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The new X-Men: Apocalypse trailer, released earlier today, offered fans a new look at the godlike mutant villain who will challenge the X-Men in their latest cinematic outing. It also offered our first look at the technology that has kept Apocalypse alive for thousands of years. But where does that technology come from?
In the comics, Apocalypse got his technology from the Celestials, godlike cosmic gardeners whose purpose it is to guide the evolution of life throughout the universe. However, the Celestials film rights rest with Marvel Studios, who used them for the first time in Guardians of the Galaxy.
Fox could easily gloss over the technology question, choosing avoid the Celestials question. The origin of the technology doesn’t seem to be integral to the plot of X-Men: Apocalypse. Audiences only need to know that it keeps Apocalypse alive. The technology’s origin can be addressed later, or not at all.
On the other hand, Fox could replace the Celestials with the Shi’ar, the technologically advanced race that rules a cosmic empire that was first introduced to the Marvel Universe through X-Men comics, which makes it a safe assumption that the film rights reside with Fox. Tying Apocalypse to the Shi’ar gives Fox a way to dip a subtle toe into the cosmic realm, which is one of the few areas of the X-Men's mythology they have left entirely untouched in their 15+ years with the franchise.
It also gives Fox a way to point the franchise towards the Dark Phoenix Saga, a story that X-Men: The Last Stand tried to adapt, but most fans would agree that the film didn’t do the original story justice. I’ve already written about how Singer and the first X-Men: Apocalypse trailer hinted that the X-Men may be headed down that path again, and the Shi’ar are vital to the cosmic version of that story.
It’s possible that I’m just thinking wishfully here. I’ve been begging for Fox to give me mutants in space, with the Shi’ar Empire and the Starjammers, for a long time. Could there be hope?
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