When it comes to the X-Men, 20th Century Fox has been on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. Many fans rejoiced when Bryan Singer was announced to be the director of
Days of Future Past, and especially when he confirmed he would be fixing some of the problems that plauged the series. However, I was always worried about the rumors that some movies would be taken out continuity, namely
X-Men Origins: Wolverine and
The Last Stand, two movies which, though flawed,
in my opinion were still entertaining movies.
So you can imagine my heartbreak when I saw the news title "Lauren Shuler Donner on Retconning THE LAST STAND," in which she told us to just forget about said movie as well as Wolverine's first solo film. I don't like this for two reasons. First, I don't think you should just erase mistakes; you should fix them. The two movies have been released for years and millions have seen and are familiar with them; regardless of how the Fox-haters or critics felt, I personally know several people who enjoyed those movies--I am also one of them. And second, movie marathons are a big part of my family. One of my favorite things to do is sit down and watch one long cohesive storyline. Sadly, two movies my family enjoyed are all but useless. Instead of ACTUALLY fixing what they've done wrong, they decided to wipe it out, with Singer even saying there are some errors us fans should just forget about.
Folks, this is lazy writing that shows just how creatively brain-dead 20th Century Fox is. Everyone's saying that Days of Future Past is a great movie--and I have no doubt it is, I'm going to see it tonight for my birthday--but that doesn't change the fact that Singer is practically offending a huge part of the fan-base.
So how exactly would they fix the infamous continuity errors? All it takes is a little bit of creativity. Below are some of the more popular errors in the series. Yes, this is kind of an update on an article I wrote almost a year ago, but I since have had more to take into account and I wanted to share my thoughts on Bryan's decisions. I have tried my best to think of the most simple ways possible to fix them. Key phrase:
simple as possible.
1.) FRIENDSHIP WITH MAGNETO
Continuity Problem: By the end of First Class, Magneto and Charles have officially become enemies. But in that flashback in The Last Stand, they are friends again when they go to Jean Grey’s house.
Suggested Fix: Simple—by the end of X-Men: Apocalypse, they have set their differences aside. Perhaps the threat of Apocalypse causes them to unite once more.
2.) CEREBRO
Continuity Problem: Xavier stated in the first X-Men movie that Magneto helped him build Cerebro, and that was how Magneto knew how to make a helmet that would block its abilities. But in First Class, Beast is the one who built Cerebro, and Magneto simply took the helmet from Sebastian Shaw.
Suggested Fix: Cerebro was destroyed at the end of First Class by Riptide, which leaves an opportunity for Magneto and Charles to rebuild it together. It’d be a great way for them to become friends again by the end of X-Men: Apocalypse. It would also demonstrate how Magneto could build another--perhaps better--helmet in secrecy.
3.) WHEN PROFESSOR X AND MAGNETO MEET
Continuity Problem: In the first X-Men movie, Charles says that he met Magneto at the age of 17. But when they meet in First Class, they are grown men in their late 20’s or early 30’s.
Suggested Fix: At the end of First Class Charles wipes Moira MacTaggert's memories of the X-Men from her. In X-Men: Apocalypse, one of the plot elements could be that the Xavier and Magneto have had a run-in before (at the age of 17), and there is a reason Charles made Magneto forget. Now, obviously, this isn't particularly simple; it'd have to be a fairly big plot element. However, I think this would be one error worth actually exploring: it could very well show a dynamic between the characters, as well as causing a way for them to be friends again at the end. You just gotta be creative, my man.
4.) MOIRA MACTAGGERT AND EMMA FROST
Continuity Problem: In First Class, Moira MacTaggert is a thirty-two-year-old CIA agent. In The Last Stand, set decades later, she is a thirty-eight-year-old doctor/scientist. Additionally, in First Class, Emma Frost is Sebastian Shaw’s right-hand woman, clearly at least in her thirties, who has the power to change herself into diamond form. Yet by the end of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which is set in the 70s/80s, we see a teenager named Emma who has the same powers.
