As teased in the post-credits sting of X-Men: Days of Future Past, Apocalypse is coming and he’s bringing his four horsemen — okay, not the four horsemen we saw in that teaser scene, but a new set of horsemen: Magneto, Psylocke, Storm and Angel. 20th Century Fox has revealed some new photos of the characters who will play accessory to Oscar Isaac’s titular baddie, while some additional details have emerged about their role in X-Men: Apocalypse.

ScreenRant spoke with director Bryan Singer and stars Alexandra Shipp, Olivia Munn and Michael Fassbender about the Four Horsemen, which won’t be exactly like the versions comic book readers are familiar with; instead, while the original four were given names based on their powers (War, Death, Famine and Pestilence), the new Horsemen are allowed to keep their current identities.

Singer says he was inspired by the concept of cults, which typically have four factions of their own: political (Magneto), military (Angel), youth outreach (Storm) and sex (Psylocke). Storm is the first one to meet Apocalypse when he awakens, and Shipp echoes Singer’s sentiments in explaining how easily swayed and impressionable her character is:

It’s just pure love. I feel like when someone joins a cult, they end up becoming kindred spirits. They’re following the same thing. They all have the same goal which is Apocalypse… So what he is attracted to is their level and their magnitude of power. I think that his plan for her in the movie is to protect him. Protect him with fog. Protect him with lightening. Blow away a missile. Blow away a plane. There is so much that she can do, and what he’s looking for is protection because he just woke up after a couple thousands and thousand years. He’s weak and he’s alone, and he’s been betrayed, you know.

 

20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
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For her part, Munn says Psylocke is fully aware of what Apocalypse is up to, yet she still wants to join him. She describes her character as one with agency, though that doesn’t entirely protect her:

[Apocalypse] first meets her and she’s the bodyguard. She’s got this amazing skill and she has zero fear when she goes against him, so he needs her. What he sees in her is that she is someone who can protect and has no fear and is an amazing fighter and has amazing abilities. She’s doing things because she wants to do them. She’s like, “I want to join you. You haven’t fooled me into joining you. I get it, I see what you’re doing, and I want to be part of it.” In the end, they manipulate her, but it’s always her choice to join it.

As for Fassbender, he says Magneto is living in a sort of self-imposed exile in Poland, struggling with the concept of God and his failure to do the right thing — however good or bad his attempts were. The actor says that Apocalypse’s appeal lies in trying to succeed where Magneto failed.

And then there’s newcomer Angel, aka Warren Worthington III. Apocalypse uses his telekinetic powers to create Angel’s metal costume, tailoring it to his young acolyte’s form:

 

20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
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We’re sure to learn more about X-Men: Apocalypse as more set reports surface in the coming days. The sequel hits theaters on May 27.

 

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