Q: Is there a romantic element involved?

Ratner: With me, no (laughter) I can't divulge that but you'll see I think people are gonna, fans of hers, of her character, are gonna be excited because she's has much more to do in this movie, and physicality, I mean, this is one of the most beautiful women in the world I want to really take advantage of that and shoot her in a way that's really exciting for the audience.

Moderator: Brett, you mentioned political issues and I'm particularly intrigued, the chief among them in this story is something that really triggers something that is massive in this X-Men universe, the notion of a cure, if you don't want to be a mutant anymore, you don't have to and this triggers all sorts of upheaval in the X-Men and the Brotherhood and it seems to me, when I read it that each character has a different reaction so maybe we can talk about the characters reactions, starting with you, obviously Magneto has very, very strong opinions about this.

McKellen: Marvel will tell you that they like X-Men more than any of their other titles because it appeals to specifically to three groups. Young blacks, young Jews and young gays. They identify themselves more than most although all teenagers perhaps think of themselves as mutants and treated that way by society for a time. As a gay man, the idea that someone may come along with a cure.

Ratner: You're gay? I had no idea.

McKellan: Well there aren't many of us in Hollywood (laughter).There are people that think gay people can be cured, my reaction to that I can be cured as a mutant is as contemptuous as my view of people who think I need curing because of my sexuality. The idea that black people could take a pill that would cure them of being black is absolutely abhorrent to me. I would like to of any character in this film that thinks this cure is a good idea, but there are some, and they argue the case. It will get you worked up this movie and so it should. Because I don't think people should be cured of their God given nature.

Ratner: That idea alone, when I first met with you, the core of this idea is what I am excited about. This script takes it to a whole other level. I don't know who came up with it, the idea of the cure, I guess it goes back to the comics, the idea of the cure in this film really helps make this third film miles ahead of the last two because every character in this movie will have an opinion or a reason for it or against it. It motivates a lot of the plot, it's a fantastic device, a fantastic concept.

McKellan: And some people get cured, get changed, because we don't know this cure, being a new thing, how long it's going to last. Probably not as far as X-Men 4 (laughing)

Q: What's Storms' view on this?

Berry: I echo everything he said, as a black woman, a woman of color, that's an issue that I have struggled with my whole life. Feeling like somehow, when I was a child, if I could change myself that my life somehow would be better. As I've gotten older, I think I have come to terms with you know, what nonsense that is. This movie, certainly adds light to that subject.

Ratner: Storm, in my opinion, I think Halle agrees, is one of the X-Men most opposed to the use of the cure. And when you see the passion that these characters have for this subject matter it just totally motivated each individual's plight and their angst. Everything that happens in this movie is motiviated by their opinion on the subject. So the plot is fantastic.

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