! (and honestly, Bishop's bigass gun did not help him battle in the film at all) So yeah, I can totally see the epicness of Synch channeling with and power-up the gather power. YES I KNOW HE DIED IN THE COMICS, all the better to see him live on the screen. I guess the plus is he's also a dark skin character just as Bishop is.
I actually have next to nothing to complain about Sunspot as he did not have many lines so I couldn't really judge; I did picture him as a light skin hispanic whereas he is sometimes colored with darker skin tone. He did, however, get sort of the most bashing comparing to the other new characters, as the way his power were shown is easily compared to Jonathan "Johnny" Storm aka Human Torch from the Fantastic Four. So... While I did like how the makeup and effects appeared (cuz really? Black fire? that'd look more like smoke,) to avoid the unkind comparison, I figured using people with powers that can blast or blow up stuff, instead of having an obvious flaming body, could achieve a similar outcome.
A] Out of all the nominees, Boom-Boom is the character I personally know the least of. I picked her mainly to compliment Warpath's associated groups, or he would be the odd one standing out. That, and well, she could blow up stuff with cute catchphrases like "Tik, Tik, Tik" and it doesn't hurt to have a blonde eye candy lol.
B] My friends who've watched the 90s X-Men cartoon all think lowly of Jubilee, even though she proved herself actually powerful enough to stand on her own. She had cameo scenes in all first 3 of the X-Men films; this could have been the perfect chance to let her shine! Also can't help mentioning she's Chinese-American, and... Blink's actress (Fan Bingbing) is Chinese! Could have been a more accurately casting if switching roles.
C] Chamber's power probably would have the closest result to Sunspot's; the scene would have still be powerful and epic-looking (which the other two options above probably would lack the long-range damage). And well, having a moody guy with a hot British accent is always a plus! xP
Like I said, Kitty's power does not make sense sending people's conscious back to the past, M is a competent telepath, not only that, she also has superhuman strength/endurance and flight.
Counting Blink as a Generation X member:
Picking A], we'd get 2 X-Force members, 3 Generation X members, and 3 X-Men.
Picking B] or C], we'd get 1 X-Force member, 4 Generation X members, and 3 X-Men.
Why I put this set of choices on top?
Mainly because I think Generation X's members were overshadowed by the students before and after them, AND IT'S THEIR 20TH ANNIVERSARY THIS NOVEMBER!* Man, it would have been so cool if seeing them in live-action again! Reboot the TV movie!
(Reminder: This was written back in 2014; though I still think Generation X deserve some form of celebration)
(P.S.: I know Chamber and Jubilee were part of New Warriors for a time after Decimation, but I don't think it's too relevant to the other groups. I would personally like to see a M-Day storyline though... If only 20th Century Fox had the brains and balls to actually do it. Sighs.)
I thought Actor Booboo Stewart as Warpath was good looking and all, but with Colossus's character already looking so huge, he just seemed so small; with so little lines, he's easily forgettable, and I bet a bunch of people were super confused as to what his power was. So for Superhuman strength/speed/stamina/senses, I give you Wolfsbane! Definitely easier to spot and make a statement! The Scottish accent is another plus of diversity.
How Blink's powers were shown are exactly the same as how Magik's works, only that the Russian also has a frightening-looking SOULSWORD, and can do spell work! The big bonus? She's Colossus's sister and friends with Kitty (and the rest of the people in this section,) I can perfectly see it play out more emotionally with the brother-sister relationship: had she replaced Blink's role, how devastated she'd be when Colossus was struck down by the Sentinels! In the novelization of X-Men: The Last Stand by Writer Chris Claremont, who wrote the original DoFP, it was mentioned that Kitty and Illyana were pen-pals, so yup, could have totally connected the dots!
Although she's not known for telepathy but possessing other people's mind, she'd pass; honestly ANYONE with actual mind-related ability are better choices than Pryde! Vietnamese girl with a crush on Kitty, had she been picked she'd been the first lesbian mutant on screen!
Optional REPLACE Bishop with BOTH Douglas "Doug" Ramsey aka Cypher and Warlock «[both New Mutants → X-Factor (Serval Industries); briefly assisted (black op-ish) X-Force]»
Without replacing, Bishop would stick out in this set. Although powers being very different, as I stated earlier, Bishop's power doesn't really hold too much significance, so visually, with Warlock able to morph into anything, including weaponry, as a team they can reach similar effect.
Keeping Bishop, we'd get 4 New Mutants Members, 4 X-Men.
Replacing him, we'd get 6 New Mutants Members, 3 X-Men.
Why this set of choices?
I think not using Magik really is a gigantic miss. So much POTENTIAL!!!!! Also, this is favoring the New Mutants roster, a team that is literally the oldest set of 'NEW' students! Personally I think it's a shame they picked characters like Angel Salvadore *coughs, X-Men: First Class (film)*, who's created at least 2 decades later, to be in films!*
(Updates: I was super happy to learn about The New Mutants (film) when it was first announced, and was super impressed that Fox finally got a roster reflecting canon for once. As per my usual attitude towards Fox's films, I will NOT be having high expectations, just to avoid being letdown. That being said, I can already guarantee, no matter how the film turns out, I will ALWAYS compliment on it selecting the PROPER characters, which is the beef I have with X-Men: Days of Future Past and what this entire blog post is about. lol)
A] So what if he already appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (film), making him logically being super old if he showed up in the future! He has a complicated relationship with Nathaniel Essex aka Mister Sinister, who's an expert on DNA, let's just imagine Gambit doesn't age badly! He has the power to blow up a whole planet, and is a fan favorite wishing to get a reboot, if only they did it in this one!
