X-Men: Apocalypse will see a whole host of new actors take over some of the franchises most popular characters. Tye Sheridan will replace James Marsden as Cyclops, Alexandra Shipp takes over Storm from Halle Berry, Kodi Smit-McPhee is a younger incarnation of Alan Cumming’s Nightcrawler, and Sophie Turner replaces Famke Janssen as Jean Grey. Talking about her version of the character, the Game Of Thrones star admitted that she has a very different relationship with James McAvoy's Charles Xavier than Famke Janssen’s version had with Patrick Stewart's.
In fact, while talking to Digital Spy about her portrayal of Jean Grey, Sophie Turner even insisted that she is like a surrogate daughter to James McAvoy’s Charles Xavier.
They have this unspoken bond because he's telepathic as well, he's gone through the same things. He's very powerful and he sees that growing in her. He wants to protect her and help her control her powers, but also help her access the best of her ability. They have a really sweet relationship.
It’s no surprise that Charles Xavier is so protective of Sophie Turner’s younger version of the mutant. Not only does the world’s most powerful telepath/founder of Xavier’s School For Gifted Youngsters recognise that Jean Grey is one of his most prized students, but the fact that she is terrified of her telepathic and telekinetic powers means that Charles is extra possessive and vigilant towards her.
However, despite the care and attention that Charles Xavier shows to Jean Grey, Sophie Turner also made sure to insist that their dynamic doesn’t feature any “sexual” elements, as she added that Xavier is particularly interested in assisting all of “young, vulnerable girls who feel alienated and uncomfortable in their skin.” Much like he was with Mystique
We got to see just how protective Charles Xavier is over Jean Grey in the trailer for X-Men: Apocalypse. In fact, the first footage suggests that the pair’s relationship will be a key component throughout the blockbuster, as Jean Grey’s visions of the world ending started it off, before she then recalled it to a dismissive Xavier.
Thanks to the huge success of X-Men: Days Of Future Past, which not only received the best reviews of the franchise so far, but was also the highest grossing, as it racked up over $747 million worldwide, there’s quite a bit of pressure on X-Men: Apocalypse.
For me, the first trailer, while introducing us to the new mutants, didn’t do a particularly grand job of living up to the expectations though. That’s not exactly a bad thing, as we’ll undoubtedly get to see more and more of Apocalypse as its release date moves closer. Plus, there were enough every so brief glimpses of destruction – New York being obliterated – and Evan Peters’ Quicksilver doing his thing to suggest that we’ll all still be pleased when X-Men: Apocalypse's May 27, 2016, release date finally rolls around.
