I was as shocked as anyone when X-Men: First Class actually turned out kinda good. But the inevitable sequel is moving forward without original director Matthew Vaughn (original director of the prequel, that is…) , and with an awful title, “Days of Future Past.” But Bryan Singer is on to direct, and though he hasn’t directed anything good since 2003, he at least has it in him, and from the sounds of it, he’s got the cast of X-Men: First Class returning, with the added bonus of Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan. Singer himself broke the news this morning on Twitter.
Thrilled to announce @ianmckellen118 & @sirpatstew are joining the cast of #XMEN #DaysOfFuturePast #magneto #professorX More to come…
— Bryan Singer (@BryanSinger) November 27, 2012
I’d like to officially welcome back James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, & Nicholas Hoult to #XMEN for #DaysOfFuturePast
— Bryan Singer (@BryanSinger) November 27, 2012
We already sort of assumed the plot would involve time travel from the title; the casting of young and old Professor X and Magneto all but confirms it. At the least, you imagine it will involve a heavy flashback element. Which is a good thing, because at its core, X-Men is really a story about a bromance between a psychic cripple and a tattooed holocaust survivor with a huge dong. Polish up the awards, this thing’s as Oscar baity as The Reader.