Michael Fassbender on superheroes, serial killers and shark memes

“The video is down, so you won’t actually be able to see each other, only hear each other.”

Ushered into a dark London hotel room to interview Michael Fassbender via video link from Australia, where the actor’s found time to fulfil his promotional duties for X-Men Apocalypse,ShortList suddenly wishes it has some mutant powers of its own. Specifically, the ability to travel Down Under faster than Johnny Depp’s lawyers.

As it is though, despite the technical hitches, Fassbender proves great fun and is only too happy to broach a few weighty topics with us, including that of his forthcoming role as real-life serial killer Jack Unterweger (following recent Oscar-nominations as the titular Mac Messiah in Jobs and tyrant plantation owner in 12 Years A Slave, expect this role to bring him more awards-baiting brilliance) and the biggest question of them all: whether he’s a shark or not.

A real shark. Not a figurative Wall Street shark. Not an animated shark from some Pixar film, but an actual breathing, underwater predator, which some internet conspiracy theorists seem to believe he resembles (look it up, it’s a meme).

His response is excellent.

X-Men: Apocalypse is in cinemas now