X-Men: First Class’ Álex González answers the X-Perts!

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS actor Álex González (Riptide) answers the X-Perts via the official X-Men Movies Facebook page!

Each villain brings something fresh and new to the table. What’s unique about Riptide?

“His unique quality comes from his gift, or his power to control the wind. Riptide’s personality is also similar to a tornado’s because he starts off calm and elegant, but at a moment’s notice, he can get very aggressive and destroy anything in his path.”

Are Riptide’s abilities mirrored to that of the comics (a swirling wind mass with just his head visible) or are they altered for the movie?

“His powers and abilities in the movie are very true to the comic. Riptide is known for his ability to create and throw a rush of wind from his hand, and he can also create a full tornado by using the force of his entire body. It’s quite amazing.”

We’ve seen very little of Riptide in the trailer, what kind of personality will he have in this film and what was your character dynamic within the Hellfire club?

“In the comic, he´s a very solitary person and would prefer to work alone, but he ultimately realizes that he needs to work with the rest of the team to accomplish their goals. I think there’s a good balance of dynamics within the Hellfire Club, Shaw and Emma are the leaders and brains behind the operation, while Azazel and Riptide are the more physical and action-oriented of the group.”

So will we see Riptide join the X-Men or is he one of Hellfire Club’s members?

“He’s a part of the Hellfire Club from the beginning and one of the original members.”

What is the best action scene you have filmed in the movie?

“Well, there are many spectacular action scenes in the movie, but my favorite is probably at the end of the movie, where there is a huge battle that takes place on the beach. There was a lot of sand!”

Riptide isn’t that big of a character in the comics, so does that give you more freedom to do what you want with the character?

“Matthew gave me a lot of freedom to define my character. However, all of the characters in the movie share a common factor: our gift was born from our pain.”

Click here to read more answers from Gonzalez.