Were not going to get shot with BB guns are we?
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No, no.
I dont get involved in any of that.
[Laughs]
Nick [Hoult] and I started that, yeah.
And they just had machine gun BB guns and stuff.
On these movies you have a lot of downtime, and youve got to pass the time somehow.
You look like you belong in a 70s band.
I feel like Im back in The Last King Of Scotland.
Im Nicholas Garrigan grown up, a 34-year-old Nicholas.
Michael [Fassbender] hates the 70s years for clothing, I think.
But I love it, I think its brilliant.
And I say, Dont touch my fuckin hair.
In this one I thought Id be all bald, but I read the script and I have hair.
I was very pleased.
But thatll be a nice character development in the third movie, if we make a third movie.
Is the look reflective of where Charles is in this movie?
My clothes are quite smart right now.
This is probably the smartest I look in the whole movie.
You find Charles at a very low point.
Not just a low point a dishevelled, messed-up point.
So yeah, it does reflect who he is.
But yeah, for the bulk of the movie, hes a mess, really.
You have to be very different.
Not just from the previous portrayal, but also from my portrayal inFirst Classas well.
Otherwise, why have Charles in it?
So in the beginning, hes a mess.
So youre not the leader that you were.
Its the appearance of Logan that makes you the Xavier we know?
Logan is constantly trying to push me to get my act together and Charles up.
I remember you talking about it on the first film, about being overawed.
Im over that now.
I think Im 10 times better than him.
No, not really.
This is a coming together of two different approaches to the same universe.
Have you had a chance to geek out aboutStar Trekwith Patrick Stewart?
I know youre a fan.
It was such a joy.
How did being wheelchair bound affect your performance?
I think thats refreshing.
Does pop culture play a role in this movie, with the 70s setting?
Thats really up to Bryan [Singer].
Gil Scott Heron, that kind of thing.
Whats it like sharing a role in the same film?
Youve got Patrick Stewart playing his part as Xavier.
Did you work with him on that?
I dont think Ive ever had to share a role.
I dont think Ive had to share a role.
But not, not really.
And thatll be the biggest challenge for me.
But I dont have to worry about that in this movie.
What characters did you like when you were growing up?
I always liked Gambit, because he had a funny voice.
And I thought his Creole accent was really cool.
I also liked that he had a big long coat and that he gambled and stuff like that.
I thought he was pretty awesome.
I liked Superman, Batman, things like that.
I liked the cheesy oldBatman, that was awesome.
I loved that line, Some days you just cant get rid of the bomb.
Which is the ending of the lastBatmanmovie.
[Incredulous yet incredibly animated] Did he say that?
No, he doesnt say that.
But he has to get rid of the bomb.
Some days, you just cant get rid of the bomb.
How old were you when you first read theX-Mencomics?
Id never read theX-Mencomics.
I read them when I got involved with the movies it makes sense to do your research.
But I watched the cartoons on a Saturday morning, with my mate Mark.
That was my main diet of superhero fare.
What did you make of Bryans take onX-Men?
What was it, 2000, 2001?
Yeah, I think its one of those movies that reinvigorated the superhero genre.
It was a really fresh approach, a really fresh take.
Would you embrace the superpower your character has, or would you see mind reading as a curse?
Yeah, Id say itd be a big curse.
I mean, have you seen that movie Mel Gibson did, What Women Want?
Can you imagine that?
Charles has got that but 10 times worse.
Hes got that with guys and women [Laughs].
Youd be taking these hits to your ego all the time.
God, hes minging.
Hes not good looking.
I wish hed shut up.
Youd have to develop a really thick skin, I think.
Or disengage from it when it’s crucial that you.
He was a voyeur in peoples experiences before.
And he felt for him, but he was a tourist through someones angst-ridden memories.
Now hes no longer a voyeur, when he sees someones pain, he can empathise with them.
It reminds him of his own shit.
Now the voices are harrowing and nightmarish to him.
How is Bryan different from Matthew Vaughn as a director?
Well, one directors different from another, they always are.
Bryan treats the film incredibly seriously.
He treats it with a lot of integrity and passion.
I think he feels like hes a custodian and protector of it.
But weirdly, they both get similar results by going at it differently, you know?
You mentioned earlier about the trauma of Charles finding himself in a wheelchair.
And yeah, thats fresh and exciting, and hopefully theres room for more of that.
Do you think thats why people go to see them, though?
I think the best ones do that.
I think the best ones satisfy your need to be entertained and also your need to be stimulated.
And you cant stimulate if its the same old thing.
There was a great movie,Master And Commander.The trailer made it look likePirates Of The Caribbeanwithout the gags.
And then they have an action movie at the end again for 20 minutes.
Umm, well, its pretty dire, really.
Id go so far to say that Charles fucking hates him.
This movie and the end of the last movie are an exploration of that shit that went down.
But again, they are in lots of ways very, very similar.
James McAvoy, thank you very much.
You canread our interview with director Bryan Singer here.
The finished film is out in UK cinemas on the 22nd May.
