X-Men: Apocalypse finally hit theaters in the U.S. this past weekend, and audiences got to see the mutant superhero team pitted against the eponymous villain and his Four Horsemen in 1983. Because the movie served as a "conclusion" to the previous movies, a lot of loose ends were tied up, leaving the characters at a place where they can progress into the future seen at the end of X-Men: Days of Future Past. However, not everything was wrapped up in a neat bow.
The latest X-Men installment left moviegoers with several lingering questions, from the fates of certain characters to teases of what’s coming in future X-Men-related projects. Because this is the last main X-Men movie we’ll be getting until otherwise revealed, there’s no guarantee that all of theses queries will be answered, but nonetheless, we’ve gathered up the most important ones that were on our mind as we were walking out of the theater.
Needless to say, there are full spoilers for X-Men: Apocalypse from this point forward.
Where Did Psylocke Go?
By the time X-Men: Apocalypse’s final battle concluded, Angel was dead, and Storm and Magneto had rebelled against their former master. The only Horsemen left was Psylocke, who simply walked off to parts unknown when everything was finished, neither broken up about Apocalypse’s demise nor wanting to join the X-Men. So where did she go? Did she return to East Berlin to resume her work for Caliban (assuming he was still alive) or is she off on a new adventure? It was deliberately left ambiguous, and with no other main X-Men movie officially announced yet, it’s unclear if we’ll ever see Olivia Munn’s Psylocke again. The character has enjoyed popularity over the decades, and while this movie arguably didn’t give her that much to do, it would be cool to see her full potential realized in the future rather than just leave her as a villain.
Is Magneto On The Same Path?
Michael Fassbender’s Magneto entered X-Men: Apocalypse as a fugitive hiding from his past, but after his family was killed, he was recruited by Apocalypse to be one of the Horsemen, leading him to arguably be the most villainous we’ve ever seen him in the "First Class" trilogy. However, by the end, Erik turned against his master and helped the X-Men defeat him. Now we’re left wondering if he’ll go down the same path as Ian McKellen’s version from the original movies. He seemed remorseful for his actions by the end, and while he didn’t stay at the X-Mansion, it was clear that he would always be welcome there. However, it’s doubtful that his prejudice against humans has entirely gone away, and he still believes that homo superior must reign supreme…just without, you know, the world ending. Plus, let’s not forget that after Apocalypse, Magneto is responsible for the most deaths in the movie. That’s not something easily forgivable, so it seems likely that Magneto will remain a criminal in the eyes of the world’s governments, but his feud with the X-Men may not be as intense as it was in the original timeline.
How Was Wolverine Captured?
Hugh Jackman is playing Wolverine for the final time next year in Wolverine 3, but X-Men: Apocalypse threw in a little adamantium action to quench our thirst in the meantime. Reduced to a feral state by William Stryker, he was finally set free by Cyclops, Jean Grey and Nightcrawler when they infiltrated the military base, resulting in him slaughtering most of the soldiers there. Before venturing into the snowy forest, Jean Grey used her telepathy to give him back some of his memories and set him up for his eventual encounter with them as adults. One question, though: how did Wolverine end up in Weapon X in this timeline? The last time we saw his past self in X-Men: Days of Future Past, he was retrieved from the Potomac by Mystique disguised as Stryker. So did she just leave him in the military’s custody or did Stryker find him several years later, similar to the events of X-Men Origins: Wolverine? We’re guessing the latter since time can be altered, but it still finds ways of staying the same in certain areas.
Will The Phoenix Fully Awaken?
The main reason the X-Men were able to defeat Apocalypse was because Jean Grey used her inner power, known to fans as The Phoenix, to overwhelm the ancient mutant. The Phoenix was previously seen in X-Men: The Last Stand, though you won’t find many who agree it was adapted properly. It still remains part of Jean herself rather than a cosmic entity like in the comics, but with a new timeline to work with, we’re wondering if Sophie Turner’s Jean will someday transform into Dark Phoenix like Famke Janssen’s did. Bryan Singer has expressed interest in telling his version of the Dark Phoenix story in another X-Men movie, and that might work well for the space setting he also has in mind. However, right now only spinoffs are slated to continue the X-Men movies, so it’s not guaranteed that the younger Jean will fully succumb to the Phoenix’s true might, forcing her allies to stop her.
Where Did Stryker Fly Off To?
William Stryker has had a recurring in the X-Men universe since X2: X-Men United, and in X-Men: Apocalypse, Josh Helman’s iteration returned to capture Mystique, Beast, Quicksilver and Moira MacTaggert. The colonel took them for interrogation about what Charles Xavier had to do with the world’s nukes being launched into space, though knowing him, the mutants probably would also have been turned into brainwashed weapons. Unfortunately for him, his plans were foiled when Cyclops, Jean Grey and Nightcrawler freed Wolverine from his cage, leading to most of his men being cut to pieces. Stryker escaped, but we never learned where his helicopter was going. Because of the changed timeline, it’s hard to determine whether Stryker will follow a similar path to where he ended up in X2: X-Men United. Either way, Stryker escaped being clawed apart by Wolverine, and whether we reunite with him or not, he’s not going to stop his work to make sure the "mutant problem" is handled as he sees fit.
What’s In Store For Mister Sinister?
In the X-Men: Apocalypse post-credits scene, a mysterious man was seen retrieving a vial of Wolverine’s blood from Weapon X and putting it in a briefcase marked "Essex Corp." Essex refers to Nathaniel Essex, a.k.a. Mister Sinister, one of the X-Men’s most powerful enemies. This means we'll be seeing him on the big screen soon, though there’s been no official announcement yet about when he’ll appear. Sinister sending someone to take Wolverine’s blood suggests that he may play a role in Wolverine 3, and Richard E. Grant’s "mad scientist" character would fit him perfectly. Sometime in the future, he’s finally able to put the blood to good use (like making a clone of Logan), and we’d also learn what other genetic samples he’s obtained. However, Sinister could also show up in movies like Gambit and New Mutants, and thanks to his ageless nature (one of the many abilities he possesses), he would look exactly the same regardless of year. We can’t say for sure whether Sinister will be a villain in just one movie or be spread out across several, but we’re eager to find out what this universe intends to do with him.
