X-Men series would want to capitalize on the growing interest in superhero films.
10 years after its release X-Men: First Class is still a turning point for Charles Xavier and his friends. The film remains one of the most cohesive stories of the series and there were some behind-the-scenes decisions that made it so memorable.
January Jones' Time Confusion
January Jones plays the sultry Emma Frost. She is Shaw's right-hand man thanks to her telepathic abilities and her ability to transform her body into diamond. Jones' performance really brings this villain to life, but it turns Jones didn't entirely know what she was getting into.
According to Emma Frost is one of Jones' best performances.
No Accents
Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart are icons among X-Men fans for their portrayals of Erik Lehnsherr and Charles Xavier, respectfully. They were the first actors to bring these characters to the big screen, making them both irreplaceable.
Director Matthew Vaughn felt the two actors, along with the rest of the original cast, were so irreplaceable that he told the cast of X-Men: First Class to not copy their voice. In an interview with Collider, Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy both it that they originally wanted to copy the greats that came before them, but were told to make the characters their own instead.
Xavier's Mansion
About halfway through the film, Charles and the other mutants must flee from their government hideout. Charles takes the group to a lavish mansion in the countryside that has been ed down through his family. This mansion will later become Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, also known as the X-Mansion.
The filming location used for this mansion actually has a long history in film. The mansion is the The King's Speech.
Magneto Misspell
Besides Charles Xavier, X-Men: First Class' other main character is Erik Lehnsherr, also known as Magneto. The relationship between Charles and Erik has always been turbulent, whether in movies or comics. This film offers a whole new look at just how that relationship was born.
One tiny goof in the movie is a misspell of Erik's last name. Den of Geek points out that in the final credits scroll of the film, Michael Fassbender is credited as playing "Erik Lensherr". This spelling is incorrect as in all movies and comics it is consistently spelled "Lehnsherr".
Jennifer Lawrence's Makeup
In X-Men: First Class, Jennifer Lawrence took over the role as Mystique from Rebecca Romijn. Mystique is a shapeshifter, and in her natural form she has blue skin, red hair, and yellow eyes. This look is very important to her character development in X-Men: First Class.
According to Business Insider, Jennifer Lawrence told Jimmy Fallon that her makeup took about eight hours to apply. This would mean incredibly early call times on top of very long shoots. Luckily, Mystique spends much of this film her Raven form which required only normal amounts of makeup for Lawrence.
Magneto's Origin Story
As mentioned above, Magneto has a rocky relationship with the rest of the First Class team. While Magneto spends much of the film series as a villain, it wasn't always that way. What exactly happened to Magneto that turned him down a different path?
According to used in the MCU's reboot.
A Different Magneto
Michael Fassbender's performance as Magneto is one thing X-Men fans can agree was practically perfect. Fassbender does a great job of making the character his own while also honoring the role that was once played by Sir Ian McKellen. But what if Fassbender hadn't taken the part?
The Amazing Spider-Man. Luckily for fans, Fassbender chose Magneto and went on to become an icon.
The X-Men Uniform
The blue and yellow uniforms worn by the mutants in the final battle with Shaw are iconic, and, most importantly, the uniform finally denotes the X-Men as a unified team. The uniforms are one thing from the original X-Men movies that have aged poorly, so it's refreshing to see something new.
The uniforms are a homage to the original outfits worn by the X-Men in their comic debut. As explained in Rolling Stone, the first issue of X-Men in 1963 featured everything fans know and love about the series to this day: Xavier, Magneto, and the school for gifted kids. It only makes sense that at least one movie should reference the group's original uniform.
Wolverine's Condition
In Charles and Erik's search for other mutants, they briefly (very briefly) attempt to recruit Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. As probably the most popular mutant, it makes sense that Logan would make some kind of appearance in the film. But just how did the director get Jackman to return?
When you're the actor known as the most popular X-Men character, you're able to ask for almost anything. Den of Geek reports that Hugh Jackman requested that his compensation for the cameo be donated to his child's school, and that he be allowed to curse. Of course, this second demand made for one of the most iconic scenes in X-Men: First Class.
James McAvoy's Hair Incident
Charles Xavier, otherwise known as Professor X, is an iconic character within the Marvel comics universe. Perhaps the most iconic thing about him is his consistently bald head. So it would only make sense that James McAvoy, cast as the young Charles Xavier, would need to shave his head, right? Wrong.
According to Entertainment Weekly, McAvoy showed up on the set of X-Men: First Class with a completely shaved head... only to be told by director Matthew Vaughn that young Charles would have a full head of hair. McAvoy was only trying to follow in the footsteps of the great Sir Patrick Stewart and his portrayal of Professor X, but was a bit too eager.
