Although the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past is technically a sequel to 2011’s X-Men: First Class, it is also both a prequel and a sequel to 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand. Because of that, the cast has been something of a mystery.
We already know that both James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart will appear as Professor Xavier at various points in the characters life, as will Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellan, who will both play Magneto.
Also appearing from the movies set in the present day will be Hugh Jackman to reprise his role as Logan/Wolverine for what will be the sixth time, Halle Berry as Storm, Ellen Page as Kitty Pride, Daniel Cudmore as Colossus, and Shawn Ashmore as Iceman. From the First Class cast, Nicholas Hoult will return as Beast and he will be joined by Jennifer Lawrence, who will return as Raven. No word on whether their current day counterparts of Kelsey Grammer and Rebecca Romijin will appear.
That makes for an impressive and sprawling cast that makes the Avengers ensemble look like a solo act, but there’s more. Based on a video clip tweeted by from director Bryan Singer (and subsequently caught by Newsarama), we now know of (at least) two more mutants that will be appearing.
Along with many of the expected names, the video also shows the names “Bishop” and “James ‘Warpath’ Proudstar.”
Although Warpath is a bit of a surprise, the character of Bishop isn’t. In the comics, Bishop comes from an alternate future where the robotic Sentinels rule the world, a plot line that the film will hint at. Bishop was initially part of an authorized mutant police force under the Sentinels, until he followed a criminal back in time in a manner that only makes sense in comics, and eventually joined the X-Men, determined to stop his future from happening. Since then he has been both hero and villain, so it will be interesting to see how the character is portrayed.
With the plot heavily influenced by time travel, having Bishop appear in some form makes sense and it also explains who recently cast French actor Omar Sly (pictured right) will play. Both he and Booboo Stewart (who will presumably play Warpath), were announced but their roles were not confirmed. Likewise, actor Peter Dinklage’s role has not been confirmed, although it is expected that Dinklage will play the film’s primary villain.
X-Men: Days of Future Past will hit theaters on July 18, 2014.
