When Hollywood announces a new prequel to a beloved franchise, hardcore fans usually respond with heavy skepticism and “why do we need this?” The majority end up being disappointing or vastly underwhelming (Star Wars Episode 1-3, Prometheus and Alien:Covenant, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine to name a few). But even a decade later, “X-Men: First Class” stands as one of the better in the franchise.
Originally the film was meant to be “X-Men Origins: Magneto,” and pitched as “The Pianist meets Magneto.” Much of the film was to take place during the WWII era focusing on Erik’s survival in Auschwitz. Eventually he was to cross paths with Charles Xavier, a soldier in the British army, where they would set out to hunt down Nazis together. This version of the film never came to pass since “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” didn’t do as well as Fox had hoped.
Nonetheless, “First Class” presents a solid origin story for Magneto as well as his and Charles’s relationship. This is one dynamic the really nailed that is a little untapped in the first X-Men films. Their mutual respect for each other and their historic rivalry finally comes together. The focus was heavily on the relationships between the characters with the action being secondary.
One other big plus, THEY HAVE THEIR ORIGINAL SUITS!
