Entertainment

Wait, Is That Taylor Swift/'X-Men' Rumor Back?!

by Allie Gemmill

Put on your sleuthing caps, friends, because it's time to put some clues together. Sophie Turner reignited a simmering rumor about X-Men: Apocalypse that, if proven to be real, may result in me dying of happiness. Turner took to Twitter for some Flashback Friday fun, adding fuel to the fire that none other than Taylor Swift may be popping up in the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse. Yes, you read that correctly. There's a very real rumor going around that one of the best superhero franchises out there could be getting an extra boost of star power. There's been a push to expand the X-Men universe, resulting in solo films for both Deadpool and Gambit (both previously featured as minor characters in the Wolverine franchise). While it's fun to see such a large universe interact with itself in a multitude of ways, I think we can all agree that sometimes a totally random but star-studded appearance is just as fun.

So, what exactly did Turner do that gives us a reason to hope? If the rumor is true, who could Swift be playing? Is there any reason for us to hope against hope that it's true? First off, let's start here, with Turner's Instagram post:

Here we see Jean Grey (Turner) and Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) being normal '80s teens, shopping for records at the mall. Cyclops holds up a Dazzler album —but who is Dazzler? Oh, she's only one of the coolest mutants in the world of X-Men, able to convert sound vibrations into light and energy beams, that's all. The acknowledgement of Dazzler is exciting enough — but while this picture has tongues wagging, it's the caption beneath that is just as important. Why would Turner drop in a 1989 reference? The role of a dreamy '80s pop star with a seriously cool mutation would be the perfect shoes for a certain contemporary pop star to fill. Perhaps even a pop star that is known to be as dazzling onstage as she is off?

Rumors of Swift's involvement have been floating around since July 2015. Back then, writer Simon Kinberg posted this photo of himself, Swift, Turner and James McAvoy. While the buzz began to swirl that a possible cameo by Swift was nigh, Kinberg was quick to dash our hopes, telling reporters in Sept. 2015 according to MTV News that the photo was taken after one of Swift's 1989 concerts in Canada. Very smooth, Mr. Kinberg.

But now, am I crazy to wonder if the chances of Swift popping up in Apocalypse aren't so slim anymore? This new lead could all but herald her involvement. It's always fun when X-Men acknowledges their vast mutant community; Dazzler's inclusion would be a great addition to the '80s setting. The cast of X-Men: Apocalypse boasts some major stars, but this latest Easter egg is making me cross my fingers extra hard the rumors are true. Swift is the definition of a pop star, just like Dazzler. (Is it too late to petition for this cameo to verifiably happen?)