History Film / XMenApocalypse

* TakeThat: When Jean, Scott, Kurt, and Jubilee come out of the theater after seeing ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', they all discuss how ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' was the better film. Jean says "At least we can all agree that the third movie is always the worst." This is a jab at ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'', the third film in the X-Men franchise, which was rendered CanonDiscontinuity thanks to the events of ''Days of Future Past''. Unintentionally also overlaps with TakeThatMe, as this film is the third in the reboot series with the worst critic reviews ([[ReviewIronicEcho many of whom outright called out using that line]]), although audience opinion is more positive.

''X-Men: Apocalypse'' is the 2016 sequel/prequel to ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' and the ninth installment in Fox's ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'', directed by Creator/BryanSinger.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlPw8NUZuuU This commercial]] for a faux TV documentary about En Sabah Nur, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kniQrk9jw0 this advert]] plus [[http://ca.ign.com/videos/2016/09/01/x-men-apocalypse-xaviers-school-campus-tour-video-ign-za the video tour]] for Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr0rKgis4hw this promo]] for Robin Leach's TV show have an [[{{UsefulNotes/VCR}} aspect ratio of 4:3 and the footage is of VHS quality]].

* CoolLoser: In a moment of self-deprecation, Quicksilver calls himself a "total loser," and the rest of the X-Men chuckle with him (and not ''at'' him). They barely know Peter, but they are already beginning to like him.

* ForWantOfANail:
** Because of the changes to the original timeline, the public is widely aware of the mutant presence in the world nearly three decades before they originally did. This leads to En Sabah Nur gaining a cult, Moira investigating it and the ancient mutant waking up when he otherwise didn't. Also, various characters were born much earlier than they were originally, and in different countries.
** Besides the above (mostly the fault of freeing Erik from prison), [[spoiler:the worldwide destruction can be traced to either Erik reflexively saving a steelworker at his mill or the police choices in trying to arrest him that cause the death of his family. So you could possibly blame a literal nail in the manufacture of the mill equipment for Apocalypse getting his most powerful Horseman.]]

** When Apocalypse is addressing the world, he speaks in Russian to a large group of churchgoers at a solemn Russian Orthodox Christian service. It is also highly improbable that the church would have that much attendance (religious life in the USSR was very strictly policed).

* Scott Summers / ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} (Creator/TyeSheridan)

* Hank [=McCoy=] / ComicBook/{{Beast|Marvel Comics}} (Creator/NicholasHoult)

* Ororo Munroe / ComicBook/{{Storm}} (Creator/AlexandraShipp)

* Jubilation Lee / ComicBook/{{Jubilee|Marvel Comics}} (Creator/LanaCondor)

* WhipItGood: Other than a blade, Psylocke is able to generate a whip which is also made of psionic energy.

* CompositeCharacter: Movie Apocalypse has been merged with the Shadow King, especially during his mind duel with Xavier.

** A minor example with Professor X, who owns a [[http://br.web.img1.acsta.net/newsv7/16/04/28/16/03/489905.jpg white shirt with vertical strips of semi-transparent material,]] so parts of his chest are somewhat visible. It's a deliberate attempt by the filmmakers to evoke the HotTeacher trope, as he was a HotScientist in ''Film/XMenFirstClass''. Even the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj7Vs5xS2zs V-neck of Xavier's lilac shirt]] and the [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CfnMzOdUEAE5638.jpg:large 3/4 sleeves of his blazer]] expose a bit more flesh underneath his neck and around his lower arms than the conservative clothing that is archetypal to his character, so although he's not presented as outright sexy, the costume designer is nonetheless depicting Charles in a more sensual manner than in previous movies.

* HotTeacher: Professor Xavier apparently thinks it's okay for him to wear a [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CfnMzOdUEAE5638.jpg:large translucent white shirt]] while teaching a class filled with hormonal teenagers. It's the first time in the franchise where his character is mildly objectified, and it's a progression from his HotScientist days in ''Film/XMenFirstClass''.

* PlayingGertrude:
** During filming, Creator/JamesMcAvoy and Creator/RoseByrne were 36 years old while Creator/MichaelFassbender was 38, but their characters are in their late forties/early fifties in 1983.
** Creator/NicholasHoult was 25 years old during principal photography, but if we assume that his character was around 20 in 1962, then in 1983 Beast is pushing 40.
** Likewise, Mystique, who grew up with Charles, would be in her late 40s at the youngest, while Creator/JenniferLawrence was 24-25 during principal photography. Being a shapeshifter, though, she can look as young as she wants.
** Creator/LucasTill is 8 months younger than Hoult, and Havok is only a couple of years younger than Beast. Alex Summers is roughly two decades older than his brother Scott, but Creator/TyeSheridan is just 6 years Till's junior.

* CrusadingWidower: [[spoiler:After Erik loses his wife and daughter, he takes up Apocalypse's offer to get the ultimate revenge against a world which has been cruel to him, a world which he feels deserves to be destroyed.]]

** Quicksilver is in a Music/{{Rush}} T-shirt as he's rushing through the mansion. Later, the words I LOVE RUSH are written on [[spoiler:his cast just above the knee]].

* StockSubtitle: Apocalypse. Unique in that it doubles as [[AntagonistTitle a character name]].

* SuperEmpowering: Apocalypse can amplify a mutant's power, and it's one of the gifts that he bestows on his Four Horsemen. He also does this to [[spoiler:his prisoner Xavier]].

** [[spoiler :Storm]] , who willingly aided Apocalypse's plan of world domination and genocide and ultimately ends up becoming a member of the X-Men.

** [[spoiler : Storm , ]] who willingly aided Apocalypse's plan of world domination and genocide and ultimately ends up becoming a member of the X-Men.

* AnachronismStew:
** A minor example occurs in a [[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4euik8 tie-in commercial,]] which suggests that the students have access to fiber-optic internet, widescreen computers and modern cars in TheEighties.
** Another minor example is the discussion regarding ''Franchise/StarWars''. Film trilogies were not a common occurrence in 1983, and the general assumption that the third entry in a trilogy is always the worst didn't come around until much later.

* AnachronismStew: A minor example occurs in a [[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4euik8 tie-in commercial,]] which suggests that the students have access to fiber-optic internet, widescreen computers and modern cars in TheEighties.

** Kodi Smit-[=McPhee=] elaborates on his [[http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/meet-the-x-men-apocalypse-cast-storm-magneto-cyclops-psylocke-more-943 character's journey.]]
--->'''Kodi Smit-[=McPhee=]:''' Nightcrawler, he's kind of scared of his own shadow at this point, so he's probably pretty terrified. Through everything he does in this movie it's kind of, as we say, the stepping-stones of becoming the brave hero he is.

** While Magneto can indeed manipulate nonferrous metals, one government meeting mistakenly calls nonferrous metals magnetic as if they can be affected by standard magnetism.

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: As with his previous appearance, Quicksilver's super-speed is made on RuleOfCool more than real physics.