The "X-Men: First Class" publicity train continues to roll forward in its efforts to sell us all on the idea of a superhero period piece. The latest photo released isn't exactly evocative of the 1960s setting, but there is a lot of fire.
The image shows actor Lucas Till standing in the middle of a blaze and looking entirely unconcerned about it. That's probably because his mutant ability to absorb cosmic energy and project it outwards is what caused the conflagration — but that's just our guess.
The photo debuted on the "X-Men: First Class" Facebook page.
Producer Bryan Singer, who directed the first two X-Men movies, has previously stated that Havok's backstory was changed to fit with the movie's plot. In the comics, Havok alter-ego, Alex Summers, is the brother of X-Men leader Scott Summers/Cyclops — though we don't yet know the nature of the change made for "First Class."
“The timeline is different. It wouldn’t physically fit for [Havok] to be the brother of Cyclops," Singer said in an interview last month. "We take some liberties on that. There are notions, but, um, I don’t want to give away certain interrelations, but let’s just say there are some things that do adhere to the comic books and do so in a way the fans will get a kick out of."
Singer also mentioned Havok and his powers as an example of how mutants fit into the movie's fictional world, which further supports the possibility that the above image is set in some sort of testing facility.
"Havok is a danger to himself and everyone around him. That’s where this movie is at — the recruiting of these mutants and bringing them together," he explained.
Till also spoke in a recent interview about how he prepared himself for the physical demands of the Alex Summers/Havok role.
"Portraying Alex Summers, I want to look as athletic as his character is in the comics," said Till. "My trainer, Ed Chow, is one of the nicest people on the face of the earth, which is deceiving, because he is damn good at what he does."
What do you think is going on in this new photo? Let us know in the comment section or on Twitter!