Eleven Mutants We Want in ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’

Shadowcat (or Kate, as she is known as an adult) is the linchpin of the 'Days of Future Past' storyline, as it is her older self who travels back in time -- and into the body of her younger self -- to warn the X-Men of the catastrophe awaiting them in the future. It's kind of not 'Days' without her, so Matthew Vaughn and his team would have to just forget the Kitty we saw in the earlier films. We're thinking Hailee Steinfeld ('True Grit') for the young Kitty in this one.

We didn't totally hate the big slab of beef (Daniel Cudmore) who played Colossus in 'The Last Stand,' but literal man of steel Piotr Rasputin was shortchanged considerably with his meager contributions in that film and 'X2.' He's a big part of 'Days,' as is his relationship with Kitty, and he would be relatively easy to retconn into the continuity established in 'First Class.' But Piotr's emotional depth and not just his physical attributes would need to come to the fore, so we need an actor and not just a pile of muscles for the role.

The inclusion of Rachel Summers (a.k.a. Rachel Grey or Phoenix) is a problematic one since she is the daughter of Scott "Cyclops" Summers and the original Marvel Girl/Phoenix, Jean Grey (or at least she is in one possible timeline -- sometimes the Marvel Universe just makes our head hurt). In any event, we need her in the story to send Kate Pryde back into the past, so let's just keep it simple and not even reveal any of her convoluted back history -- maybe a hint or two will be enough for hardcore fans.

Hailing from the island of Crete, Avalanche is one of the members of the reconstituted Brotherhood of Evil Mutants who attempt to assassinate Senator Robert Kelly during his hearings on the danger posed to humanity by mutants. We don't know too much about him before that, but hell, he's got a cool power: he can generate seismic waves with his hands that can obliterate anything in front of him. That will at least make for a nifty special effect.

e've always liked Fred J. Dukes even though he's got a nasty attitude, and we really feel he got the short end of the stick (along with several other mutants) in the woeful 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine.' Like Avalanche, he's part of the Brotherhood's attempt to kill Senator Kelly, and we would really enjoy seeing X-men bouncing off the sheer, implacable mass of him. That's what he's there for! He's the Blob, dammit!

Another Brotherhood member with an interesting background -- she wrote down a dozen journals full of prophecies, going blind in the process -- Irene Adler has the ability to psychically see future events and manipulate the present based on what she sees. She's Mystique's only real friend and possibly her lover (somehow we don't think they'll explore that in this movie, though) and she even ends up fighting the Avengers (good to know if the rights ever revert back to Marvel).

It might be a blast to see the girl with the sparkly hands in the "future" part of the story as Wolverine's sidekick, instead of mostly just sitting around in class as she did in the first few 'X-Men' films. She probably still wouldn't get much screen time, but it would be fun to have her and her "fireworks" get a little more involved in the action this time. Might we suggest Ellen Wong (Knives Chau in 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World') for the role?

Like many other mutants jammed into 'X-Men: The Last Stand,' someone using the name Psylocke showed up briefly in the movie and contributed little to the proceedings. Yet Betsy Braddock has been involved with the X-Men comics since 1986 (and other UK-specific Marvel titles for 10 years prior to that) and deserves another shot, especially since she does exist in the alternate future established in 'Days.'

The Native American master of technology -- his power is an intuitive knack for building all kinds of cool crap -- doesn't really factor into the main events of the 'Days' storyline, but he's had affairs with both Storm and Mystique. We consider him a star just based on that alone. We can see him in this film, however, coming to the X-Mansion and maybe helping Professor Xavier design some new device before switching sides (some retconning there)? And maybe his presence sets up the eventual appearance of the Adversary...

Like her biological father Magneto, Lorna Dane is a master of magnetism and has been kicking around the 'X-Men' comic book universe since 1968 -- which it good timing for her to join the 'First Class' gang. Put on the side of Xavier and watch some real drama unfold as she goes toe-to-toe with her dad (Michael Fassbender), all while trying to help alter the events of the future. Plus her boyfriend Havok is already in the 'First Class' cast.

The offspring of Fantastic Four leader Reed Richards and his wife, Sue (Invisible Woman), Franklin exists on the alternate Earth of 'Days,' where his adult self is the doomed boyfriend of Rachel Summers. With so many characters already in these movies, Franklin would play one important role: the first hint of an X-Men/Fantastic Four crossover. After all, Fox owns both -- they can make their own Marvel team-up movie if they want.