Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are adorable together. There's simply no other way to describe the friendship between the two legendary actors. The duo sat down with The Wall Street Journal to talk about X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, and while they didn't reveal much on the upcoming film (or for X-MEN: APOCALYPSE), the banter between the two and their answers to some of WSJ's questions are pretty funny.
The two were asked if they had to sync their performances with the actors playing younger versions of their characters (James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender). McKellen jokingly responded with, "No. It’s up to them to sync with us,” and Stewart agreed, saying, "We came first."
Ian McKellen says he doesn't meet the younger Magneto in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, but we do know Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier does come face to face with his younger counterpart based on the trailer. Stewart says when the scene was shot it was his last day of filming for the movie, and the first for James McAvoy.
“James and I come not just face-to-face, but nose-to-nose almost. When we shot that scene, it was James’s first day of work on the movie, and it was my last day. So I was saying goodbye to X-Men, and he was saying hello.”
Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart were also asked if they will be appearing in X-MEN: APOCALYPSE.
Stewart: Well, I don't know if Ian knows anything about this, but I know nothing about it. Another X-Men movie has been announced. And I said, "Yes, yes, yes, it opens in May," and they say, "No, no, no, no, not that one. The one after that." Has anyone called you, are you keeping something from me?
McKellen: No, no. No, I know nothing about it. Which probably means we're not in it.
Stewart: (laughing) And then they'll find they need us after all. If we're lucky.
I think the two are being honest when they say they don't know anything about the next movie. I'm sure their contracts for X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST have wording about the possibility of another film and their involvement, but that doesn't mean they'll definitely be in X-MEN: APOCALYPSE. And if the new film is going to focus on the younger cast, it's probably very likely that they won't be appearing in the next film.
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST will be released May 23, 2014, and X-MEN: APOCALYPSE is scheduled to hit theaters on May 27, 2016.