"I've always thought about The Matrix when we've approached this," he tells Empire. "This idea of DNA memory elevates it from a basic fantasy genre [piece], because you have something an audience can actually believe in. Then the journey becomes so much more elevated, because you're on board in a different way."

Fassbender is also promising in-camera stunts so spectacular they'll have even your retinas rubbing their eyes. "Old-school" is the word he's using. "There's very little green screen in this, which is highly unusual in these films," he stresses. "We have stunt guys jumping across buildings in (Maltese capital) Valletta. We've got (stunt man) Damian Walters doing a 120-foot leap of faith, without any rope, into a bag, so it's pretty incredible to see."