The film is set primarily in the early 1960s, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and revolves around the relationship between Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsher, later known as Magneto (Michael Fassbender). The two characters initially meet when Charles, a telepathic mutant with a passion for genetics, is pursuing his Ph.D., and Erik, a Holocaust survivor, is seeking revenge against the man who tortured him during World War II.
The climax of the film occurs as Charles and Erik, with the support of the CIA, come together to form a team of mutants to prevent the threat of nuclear war. The team includes Raven Darkhölme/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Alex Summers/Havok (Lucas Till), Sean Cassidy/Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones), Armando Muñoz/Darwin (Edi Gathegi), and Erik’s ally Emma Frost (January Jones).
As the team trains and faces various challenges, ideological differences emerge between Charles and Erik. Charles advocates peaceful coexistence between mutants and humans, while Erik believes in the survival of the fittest and the superiority of mutants.
The movie features a climactic showdown on a beach in Cuba, where the mutants confront Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), a powerful mutant with plans to start a nuclear war and eradicate humanity. The battle results in a fracture between Charles and Erik, setting the stage for their future roles as Professor X and Magneto, respectively.
“X-Men: First Class” explores themes of friendship, identity, and the choices that shape individuals into heroes or villains. The film received positive reviews for its engaging storytelling, strong performances, and successful exploration of the X-Men’s early years. It effectively revitalized the X-Men film franchise.