U.K. Soap Star Ben Hardy Set To Join X-Men: Apocalypse

It seems that the recent headline-grabbing live episodes of U.K soap opera Eastenders have provided something of a showcase for series regular Ben Hardy, as The Wrap reports that he is now in talks for a significant role in X-Men: Apocalypse. While Hardy has 188 episodes of the soap under his belt, he had apparently screentested for the X-Men role of Cyclops, before being rumoured for the role of Angel. The part he may ultimately play in the movie, however, is described as “key” and “important.”

X-Men: Apocalypse is the upcoming sequel to 2014’s box office hit, X-Men: Days Of Future Past, and is the newest instalment in the X-Men franchise. Based on the Marvel comic series, the titular superhero team are comprised of mutants – born with superhuman abilities and spurned by humanity – who fight for peace and equality. The franchise currently comprises of five films, with two spinoff films focusing on the character of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman).

The film will see several regular cast members return – including Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Nicholas Hoult as Beast and James McAvoy as Professor X. They will be joined by Tye Sheridan as Cyclops, Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, Alexandra Shipp as Storm and Kodi Smit-McPhee as Nightcrawler. Oscar Isaac will play the villain of the piece, Apocalypse.

Apocalypse is a highly intelligent, ancient supervillain who was also born with the mutant X-gene. He can control his molecules, allowing him to change his form and size at will, and he can physically regenerate and restore himself. He also has the ability to project and absorb energy, and interface with a variety of technologies. Though the character is an arch-nemesis of the superhero team in the source material, this will be his first appearance in the film franchise.

Bryan Singer will return to direct X-Men: Apocalypse – the script for which is written by Simon Kinberg, Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty. Principal photography is reportedly scheduled to begin in April 2015, with a release date planned for May 27th 2016, so we should soon have a better idea of exactly which “key” character Ben Hardy is set for.