‘X-Men: Apocalypse’: Josh Helman Will Return As Stryker
Actor Josh Helman is coming back to the cinematic world of X-Men as one of Wolverine’s most iconic rivals.
Director Bryan Singer pleased and excited many fans and critics by confirming that the 29-year-old actor will reprise his role as William Stryker in the highly-anticipated film, X-Men: Apocalypse.
Singer confirmed the addition of Helman to the new X-Men film’s cast by posting a picture of the Australian actor alongside Annie actress Rose Byrne from the set on Instagram Thursday.
“Happy to welcome back Josh Helman who happens to be shooting with fellow Aussie Rose Byrne today. #aussieinvasion”
Helman first stepped into the shoes of the popular X-Men villain in the 2014 summer blockbuster hit, X-Men: Days of Future Past.
During a November, 2014, interview with HeyUGuys, Josh Helman had the chance to open up about how excited he was to join the extensive list of cast members featured in the X-Men franchise.
“It’s kind of surreal actually because I have been a fan of the films ever since X-MEN came out in 2000… It was amazing, and every time Bryan has been a part of these films it has been an incredible and well told story.”
Helman further explained the surreal experience of joining the cast and enjoying the behind-the-scenes experience of a Bryan Singer-directed X-Men film firsthand.
“To suddenly be in the position of walking onto the set where I saw the Xavier mansion set, the vehicles involved, and suddenly it’s all this iconography you grew up with and you are within spitting distance of it. So it is really surreal and to just be able to walk on set and play with these people to help tell a story you were familiar with from the other side of it all was a crazy experience. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Not very many X-Men fans and critics would disagree with Josh Helman’s statement about Bryan Singer. Singer directed the first two films of the 15-year-old franchise – X-Men(2000) and X2: X-Men United (2003).
However, Singer first left the franchise behind after the second film in order to work on the 2006 film, Superman Returns. Rush Hour director Brett Radner sat in the director’s chair for the third installment — X-Men: The Last Stand — a film that many longtime fans and critics absolutely hated.
As if I didn’t have a bad enough day, the worst of the X-Men movies (The Last Stand) is on… FML
— Hennie de Beer (@hennie_booboo) July 19, 2015
Olivia munn will erase all my bad memories of psylocke in x-men the last stand — Jackie? (@pantyagua) July 17, 2015
I have faith in these movies, that they won’t be as horrible as X-Men: The Last Stand/Origins, or FF/FF2/Daredevil/Elektra
— The Potato One (@xGramps701x) July 16, 2015
Fortunately, director Matthew Vaughn seemed to get things back on track with the X-Men franchise when he released the impressive prequel film, X-Men: First Class in 2011.
Bryan Singer returned to the franchise with X-Men: Days of Future Past— a film that essentially erased the mistakes and plot holes created in X-Men: The Last Stand which combined the past, present and future together in one movie.
Singer also introduced Josh Helman to the world as the third actor to play William Stryker on the big-screen. X-Men: Apocalypse will make its way into theaters in August, 2016.
[Image Credit: Variety]
