Simon Kinberg on the emotional journeys of Xavier and Mystique in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST.

Writer and producer Simon Kinberg recently spoke with IGN about the roles of James McAvoy’s Charles Xavier and Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. One question asked by many fans is why is Charles walking when he’s supposed to be bound by a wheelchair? “Why young Xavier is not in a wheelchair is a big part of the story and his arc over the span of the movie is about sort of accepting his place in the chair,” he says.

“This story more than anything else emotionally is the story of young, broken, messed up Xavier becoming Professor X. His emotional arc is really the foundation of the movie for us and all the story-telling, the time travel, Sentinels…all the big mechanics of the movie are largely in service to the story of this broken man who lost his legs, his sister, basically lost the guy who was his closest friend. [He] lost hope and is regaining that over the span of the film.”

Describing Mystique as “the McGuffin of this story,” Kinberg says that the film will follow Raven’s emotional struggle. “Is she the Raven that Charles raised? Or is she the Mystique that Erik wanted to turn her into, this warrior? That’s the central question of the movie and if she goes in the direction of Erik and Mystique, she will do something in terms of an assassination that will lead to a dark, apocalyptic future. If she comes back towards the light of Charles side, she can actually stave off that dark future.”