With "X-Men: Apocalypse" coming to theaters in a few months, more details on specific characters in the movie are being released. Nicholas Hoult recently dishes on his character, Beast, in the upcoming movie.
Now that he is set to play a meatier role in "Apocalypse," Hoult has a lot to say about his character Hank/Beast and how he is faring in the "brave new world." It can be remembered that the "Apocalypse" is said to be ten years into the new future after the time of "Days of Future Past" so a lot of things must have changed when it comes to Hank's life.
"It's a lot happier than the last movie where I was kind of his enabler and having dark days in the X-Mansion. Hank, since the last movie, still believes that the world kind of needs the X-Men, and that even though there's peace between humans and mutants at this point, he senses trouble and has kind of been building this jet warplane and kind of preparing for the worst. But other than that...he's hoping for the best and having fun teaching I think," Hoult relayed.
Hoult added that Hank is more mature now, although he clarified that this perception must be because he, in real life, has gotten older too.
"He's definitely more mature. It's odd because already I'm considered like middle-aged in the X-Men world, which is like a shock (laughs). I turn up on set and I'm like, 'Wow I'm the old guy now.' So that's strange, but there's certainly more of a maturity to him and maybe that's something that's in the writing that Simon [Kinberg] has created, but also just something where I'm getting old," he explained.
The actor added that because of his maturity, Hank is less worried about what people think of him. Hank's relationship with his once-mentor Charles has shifted too.
"He's aiming much less to please everyone around him and becoming more of a standalone person, and him and Charles are more contemporaries whereas in First Class he was very much his student, then that developed in Days of Future Past where he was almost Alfred to his Batman, and now they're working together," Hoult detailed.
Hank's maturity, however, comes in handy in the upcoming film since the X-Men are going to be dealing with a much tougher villain. Hoult himself detailed how important Hank is this time. "He kind of takes [Cyclops/Scott Summers] under his wing a little bit. Hank does take on a more paternal role with all the youngsters - not as much as Professor X, because Professor X has got more of a connection with everyone because of his powers - but Hank is certainly kind of a figure in all of that as well. I'm taking care of all these youngsters, cause he's been through it and fought in battles and kind of lived it."
In another interview with Screen Rant, Hoult said that seeing how much his co-stars in "X-Men: Apocalypse" Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Oscar Isaac and Jennifer Lawrence are growing their acting portfolio, he occasionally feels intimated to work with them.
"I've watched a lot of their work, so it's kind of intimidating in a way having them coming in with such a catalogue of great films. They're great actors and already carrying themselves with such poise and knowledge of what they're doing, I don't remember being like that," said Hoult.
