In the newest addition to Marvel’s X-Men cinematic canon, we see the return of the franchise’s founding director, Bryan Singer (X1, X2), return to the silver screen!

In this film we find, both veteran cast and First Class, mutants pitted against humanity in multiple time lines – one is in the in future, the other in the past. “It sort of felt in a way like [we were making] two different films,” said Hugh Jackman at a recent press conference. “In the beginning it’s the future, and that was like an incredible reunion for [Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and myself.]”

Right off the bat the movie introduces us to a rougher, older version of the original X-Men cast in a dystopian-future pitted against their most dangerous enemy yet – The Sentinels: a weaponized mutant hunting machine designed to kill. While they’ve been a long time and familiar villain in the comics and cartoons, their cinematic debut depicts them into being far more dangerous and horrifying.

The audience is thrown into introductions of new characters and action that is more mature than previous films that pulls you in to the danger of this broken future. With these introductions of characters new and old, the strongest parts of this film is the use of the X-Men’s abilities in group combat – which is something that hasn’t really been done before. The most notable bad guy addition is Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage, who plays Bolivar Trask, the industrialist who invented the film's murderous robots. “I jump at the chance to do these little indie movies,” jokes Dinklage. “Sometimes they can shine more than the big ones with the right script, and working with the right actors.”

Regardless, the initial feeling of this future world is loss of hope…

Under extreme circumstances, Wolverine is sent into the past with a mission to get Charles Xavier and Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr) to alter their own unknown futures and save the mutant race. Once we meet these characters we realize their present is as grim as their futures. When preparing to play younger versions of Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender studied the veteran actors’ earlier work so they could adopt their unique mannerisms for the roles. “I’ve been a fan of Patrick’s for years,” said McAvoy. “I watched him for seven years on Star Trek, and then way back in Dune. Getting to come and do my version of a character he’s been in charge of for 14 years was quite nerve-wracking.”

While the film continues to weave between the future and present, we see the characters struggle with their loss of hope and their battle to gain it back.

This film, compared to other X films, matures in action, grittiness and story which is a nice change from the past installments of X3 and Wolverine: Origins - and feels as a franchise has grown since its release in 2001. The producers described the difficulties of shooting a film with so many big-name actors. During production, Jackman had to leave for a month to promote The Wolverine, Jennifer Lawrence was working on The Hunger Games, and Peter Dinklage had to leave to return to Game of Thrones. “[But] we had nothing,” Fassbender explained, laughing.

Nonetheless, from the opinion of an X-Men fan of two decades, this film feels like the first to truly capture the essence of the comic book franchise that is the internal and external struggles of the mutants and their role in the modern world- past, present and future. For those who aren’t fans of the franchise, or comic books, this film is immersing, action packed, fun and most of all feels sincere.

20th Century Fox will release X-Men: Days of Future Past in theaters this Friday, May 23.