Back when Rebecca Romijn played shape shifter Mystique in the original X-Men movie, few could have predicted what an integral member of the upcoming film franchise she would become. Mystique was never a prominent mutant in the X-Men comics, but Romijn and, later, Jennifer Lawrence, have developed the once-evil-but-now-redeemed character into a formidable force. Lawrence has expressed a frustration with having to wear the extensive makeup in X-Men movies. We might have found her replacement.
The credit for this truly spectacular cosplay goes to Rebecca Lindsay -- Lots of Art, and was photographed by Jody Houser at New York Comic-Con over the weekend. It's remarkable. The costume shows Mystique in mid transformation, and the detail in the costume is what really sets this apart. The hair color has two distinct shades on either side of the dividing line. The blue jumpsuit that's standing in for Mystique's skin transitions seamlessly to the military outfit she would be wearing as a disguise. We have seen it countless times on the big screen. Seeing a regular person pull it off in cosplay form is breathtaking.
Will we see any more of Mystique? That's a huge unknown at the moment. As we mentioned above, Jennifer Lawrence -- the current Mystique -- has said that she's basically tired of being in the makeup chair for hours on end, trying to bring this villain to life. And after playing her for three movies in X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past and last summer's X-Men: Apocalypse, she might have said all that she has to say about the mutant anti-hero. Lawrence, also, remains one of the biggest stars on the planet, and doesn't NEED a superhero franchise to keep her boat afloat. She doesn't strike me as being in love with her character, like Hugh Jackman is with Wolverine, so if I had to guess, I'd say that Mystique is on the shelf for the time being.
Also, there are no real X-Men movies on the radar at Fox. Deadpool 2 and Wolverine 3 (now called Logan) are on the way. But a traditional X-Men sequel -- where Mystique has earned her keep -- hasn't been announced, so we're not even sure where the anti-hero would surface.
This just means that she will need to live on in the cosplay world, where fellow costumers will have to work overtime to raise the bar established by this amazing New York Comi-Con costume.
