X-Men: Days of Future Past

***X-Men: Days of Future Past*** is an 2017 superhero film, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. The film is a sequel to *The X-Men*, *X-Men: Hellfire*, and *X-Men: The Phoenix Saga*. It is the thirtieth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the eighth installment of Phase Three. The film was released in the United States on November 3, 2017.

The film was directed by J.J. Abrams and co-written by Abrams and David S. Goyer. It stars Tom Hardy, Jennifer Hudson, Katee Sackhoff, Emma Watson, Dylan O'Brien, Emily Osment, Gaspard Ulliel, Natalie Dormer, Peter Gallagher, Maura Tierny, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Lana Condor, Florian Munteanu, Ross Butler, Devon Bostick, Jordan Calloway, Stanley Tucci, and Daniel Day-Lewis.

The fifth film in the series, *X-Men: Gifted*, was released on November 22, 2019.

## Plot

In 2027, mutant-hunting Sentinels have taken over the world, capturing mutants and placing them in internment camps. Other superhumans, including the Avengers and Fantastic Four have been taken out as well, limiting those standing in the Sentinels' way. The X-Men have been mostly killed off, leaving only Wolverine, Storm, Kitty Pryde, Jubilee, Lucas Bishop, and Magneto. Kitty has been training herself to use her phasing abilities to project her consciousness into a past version of her body, in order to eliminate the Sentinel threat before it becomes too great. Bishop has also been perfecting a weapon that would open a portal to the past. Kitty's abilities have proved unreliable, so she may not be able to stay in the past long enough, so the team decides to send Bishop back, while also projecting Kitty's consciousness back to help Bishop convince the past X-Men that he is telling the truth. The day they believe was the catalyst for the dystopia is in 2017, at a campaign rally for Robert Kelly, a Senator running for reelection. On that day, Mystique assassinated Kelly, who intended to create a mutant registry, which in turn led to the deaths of Charles Xavier and Moira MacTaggert. After the tragedy, Kelly's associate Bolivar Trask, who created the Sentinels, took over Kelly's campaign and gained enough power to put Sentinels in power, leading to the world they are in now.

In 2017, the X-Men (Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Iceman, Kitty, Gambit, and Emma Frost) are in a training exercise. Xavier is still attempting to locate Magneto, who has not been seen in the two years since Jean Grey's death. When Bishop arrives through a portal, Kitty's future self takes control of her body, confirming that Bishop is an ally from the future as they explain their story. Mystique has been in hiding, making it hard for them to stop her, but Xavier realizes Magneto would be able to find her, forcing them to find him. Elsewhere, Mystique has recruited past teammates Avalanche and Pyro to her cause, as she makes a plan to infiltrate Kelly's team and kill him. The X-Men, accompanied by Bishop, locate Magneto on the island of Genosha. He has a created a refuge for dangerous mutants to live isolated from the outside world. Among his followers is Colossus. They manage to convince Magneto of what is to happen. However, he wants to kill Mystique, believing that if she is the cause of the Sentinel uprising that only killing her will stop the future.

Meanwhile, in 2027, the Sentinels close in on the team's location, so Wolverine, Storm, and Magneto prepare to fight them, while Xavier watches over Kitty's body. In the present, Xavier makes psychic contact with Mystique, begging her not to go through with her plan. She nearly considers this before cutting off contact with him. Trask informs Kelly that five Sentinel models will be ready for his rally that night. Each body is made of advanced plastics, in order to prevent Magneto from being able to manipulate them. However, Magneto has one of his followers, Vanisher, break into Trask Industries and implant micro-metals in each model. Mystique is found by Magneto en route to Washington D.C., leading to a fight. The X-Men arrive to break it up, but the ensuing fight damages Kitty's hold on her past self, sening her consciousness back to the future. Avalanche is killed and Pyro joins Magneto. Mystique barely manages to escape. Magneto is arrested, but Pyro surrender himself to allow Magneto to escape. The X-Men retreat to regroup.