B]Bryan Singer had actually posted a fake tweet about casting Lady Gaga for the role as an April Fool's prank. She's another character I barely know (only know her a little more than Boom-Boom,) and to be frank, don't particularly care for, but it seems like she does have a decent fan base. With her power having to do with sound waves and music, it indeed may be harder to incorporate within the movie, but if doing it right, with the right awesome soundtrack, it could have been an epic fight scene!
REPLACE Warpath with Laura Kinney aka X-23 «[X-Men → (black op-ish) X-Force → a lot more others...]»
Wolverine's messed up female clone whose superhuman senses are more trained and stronger than her DNA donor. She might seem out of place in this group, but she definitely fits in a little bit more than Warpath. Roommates with Kitty and Betsy briefly, and ventured with Gambit for a period time. Wolverine's conscious got sent back in the past? We'd need a fierce fighter like him to stay around in the future! Plus the whole clone thingy just adds countless potential to future plots.
Side note: The more I think about it, the more I think it's such a shame that this character herself was not invented sooner, as she would have been much better fit, replacing Yuriko Oyama aka Lady Deathstrike's role in X2 (film). Again, I'm aware that film adaptation takes liberty on how they want to "adapt" the source material, but for people who do care to know more about comic book canon, Lady Deathstrike IS actually NOT A MUTANT; she DOES have adamantium claws coming out of her fingertips, but she DOES NOT have healing powers. Yes, personally I think the fight scene between Yuriko and Logan was effing EPIC in X2; I'm just saying, had X-23's character been created a tad bit earlier, she would have been a perfect fit, they wouldn't even have to change the origin of the film version's character too much. Because of her young age, instead of posing as Stryker's secretary, she could be his intern.
Since his debut in X2, fans had been asking: why isn't he back!?X-Men: The Last Stand, too many mutants (and apparently other reasons;) X-Men: Days of Future Past, too many mutants! Bryan Singer, if you did consider him, why the eff did you have to bring in Blink? I admit, the special effects look good and all, but were they a MUST? Granted, Blink and Nightcrawler teleports differently, but do fans need to meet new characters that they aren't emotionally attached to, when they could easily welcome a reappearance of such great member? I seriously think the casting of Blink is solely an international market strategy. Don't get me wrong, I do think the actress is extremely gorgeous, but the character did not move me at all. To think she said it's the first of the five contracts she signed with Fox! Let's just hope the character is written better in future films!
British telepath stuck in a Japanese body! Also have powers in the form of a psychic knife. In fact her character did appear in X-Men: The Last Stand, it just wasn't well written or credited right. (It's hilarious and upsetting that even Actress Meiling Melançon and Scriptwriter Zak Penn didn't know exactly which character she was playing and had a debate whether it was Betsy's Psylocke or Kwannon aka Revanche.) I thought Melançon, although not Japanese, was passable enough; but honestly, if they had to hire Fan Bingbing (Blink's actress,) I can see her as Betsy as well. Bryan Singer said he chose her for Blink because she had her look... idk, maybe a little bit? But out of all the characters, she actually stood out as a cosplayer to me. She just didn't sell that she was born like that, whereas Nightcrawler in X2 and Beast in X-Men: The Last Stand really did. She'd probably look more like she actually belong there with keeping her natural Asian look.
We'd get 8 X-Men, 4 of whom had also been members of Excalibur.
Why this set of choices?
This set of fixing suggestion actually only would have 2(3) new characters (X-23, Bishop and Dazzler if picking B]), the question is, do we really need new ones, when we have old ones we missed and cared? Both Gambit and Nightcrawler's roles were scripted then cut in X-Men: The Last Stand, both were said to finally reappear in X-Men: Apocalypse, let's just hope the writers do keep their promise!*
(Updates: I'm happy with the younger Kurt; the film itself is however the least towards my liking; in short, I think it's utter crap. Also, at this point I'm severely doubting Remy to ever resurface in Fox's franchise; I'd be glad to be proven wrong, bring it! For characters in this selection who also made film appearances after this blog post was written; Laura in Logan (film), my only sadness is that by the time she's at the age of her comic-counterpart, Fox probably would have stopped making X-Men films. Though, TBH I'm not even sure if that's a bad thing.)
(P.S.: Betsy in X-Men: Apocalypse, makes me want to DIE. I have nothing against Actress Olivia Munn, but it's factoring other casting choices that made me unable to warm up to her version of the character. In fact, I loathe the film so much, I'm pretty sure at one point I wanted to make a separate rant blog about it, but unlike X-Men: Days of Future Past, the character choices are far less of my annoyance to the point that I don't think changing them would help me view the film in a better light. So not happening soon, if ever.)
