laying a superhero was the furthest thing from Ellen Page's mind, but on the Victoria Day long weekend, the Halifax-born actress will be seen on screens across the country doing just that in the third installment of the X-Men franchise. The 18-year-old has landed the much-talked about role of Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat in the new movie.   The third-and possibly final-big screen adaptation of the Marvel Comic series about a band of mutants who live in a world where their kind is persecuted by humans, includes a long list of Hollywood heavyweights including Academy Award-winners Halle Berry and Anna Paquin, as well as high-profile leading man Hugh Jackman. Other cast mates include Kelsey Grammer, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Rebecca Romijn and James Marsden.   "It all happened very, very quickly," said Page. "It's not something I ever thought I'd be doing so I really don't know what to think about doing such a large, massive thing like this," said the actress who also stars in the thriller Hard Candy and has been seen on TV's Trailer Park Boys. "I really do feel honoured. Not to sound like a complete teenager, but it's going to be fun. I'm playing a superhero! Who wouldn't want to do that?" To prepare for her role, Page said she read some X-Men comic books to see what her character was all about and to get familiar with all the characters that make up the X-Men universe. Sheepishly, Page confessed, "When I was little I never read comic books at all. Now that I'm older, I'm not into superhero comic books, but I do read a lot of graphic novels-the real weird, depressing stuff."   She admitted heading to Vancouver to join the project was a daunting prospect. "It's very intimidating to join a cast that includes Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry, but it's even more intimidating joining something where everyone has these preconceived ideas and ideals of how everything should be and where everyone is posting things on the Internet to talk about them," she said. "You're going to be in a film where people know what they want to see and they are such diehard fans that if they don't get it they will be so angry."   Although contractually forbidden to talk about the plot or reveal specific details regarding her character's involvement, Page said, "I can tell you she will be more involved and she is joining the X-Men. They're nuts with the script. You have to sign confidentiality clauses and everything." - Vernon Oickle KITTY PRYDE FACTS The character first appeared in the comic X-Men #129 She used the code names Sprite and Ariel early in her career Started suffering headaches at 13-the result of her body trying to cope with her new mutant powers. Shadowcat has the ability to become intangible and walk through solid matter. She calls the ability "phasing."