Although there's no set release date yet or even any kind of plot, it looks like a lot of information has leaked about the next X-Men film.
While we're waiting on an official release from the studio, it looks as though that another X-Men film is happening, as both James McAvoy and Sophie Turner have more or less announced as such via social media. We've collated the information together from various sources, so here's what we've got so far...
WAIT A SECOND, I THOUGHT LOGAN WAS THE LAST X-MEN MOVIE?
No, it's the last time Hugh Jackman will be playing Wolverine. He's been pretty adamant about that fact and, when you see the film, you'll know why. It's unlike any other X-Men film - or superhero film, for that matter - that you've seen before. More to the point, X-Men is going to be radically different from here on out. X-Men: Apocalypse was a dud, both critically and commercially, so obviously the formula needs to be rewritten pretty extensively.
OK, SO WHAT IS THE NEXT X-MEN MOVIE?
At this point, nobody knows and that's what's making it so confusing for people. There are two new X-Men movies on the way. One we know for certain is called X-Men: The New Mutants and the other has a working title called Supernova. Josh Boone, who made The Fault In Our Stars, is signed on and confirmed to direct The New Mutants, whilst Simon Kinberg is apparently looking to direct Supernova.
WHO'S SIMON KINBERG? WHY IS HE DIRECTING?
That hasn't been confirmed yet. Collider is reporting that Simon Kinberg wants to make Supernova his directorial debut. Kinberg has been heavily involved with X-Men, almost as long as Bryan Singer, in both writing and producing for the film franchise. Kinberg wrote Apocalypse, Days Of Future Past and The Last Stand and acted as a producer on all of these, as well as X-Men: First Class. He's also listed on iMDB as an uncredited second unit director on the botched Fantastic Four, so he has some experience.
OK, SO WHAT'S SUPERNOVA AND WHAT'S THE NEW MUTANTS?
The New Mutants is based on a comic-book series about the first graduates from Professor's X School For Gifted Children. Basically, all the kids you saw in Apocalypse - Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Jubilee - are now the X-Men and the new students coming up are the focus of this. Maisie Williams of Game Of Thrones is said to be involved, as is James McAvoy who'll be reprising his role as Professor X.
Supernova, as we said, is a working title. However, most people in the know seem to think that it's going to follow the Dark Phoenix storyline from the comics. What's that, you ask? Remember in X-Men: The Last Stand when you had the digitally de-aged Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart visit Jean Grey as a child and recruit her to the X-Men? That's pretty much it. She's a hugely powerful mutant, not able to control her powers, goes insane and murders billions of people in the process. It gets... weird. It's one of the most popular storylines of the X-Men series, so it's not surprising they're trying to take it on.
ALL THESE TIMELINES ARE SO CONFUSING...
Yeah, you're not the only one who thinks so. James Mangold, who directed Logan and The Wolverine, referred to it as the Pretzel Timeline. Where Supernova and The New Mutants fits into all of that is literally anybody's guess. The prevailing theory, however, is that Fox wants to push forward with the newer members - Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, Tye Sheridan as Cyclops, James McAvoy as Professor X and maybe even Michael Fassbender in there as Magneto. Whether or not Patrick Stewart factors into that, however, remains to be seen. An Instagram post showed Simon Kinberg meeting with McAvoy and Stewart, so it's likely he's going to feature in it in some way. Precisely how and why, we don't know.
IS DEADPOOL INVOLVED IN ANY OF THIS?
Definitely not. Deadpool is very much out on his own track and, by all accounts, that's the way Ryan Reynolds wants it. For one, Deadpool has much more adult language and humour - which doesn't fit into the current makeup of X-Men. Moreover, there was a specific joke about how confusing and (whisper it) boring the X-Men are, so you're definitely not going to see Deadpool turn up in X-Men or vice-versa. Unless, of course, it's a cameo of some kind. That might happen, but it's not likely.
SO WHEN WILL WE KNOW MORE?
Soon enough. The New Mutants is apparently meant to begin production in May, and we'll likely see something in the way of official confirmation on Kinberg directing in the next month or two. Logan's tracking big numbers ahead of its release and there's a wave of good will behind it. Fox, if they're smart, will shut up about the future X-Men films for the time being and let Logan own the news-cycle for the next while. All likelihood, we won't know anything concrete until the summer - if at all, in fact.
