Another thread prompted the question about whether or not Apocalypse would have been better/more successful if the OT cast were the stars? You think this would have been the case? Also how would you change the story to accomidate the different time?
The first change would be erasing the unnecessary Angel retcon. He is a grown man and loyal friend of the X-Men, logically following on from TLS. He visits the school early on in the film with gifts for the younger students, joins the team on a mission and is injured in the process. His fall from grace plays out as you would expect.
With Angel taking a much larger role, I would push Magneto back substantially. McKellen's Eric has been living a very quiet life in his advancing years. He has all but withdrawn himself from mutant issues, but will ultimately return to confront Apocalypse in the final battle.
Logan is a horseman. Making him a villain for a change seems like too great an opportunity to waste. It would also be the perfect time to introduce a more comic accurate costume.
Apocalypse awakens as a direct result of the timetravel of DOFP. He lays dormant, observing the world and rises again to inflict punishment on those he believes cheated their fate.
The maturation of Rogue is in full swing. Though still troubled by the isolation her mutation has caused, she has come to terms with herself, found uses for her power and receives a massive power boost when she saps Apocalypse during an action sequence.
Geeky bonus: The first action sequence involves an X-Men team of Cyclops, Beast, Jean, Ice-Man & Angel taking on an Apocalypse-worshipping cult. Cause why not? And it's about damn time.
I would keep the themes of home and family and transplant them onto different characters:
- Charles is reflecting on his legacy and his coming retirement.
- Scott and Jean have a young son, and this new war forces them to consider the world he will inherit.
- Logan is trying to reaquaint himself with this new reality, similar to Apocalypse who has also awoken to a vastly different world.
- Storm confronts her past when the action draws her back to her home country.
The film will close with a new status quo: Charles and Eric reunited and moving on to Murr island to help with mutant affairs there (including the rehabilitation of Angel). The school meanwhile, goes on with Scott, Jean, Storm and Beast as senior members of staff for the school, and Ice-Man, Rogue, Kitty et all as teachers. Seeds planted everywhere for new stories, while the oldest among the cast are given the opportunity to bow out gracefully.