In the future, Kitty worries about their past selves' succeeding, while the Sentinels arrive at their base. In the present, Kitty is forced to sit out due to her mind healing itself, so Iceman stays back with her. Rogue, Gambit, and Emma wonder if Magneto is right in his position. Xavier refuses to believe that killing Mystique is the only way. Wolverine, Storm, Bishop, and MacTaggert take Xavier to Washington for the rally. Senator Kelly uses the latest attack as an example of why mutants are dangerous and need to be kept in check. As the Sentinels come online, Magneto arrives with Colossus and begins controlling them. Magneto tries to convince Xavier that they must keep the humans in check for their own safety. Wolverine, Storm, and Bishop try to defend the people from the Sentinels. Mystique, disguised as one of Kelly's bodyguards, takes him to safety, only to reveal herself. Magneto unveils this to the world, using it as the face of the mutant uprising. Xavier convinces Mystique not to be used for Magneto's plot. She decides against killing Kelly.

Rogue, Gambit, and Emma, along with new students Jubilee and Sunfire, arrive to help stop the Sentinels, while Wolverine, Storm, Bishop, and Mystique fight Magneto. As the humans are led to safety and the Sentinels are taken down, Magneto is stopped by the X-Men. Mystique removes his helmet, allowing Xavier to control his mind, before leaving. Magneto tells Xavier that letting him be arrested again will only allow them to experiment on him and gain more information about the mutants. This prompts Xavier to reluctantly let him escape, on the promise that he will go back to Genosha and not be seen. In the future, the Sentinels wipe out the X-Men, before the dystopian future is erased. In the present, Bishop fades away as well, as this version of him no longer exists, letting the X-Men know they succeeded. Colossus agrees to join the X-Men to prevent from being arrested. Colossus, Jubilee, and Sunfire are trained by Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Iceman, Kitty, Gambit, and Emma, as Xavier watches on in pride.

## Cast

* Tom Hardy as Logan/Wolverine
* Jennifer Hudson as Ororo Munroe/Storm
* Katee Sackhoff as Raven Darkholme/Mystique
* Emma Watson as Rogue
* Dylan O'Brien as Bobby Drake/Iceman
* Emily Osment as Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat
* Gaspard Ulliel as Remy LeBeau/Gambit
* Natalie Dormer as Emma Frost
* Peter Gallagher as Robert Kelly
* Maura Tierny as Moira MacTaggert
* Patrick Dempsey as Bolivar Trask
* Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Lucas Bishop
* Lana Condor as Jubilation Lee/Jubilee
* Florian Munteanu as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus
* Ross Butler as Shiro Yoshida/Sunfire
* Devon Bostick as Dominic Patricks/Avalanche
* Jordan Calloway as John Allerdyce/Pyro
* Stanley Tucci as Charles Xavier/Professor X
* Daniel Day-Lewis as Erik Lensherr/Magneto

## Production

The film was announced at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con International as part of the unveiling of Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. David S. Goyer was hired to write the film in September. While promoting *X-Men: The Phoenix Saga* in October, James Mangold, who directed *X-Men: Hellfire* and *X-Men: The Phoenix Saga*, revealed he would not be returning for *Days of Future Past*, citing his want to move on from the franchise. J.J. Abrams, director of *The X-Men*, expressed interest in the following months of returning for the fourth film, and officially entered negotiations in January 2016. The film drew inspiration from the "Days of Future Past" storyline from the *Uncanny X-Men* storyline from 1981.

Tom Hardy, Jennifer Hudson, Stanley Tucci, and Daniel Day-Lewis were confirmed to reprise their roles in February and March. Katee Sackhoff was revealed to be in negotiations to return in May, and had confirmed her role that same month. By June, Emma Watson, Dylan O'Brien, Emily Osment, Gaspard Ulliel, and Natalie Dormer were confirmed to be in the cast, along with the announcement of Patrick Dempsey, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Lana Condor, Florian Munteanu, and Ross Butler.

Principal photography began on October 2, 2016 and lasted until February 4, 2017. During filming, Abrams revealed he rewrote Goyer's draft, giving them both a writing credit for the film. It was also revealed that Peter Gallagher, Devon Bostick, and Jordan Calloway would be reprising their roles from *The X-Men*. Minor reshoots occurred for four weeks in June and July.

The first trailer for the film was released on May 24, 2017, which also revealed that Maura Tierny would be returning as Moira MacTaggert. At the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con, another trailer was released, along with promotional shots of the present day and future X-Men team, consisting of Wolverine, Storm, Shadowcat, Bishop, Jubilee, and Magneto.