It’s always interesting to see where they take the X-Men franchise. So many and varied super-abilities, so many origin stories and complicated personal relationships to wander through and explore.
There are many levels to this exploration. The casting alone is a kind of meta-game. Who is going to play the twenty-something Patrick Stewart, or Hugh Jackman?
But one rule that seems fairly consistent is what I call the “even younger” principle. Every time they make an X-Men prequel, we get to see an even younger version of our favorite characters.
As I watched the trailer for the latest “wow look, they are so young in this one” prequel, I found myself wondering whether there is some age line that they will never cross. At what point do they need to stop?
By maybe they don’t need to stop. As long as audiences keep coming, they can continue to make ever earlier prequels.
What about the X-Men as toddlers? Perhaps one day we will see the ultimate prequel: X-Men: the Terrible Twos.