Though Fox’s X-Men film franchise has gone through a few director and character changes, the films stayed within its own continuity. In X-Men: First Class, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender play younger versions of Professor X and Magneto. The film took a look at the relationship shared between Professor X and Magneto and how their differences would put them at different sides of a similar goal.

With Days Of Future Past set to begin production next year, newly appointed director Bryan Singer is confirming the return of the two aforementioned actors, along with Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult (Jack The Giant Slayer). Not only that, but the director has sent out a few tweets confirming that two actors who are very familiar with the franchise will also be making a return, and I don’t mean Hugh Jackman or Rebecca Romijn.

Singer confirmed both Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart would come back to reprise their respective roles as Magneto and Professor X.

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

Thrilled to announce @ianmckellen118 & @sirpatstew are joining the cast of #XMEN #DaysOfFuturePast #Magneto #professorX More to come…

— Bryan Singer (@BryanSinger) November 27, 2012

It seems fitting that the two return based on the premise of the sequel, which features an dystopian future where Mutants are being sent to interment camps or slaughtered by Sentinels because the X-Men failed to save Senator Robert Kelly from being assassinated by Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants. Of course the present-day X-Men get an unexpected visit from a future Kitty Pride who forewarns them that if they fail to save Senator Kelly, then the future of Mutantkind is doomed.

Towards the end of Brett Ratner’s X-Men: The Last Stand we saw that Professor X had been killed only to transfer his stream of consciousness into a comatose patient and that Magneto had his magnetic powers temporarily suppressed. So we may see the two on the battlefield alive and fully powered. These connections could also mean that there is a link between Days of Futures Past and the upcoming The Wolverine – which is said to take place after the events of The Last Stand.

There is a good chance that this could go south, especially since First Class somewhat screwed up the continuity of the X-Men Cinematic Universe. But as we all have seen before, changing the past has a huge affect on the future. Maybe we will see that happening in Days of Futures Past.

[Source: Twitter]