James McAvoy Talks About The Story Of X-Men: First Class, Characters And More!

"It was largely based on the script because we do mess with a lot of the chronology of it all. Even with the other movies there are inconsistencies, you know. Where I took it from was the script, but also "X-Men: First Class" the comic, as well, even though it’s utterly different from that comic. You have to lead from the script and then you start working on it when you come on board. We didn’t have much prep time on this, but Matthew Vaughn’s very keen, if we have two minutes, to use that two minutes and make it better."

"I think the fact that it’s a period movie is quite rare for superhero action movies. We’re not necessarily the first movie like that, but the sense of humor it has will elevate the film. And it’s not just another superhero movie because you’ve already got this solid base of movies that we know audiences like. And this movie will show you how they got there. I think there’s always an interest in seeing how we got to the point that we’ve already processed and we’ve already decided we like."

"It’s about the burgeoning tension between these two characters, Erik Lehnsherr, played by Michael Fassbender, and my character, Charles Xavier. And on a greater level, it’s about where this new species of mutants is going to go. It can go two ways: they can regard themselves as the next step of human evolution or they can regard themselves as an entirely new species in conflict with humanity.
I think Charles regards himself as a human who has evolved—an evolutionary human. And Sebastian Shaw, played by Kevin Bacon, regards himself as somebody who is vying for the finite resources of the world with an entirely different species: human beings. He doesn’t regard himself as one.
So the film becomes about whether Erik will fall on that side or Charles Xavier’s side. And in terms of the comic books he goes back and forth, really, for a long, long time. It’s not like the eternal constant war you think it is in the movies, where Ian McKellen has always been the bad guy."

"Our characters start off not knowing there are other mutants out there. Charles Xavier suspects there are, but doesn’t know. Erik has never met another mutant before and doesn’t expect to find anymore out there, and that’s the same with most of the characters in the film as well. There are a few with suspicions, but no one’s actually met each other.
And it’s not just about us, but about a family of mutants being created as well. That’s ultimately why Charles creates the School for the Gifted you see in the first movies as. My inference, purely from the script, is that he didn’t have any time from his parents. His father’s never mentioned and he’s never in a scene with his mother. She just seems to disappear. I took from that that he never really had a family and he just wanted to create something."

"Yeah. And actually, I think Charles has had it easy. For all the mutants in the world who have had it hard and have been persecuted or are scared, Charles isn’t afraid of anything. He’s entitled, he’s had a lot of money his entire life, he’s got a fabulous education, he’s not naïve or blinkered in any way. And his ability allows him ultimate access and ultimate empathy with other people. He understands them really, really well because he’s spent his entire life listening to them without them knowing it.
I think he’s the most human of the mutants. When the rest of the mutants come along he’s sucked out of his mutant life and he’s suddenly in this crazy world in which he has to step up and help lead and educate and teach. I think that is something he relishes and enjoys, but it’s a completely new experience for him and he has to take responsibility and become a responsible man. And become a leader—a bigger person than he was."

"I have a plan for stuff I’d like to do, but I need to get in there quick! If they decide they want to do another movie, I’m going to need to get a big hammer and hit someone over the head with it and make them sit down and talk to me! The possibilities are just so, so exciting in terms of what could happen. For all the characters, I have to say. They’re all going through so much and they’ve all been through so many traumas now that you can have them be really messed up. They’re all pretty saintly by the time they get to X1, so let’s have them really struggle for now.
So yeah, I’ve got a lot of ideas about where it should be taken. I just think it should be really messed up, and that’s all I can really say because they probably won’t let me do any of it!"