Each mutant in the X-Men universe has an innate ability that makes them special. No matter what the mutation, Professor Charles Xavier is accepting of their gifts and is eager to help young mutants (and even a few older ones) learn how to control their powers and live fulfilling lives. Of course, some powers are cooler than others, and if you ask Xavier’s actor James McAvoy who has the lamest power, he already has the answer lined up: Jubilee, one of the featured mutants in X-Men: Apocalypse.
When asked by a caller which X-Man has the worst power during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, McAvoy noted that he’s not impressed with what Jubilee is able to do. As he put it:
She can kind of make fireworks come out of her fingers in the cartoon, but I think in the movie they make it more like she’s ‘mistress of electricity.’ Fireworks out of your finger kind of suck.
McAvoy quickly added that Jubilee herself is cool in the movie, though it doesn’t bode well that he couldn’t remember the name of the actress who played her in X-Men: Apocalypse, Lana Condor. In the comics, Jubilee’s ability is officially described as being able to create plasmoids from her fingertips, which she nicknames "fireworks." She can mentally direct these plasmoids where to go and eventually explode on cue. She is able to control their degree of power, whether it’s just temporarily blinding someone or destroying whole objects. So in combat, she’s actually pretty useful, though she would probably be better off providing her services to fireworks companies throughout the year. She would make a killing on the 4th of July.
However, judging by McAvoy’s comment, it sounds like her ability will be changed so they’re more electricity based, though presumably the energy will still consist of different bright colors. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone’s electricity manipulation being more powerful than the lightning Storm can create with her weather control powers, but hey, Jubilee’s powers can pack a punch, either way.
Aside from brief cameos in the first three X-Men films, X-Men: Apocalypse is Jubilee’s first big cinematic appearance, where she’ll be a student at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters alongside Cyclops, Jean Grey and Nightcrawler. Unfortunately for them, their education is going to be cut short when Apocalypse awakens after thousands of years and recruits his Four Horsemen to remake the world in his image. We don’t know yet if Jubilee and the other students will join in the battle against the ancient Egyptian powerhouse alongside their professor and the other "First Class" protagonists, but presumably they will be growing more experienced with their powers as the story goes on.
Check out the video below to hear McCoy’s full comments on Jubilee.
You can see Jubilee show off her talents when X-Men: Apocalypse arrives in theaters on May 27, 2016.
