IGN: You must be used to big movies with Twilight – how has it been to step into the X-Men universe?
Edi Gathegi: Well the two are different and similar in many ways, but in terms of scale, Twilight wasn't really a massive movie before it was released. It ended up making a lot of money and becoming big, and the others had more of a budget but they were still moderately budgeted. We didn't know what to expect on that. But with this one you're stepping into an already existing franchise. This is the fifth instalment of the X-Men franchise. There's a lot of pressure. But I look at it with the perspective that I'm just here to do a job, and I'm going to do the best job I can and everybody has that responsibility. Hopefully we'll put it out there and the audience will enjoy it.
IGN: Who do you play?
Gathegi: My character's name is Armando Muñoz, otherwise known as Darwin, and he gets his nickname from Charles Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution. My character is in a constant state of evolution. It's called reactive adaptation - so whatever environment he's in, in order to survive he will mutate, basically. If he gets thrown in water, all of a sudden he might have gills. The lights go out, he'll have 20-20 vision in the pitch black. He's the coolest one! What I like about my character's powers is that a lot of the X-Men have very cool powers, but with this one you actually see it happening and you see why it's happening. In the right circumstances you see the thought behind the character and the need to create that evolution. There's a logic to it. And the possibilities are endless with good writing.
IGN: How does Darwin react to his powers?
Gathegi: Everybody has their own unique set of circumstances, but I think every mutant probably goes through the phase where they hate themselves because they're different. They're terrified of their own mutant abilities. And then they come to a place where they can see the beauty in it and they accept themselves. I think my character had it really, really tough, because he was constantly in situations where his body would start to mutate and he didn't understand why it was happening. He was suicidal because of it and he couldn't even kill himself, because his body would protect him. He jumped off a building and his bones turned to rubber. So he was stuck in this life of feeling different - sort of indestructible. And I think in this movie, he's finally found a calling. He's finally found people like him. And he finally gets to be the person he was meant to be. He comes out of his shell. He's a good guy.
IGN: It's a whole new world of fans - have you heard from them yet?
Gathegi: You know what, I'm so excited to show this movie to the fans, because I myself am the audience. I remember my experience watching the X-Men films and I think hopefully we're doing something that's exciting and a good addition to the series.
IGN: Are they less intense than the Twilight fans?
Gathegi: It depends. I would say that Twilight fans are more forgiving. They're more opinionated in the beginning, but if things don't go entirely according to their imagination - which they never will - they'll be upset but then they'll forgive that and come back with so much love. I don't know what it is about those fans. But the X-Men fans aren't so forgiving! By the same token, you can't satisfy everybody. We're making this for the fans and I don't necessarily think it'll appeal to the fanatics, because we've drawn from many different elements of the comics to make this work as a movie, because it is a movie and not a 20-page comic book. So it's going to be different. In the attempt to make a movie of the comic, you're pissing off fanatics.
IGN: How are you finding Matthew Vaughn as a director?
Gathegi: This is my first time on a movie this big, but from my perspective I think Matthew's doing a bang-up job. I know he's a very capable director. Kick-Ass was an experience, a good time. I think all the elements are in place for this type of movie: there's a bit of fantasy, sci-fi, action and comic-book retelling that I would like to see. I'm actually very excited to be a part of this cast, the director, the subject matter, the script - I think all the elements are in place for it to be a good film.
IGN: If X-Men: First Class is a hit, would you return for sequels?
Gathegi: You know, the honest answer is I guess it depends on what's going on in my life at that time and who comes back and who's involved in it. But the stock answer is I'm an X-Men fan, so absolutely. Bring me back, I'll put on the suit.
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