Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were arch-enemies, they were closest of friends, working together with other mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known.
My biggest influence for First Class was going back to the first three James Bonds – Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger. I wanted to apply that spy thriller aesthetic to the mutant world, grounding it in a plausible historical context.