Jason Flemying Joins X-Men: First Class; Rose Byrne "In Negotiations"
Posted 08.16.10 by BrentJS
Director Matthew Vaughn will begin shooting Fox's prequel to its X-Men movie franchise, X-Men: First Class, in "about three weeks," according to screenwriter Jane Goldman, and the cast continues to swell as two more roles are announced. At the recent Movie-Con III convention held in London, actor Jason Flemying revealed that he will be joining
the X-production as one of the super-powered mutant characters. And, THR recently reported that Rose Byrne (Get Him to the Greek) is "in negotiations" for a key role in the movie.
Flemying, an alum of all of Vaughn's movies as a director, as well as several that Vaughn produced, said that he will be playing one of the more obscure characters in the X-Men comic books on which the movie is based, Azazel, a demonic-looking mutant from biblical times. Azazel was recently revealed to be the father of classic X-Men character Nightcrawler, the blue-skinned "elf" with the ability to teleport.
Matthew showed me my costume just the other day. Now I swore I’d never be in heavy make-up again, but this role is going to involve it. But at least they said, 'Don’t worry, we’ll add the tail in post.' I am Azazel, and I can teleport by waving my arms [gestures like a cross between a flamenco dancer and a Bollywood star].
If Byrne signs on to First Class, she will play Dr. Moira MacTaggert, one of the few humans to be considered a part of the "X-Men family." MacTaggert, currently deceased in the comic books, was a Nobel Prize-winning expert in genetic mutation and a love interest of the founder of the X-Men, Prof. Charles Xavier (to be played by James McAvoy in the movie). She was an invaluable ally to the X-Men in the comic books for decades, often helping to stabilize or cure mutants whose powers were damaging to themselves or others and even cloning Xavier a new body after his body was infected by an alien entity known as The Brood.
The plot of X-Men: First Class is based on an idea conceived of by producer Bryan Singer, the director of the first two X-Men movies, and revolves around the early relationship between Xavier and his eventual nemesis, Magneto (Michael Fassbender), and the foundation of Xavier's "School for Gifted Youngsters," where he trains his X-Men in the use of their mutant powers. The cast also includes Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Caleb Landry Jones as Banshee, Alice Eve as Emma Frost, Lucas Till as Havok and Edi Gathegi as Darwin.
Next Showing: X-Men: First Class opens June 3, 2011