Fox has confirmed the release date of X Men: Apocalypse will be on May 27, 2016. Like "Days of Future Past" that faced off with "Malificent" earlier this year, Apocalypse will arrive in theaters the same time as Disney's Alice In Wonderland 2, battling it at the box office.
Bryan Singer, who has been in absence since 2003's X2 has returned as director of Days of Future Past and will be directing the final movie of the arc that started with 2011's First Class. In Days of Future Past, Singer introduced Apocalypse after the film's end credits. Who is this character? Here's what we know so far:
The after-credits scene starts hooded figure with his arms extended. A boy in a cloak, appears to have superhuman powers assembling large Pyramids, presumably in ancient Egypt where thousands of people bowing before him, chanting "En Sabah Nur". Perched in the distance to the boy's left are four horsemen watching on.
While there's a significant difference to how he appeared in the comic books (heavily armored, mouth slit across the face), the boy appearing in the scene is the super villain known to be Apocalypse AKA En Sabah Nur.
En Sabah Nur, a name which means "The First One" explains the character's origins. Nur was born as the first mutant in ancient Egypt. He was then orphaned in an ancient settlement called Akkaba, outside the Egyptian Empire. Like most mutants, he faced rejection from society. Pharaoh Rama-Tut who ruled at the time ordered the destruction of Nur's people. He fought back with his powers, overthrew Rama-Tut and ruled Egypt.
His powers include the ability to control his aging, which explains how he lived for so long, surviving long enough to cross paths with the X Men. As he lived through ages, Apocalypse also acquired alien technology from cosmic beings known as Celestials. We presume that this alien technology gave him the appearance he is known for in the comic books.
It is still unclear how Apocalypse will fit into the Days of Future Past storyline, Movie Pilot has published an article with theories how the X Men will meet their greatest enemy. If Singer decides to follow the comic book continuity, A hibernating Apocalypse is awakened 100 years ahead of his schedule because of Wolverine's time travel. Simply put, if Wolverine never travelled back in time to change history, Apocalypse would've awakened to a time long after all mutants were exterminated by the sentinels.
Introduced playing the title role of Apocalypse is Oscar Isaac, known for his work in "A Most Violent Year".
While there is no news as of yet about which continuity X Men: Apocalypse will follow, everything is still speculation. Fans and moviegoers will just have to wait a little bit longer for Apocalypse to hit theaters.
For more news on X Men: Apocalypse, check back frequently at Franchise Herald.
