‘X-Men: First Class’ Photos Surface, Director Talks Taking On ‘Thor’ & ‘Captain America’

Mutants unite!

Fanboys and girls are getting their first look at “X-Men: First Class,” an origin story set in the 1960’s during the early years of Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender).

The Los Angeles Times’ Hero Complex blog scored two of the first images from the Matthew Vaughn-directed movie that also features a slew of fan favorite characters including Emma Frost (January Jones), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Havok (Lucas Till), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Dr. Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) and villain Sebastian Shaw, aka The Black King (Kevin Bacon). Check out the photos, HERE!

The director, whose is best know for previous films “Kick-Ass” and “Layer Cake,” said he’s not worried about opening amid a sea of superhero movies this summer. “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Green Lantern” and “Thor” all hit theaters in summer 2011, with “X-Men” opening on June 3.

“With ‘Green Lantern,’ I don’t know about that one, I couldn’t get my head around the trailer, to be honest … look, I will say the following: X-Men as a brand is bigger than Captain America, Thor and the Green Lantern, all put together,” Vaughn told the LA Times.

Slash Film also spoke with Vaughn and received two additional official stills from the film, including one of Magneto in his trademark purple helmet. The director confirmed more details about the film’s setting:

“Imagine the Cuban Missile crisis and discovering that mutants exist, both at the same time…” he explained.

“(X-Men: First Class) is definitely more serious and more realistic, and I think that’s something that had to happen. That’s my feeling about the world we live in right now. I think the glossy colorful superhero film sorta had its day. I think Batman Begins started it, Dark Knight, dare I say Kick-Ass was fun and it had some real pop to it, but at the same time we grounded it in reality as much as possible. I think that’s what the audience wants…” he continued.

One draw for fans to the franchise prequel might be “Winter’s Bone” star Jennifer Lawrence, who plays one Marvel’s most diabolical – and sexy – shape shifters.

The actress told The Hollywood Reporter that the process of becoming Mystique was grueling and had the movie’s makeup team “all up in [my] business.”

“Nothing’s sacred anymore,” the actress said. “Those girls and I got so close. They were painting me naked every day for months. It was kind of like going to a really bizarre sleepover.”

Jennifer was put on a strict diet, required to workout every day for two hours and spent eight hours with the makeup team as they turned her into blue mutant.

“It was awful, I was hungry for five months,” the actress, who is now back on her pre-mutant diet, explained. “I’m still pissed about it. I’m slowly working my way back because I have to be able to eat like an a**hole.”

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