5 Things That Definitely Won't Be In X-Men: Apocalypse

After fifteen massively-successful years of X-Men films, Bryan Singer is closing out his second X-trilogy with 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse. There are very few enemies of the superhero team that could muster up a 'final-boss'-style threat, especially after everything they've been through already.

Apocalypse, however, is definitely one of them.

Not many of the X-Men's villains are able to induce as much terror as Apocalypse, and whenever he rears his head, it's a given that the ensuing conflict will be terrible and costly. A prominent 90's storyline had Xavier killed before he could assemble the X-Men; this single difference led to the ancient mutant conquering the entire western hemisphere in his self-styled "Age of Apocalypse."

So, yeah, he's kind of a big deal.

Sadly, the lore surrounding Apocalypse is exceedingly complex, and movies tend to be consciously restricted for length, and two hours isn't nearly enough time to properly explore every element of the story. Some will inevitably be left on the cutting room floor in order to distill the very best of Apocalypse for audiences.

From what we know of the upcoming movie, here are five iconic things longtime fans can expect not to be in X-Men: Apocalypse.

Although En Sabah Nur was an impressive mutant in his own right, he didn't truly become Apocalypse until he came across the fabled technology of the Celestials, and it would be remiss to deny their heavy influence on his powers and abilities. In the comics, they are an entire race of high-concept aliens who conduct grand experiments across the galaxy.

In last year's Guardians of the Galaxy, the Collector (played by Benicio del Toro) shows footage to the Guardians of a Celestial annihilating a planet using the film's MacGuffin, the Power Stone. Additionally, Knowhere itself (the mining city that functions as the Collector's base of operations) is the severed head of a single one of these imposing beings.

Unfortunately, due to rights ownership by different studios, the X-Men franchise is quarantined from the greater Marvel universe, preventing Singer from using Celestials as a major source of Apocalypse's power.

It's not too large of an issue - the film can wave away the villain's immense power by vaguely referencing "advanced technology," or even citing them as his own innate gifts. The latter certainly gels with Apocalypse's “survival of the fittest" creed.