Bryan Singer first announced Josh Helman would return as William Stryker for X-Men: Apocalypse during production in Toronto, and we learned a few things about the character’s involvement during our set visit. Now, thanks to the latest edition of Empire magazine, we have some spoilery new information, so turn back now if you want it all to remain hush hush.

x-men-days-of-future-past-josh-helman
Image via 20th Century Fox

Comic Book Movie got an early copy of Empire’s Apocalypse issue, which details a scene involving Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Quicksilver (Evan Peters), and Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne).

The quartet have been kidnapped by army twonk William Stryker following a cataclysmic event at the X-Mansion, and wake up in a holding cell. On a balcony above them, Stryker taunts his prisoners, demanding to know the whereabouts of Magneto.

We already know that Stryker has been developing his own plan for handling the mutant menace in the decade between Days of Future Past and Apocalypse, and the film will help close the gap between his younger self and Brian Cox’s iteration in X2. Does this mean we might see at least a cameo of Wolverine? We saw Mystique in Stryker form standing over Logan’s recuperating form at the end of Days of Future Past, but he could’ve ended up anywhere. When asked by Empire, Singer said, “As a central character, he didn't fit into this particular story.” That’s not a no! Just because he’s not a “central character,” doesn’t mean a cameo is out of the question.

X-Men: Apocalypse will also feature the arrival of the title villain, played by Oscar Isaac, in addition to Psylocke (Olivia Munn), Angel/Archangel (Ben Hardy), and younger versions of Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee), and Jubilee (Lana Condor).

X-Men: Apocalypse will hit theaters on May 27th.


x-men-apocalypse-poster