X-Men: Apocalypse is only a comic book.
X-Men : Apocalypse is a 2016 American superhero film based on the fictional X-Men characters that appear in Marvel Comics . It is the ninth installment in the X-Men film series and a sequel to X-Men : Days of Future Past . Directed by Bryan Singer , with a screenplay by Simon Kinberg from a story conceived by Singer , Kinberg , Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris , the film stars James McAvoy , Michael Fassbender , Jennifer Lawrence , Oscar Isaac , Nicholas Hoult , Rose Byrne , Tye Sheridan , Sophie Turner , Olivia Munn and Lucas Till . Upon its release , the film garnered a mixed critical reception by film critics who criticized the film for its script , runtime and portrayal of villain , although it was particuarly praised for its visual style , music , action sequences , humor , acting performances , effects and stunts . Despite mixed reviews , the film was a box office success with grossing over $ 543 million worldwide against budget of $ 178 million .