Suggested Fix: That’s an easy one—make the MacTaggert in TLS the daughter/niece of the MacTaggert in FC. The Emma Frost one doesn’t bother me at all, but if you’re one to complain, just do the same thing here as with Moira MacTaggert: Have the FC Emma Frost give birth to a girl in a future sequel named Emma Frost. It’s cheesy, but it’d work. However, I feel like Emma doesn't even need to be explained. She's so minor that it doesn't really distract you from the storyline anyway. The two Moira's, however, could be a very touching plot element, depending on the route they take.
5.) BEAST
Continuity Problem: In X2: X-Men United, we see Beast in human form on a news channel. In First Class, we see him transform from human to blue mutant. How does this work? Does he just go back and forth?
Suggested Fix: Thankfully, it looks like this is a continuity error that really will be fixed! You could have him with a cure that only heals him for a short amount of time, and maybe if he uses it too much it’ll hurt him. I think I read somewhere that his blue form will be similar to how the Hulk works. While that in itself is a touchy subject, at least Singer made an effort to fix this one.
6.) FIRST STUDENTS
Continuity Problem: In X-Men, Xavier claims that Jean Grey, Storm, and Cyclops were among his first students when he opened up his school. But at the end of FC he is about to open his school, which would had to have been at least a decade before the three began school there.
Suggested Fix: The threat of Apocalypse could prevent him from starting the school, since he hasn’t officially opened it yet. Or perhaps he does open it, but doesn’t actually start teaching there for awhile. There are a lot of different ways to explain this, even something like he's concentrating on the X-Men for a while. I think this error will be explained in DOFP or X-Men: Apocalypse.
7.) DEADPOOL
Continuity Problem: While not technically a continuity error yet, the way Deadpool was handled in X-Men Origins: Wolverine was definitely a mistake. And if the Deadpool movie ever gets made, it will be a continuity error, since they plan to “reboot it” and stick to a more accurate Deadpool we see in the comics.
Suggested Fix: Look, man, who cares? It’s Deadpool. He can do whatever he wants. He’s Deadpool! If he doesn’t like the way he was portrayed in a movie, he can fix it himself. I could ignore it; it really doesn’t matter to me.
But… if you’re just begging for an excuse, to somehow tie it all together, I came up with a few things. Although I really don’t care. Just make the freaking Deadpool movie.
Maybe they did tests on him to make what Stryker called “the Deadpool,” and that was a clone. Maybe it wasn’t really Wade and Wolverine mistook him. Maybe they took the real Wade Wilson, and while doing tests on him to get his DNA, they put something else in him that slows his age down, just like Wolverine.
Maybe, if the blasphemous “Deadpool” we got at the end of Origins really was Wade Wilson, they fixed him afterwards and the only additional thing he had after that was his slowed age.
WHO CARES, IT’S DEADPOOL! Yes, he deserves justice, and since he knows he’s in a movie, he can look at Origins and give himself justice.
8.) MYSTIQUE AND XAVIER
Continuity Problem: In the original X-Men trilogy, there is absolutely nothing that indicates Mystique and Xavier even know each other. But in First Class, they are best friends.
Suggested Fix: This is another easy one. At the end of First Class, we see their relationship is already strained. As heartbreaking as it is, by the end of X-Men: Apocalypse, have Xavier have done something that hurt her so bad that she hates him, and wants nothing to do with him. I think this is what they will do, and I can’t wait to see how.
9.) CYCLOPS AND STORM IN CEREBRO
Continuity Problem: In First Class, when Charles is using the McCoy-built Cerebro, he sees two young people who appear to be Cyclops and Storm. However, that would make them way older than they appear to be in the original trilogy.
Suggested Fix: This wasn't stated at all in First Class, but I think it'd be cool if that version of Cerebro could see mutants from the past and future as well. This wouldn't be due to Beast but to Xavier's power in using Cerebro. With all the time-traveling involved in Days of Future Past, they could have said something like this to explain it. But of course, they didn't. However, this is also a very minor continuity error that doesn't really bother me.
Well CBM users, thanks for reading. Let me know what you think of DOFP and give me shit in the comment section below!