Over the past year or so, there have been a couple of occasions when X-Men and X2 director Bryan Singer spoke about an urging desire to return to the world of comic book mutants. The only project that we knew was in the workings was for something called X-Men: First Class; but aside from that, there was only the chance and hopes that Singer would return in a blaze of glory to direct X-Men 4. While speaking to MySpace recently Singer reaffirmed that his next film would be Jack the Giant Killer, but went on to drop the bomb that he had officially signed on and would indeed be directing X-Men: First Class.
X-Men: First Class is based on a comic series that follows Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Angel, and Iceman as the first group of X-Men a but who knows which of these will be used and interchanged with others. For example, Beast wasn’t in the first or second films that were made, so it will be interesting to see how they make it all fit together and make sense. For all we know, they may just wipe the slate and re-imagine things; that is the cool thing these days, kids.
One thing that has been confirmed of the story is that Magneto and Professor X will factor into it heavily. After this news broke that Singer was back, he spoke to the trades about everything and offered details.
This is the formative years of Xavier and Magneto, and the formation of the school and where there relationship took a wrong turn. There is a romantic element, and some of the mutants from ‘X-Men’ will figure into the plot, though I don’t want to say which ones. There will be a lot of new mutants and a great villain.
This is some bittersweet news for fans. No one will tell you that Bryan Singer doing another X-Men film isn’t exciting, but at the same time, everyone wants to see the stories and characters we know continued upon. This movie will require casting completely new, younger actors, and it’s not going to be easy to win over the hearts of the fanboy nation. Even after Jack the Giant Killer, Singer has a new take of the original Battlestar Galactica on deck as well, so who knows when this movie will even happen.
What do you think: Is Bryan Singer returning for X-Men: First Class great news, or is this a X-Men 4 or bust situation?
[Source: via Splash Page, Variety]
Beast might not have been in the first two but the way they spoke in the third implied he was an old friend and student of the school.
Comment by Ttandc — December 19, 2009 @ 6:23 pm
Sounds like Singer is desperate for a successful movie. Supes and Valkerie didn’t bring him the praise that he thought they would have. Stop backtracking into familiar ground and get on with something original.
Comment by Devon — December 19, 2009 @ 10:43 pm
Why do I have the nagging feeling that this comic to big screen outing will turn into X-Men: Twilight with Mutant Teens?
Singer still has Usual Suspects and Apt Pupil to his credit so we’ll see if he can redeem the crash and burn that was X3.
Comment by burning_chrome — December 20, 2009 @ 3:25 am
If you follow the original lineup, those made the original X-Men. Angel was taken out of the lineup early with his “incident” taking his wings away (which was not followed in X3), Beast left to join Brand Corporation, where he turns blue. They all don’t meet up again until Cyclops, Jean Grey and Iceman leaves after a power struggle with Wolverine and Storm to lead the X-Men. So, the original team joins back to become X-Factor. It all can be done, and still work in the series.
Comment by BillyO — March 19, 2010 @ 5:27 pm