A new video released by 20th Century Fox offers an old-school take on the world of X-Men: Apocalypse with an ’80s-style television commercial for Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters — the school for mutants run by James McAcoy’s Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise.
The commercial is hosted by the mutant Jubilee (Lana Condor), a character who should be familiar to anyone who grew up with the popular ’90s X-Men animated series, and who makes her official, live-action debut in Apocalypse. (The character had a pair of brief cameos in the original X-Men trilogy, but was never a featured cast member.)
After presenting the school as a happy, “totally rad” place for mutants to escape persecution and realize their true potential, the ad closes with a message delivered by a familiar voice: X-Men co-creator Stan Lee.
Oh, and anyone who dials up the phone number presented at the end of the video is treated to another message from Lee, who invites callers to a “special open house event” at the school on May 27 (the release date for X-Men: Apocalypse).
Directed by Bryan Singer and envisioned as the conclusion of a trilogy that began with 2011’s X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Apocalypse has the mutant team facing one of its most powerful foes from the Marvel Comics universe. Along with McAvoy as the telepathic leader of the team, Apocalypse features returning cast members Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, and Lucas Till as Havok (the energy-manipulating mutant he played in First Class). Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman, is also expected to have a cameo role in the film.
The film will also introduce an entirely new cast of mutants — both heroes and villains — including Condor as Jubilee, Alexandra Shipp as Storm, Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, Kodi Smit-McPhee as Nightcrawler, Ben Hardy as Angel, Tye Sheridan as Cyclops, The Newsroom actress Olivia Munn as Psylocke. Star Wars: The Force Awakens actor Oscar Isaac plays the titular villain Apocalypse.
X-Men: Apocalypse hits theaters May 27, 2016.
