Sequels The Future Of The X-Men Film Franchise!

[TheVelvetOnion]

It sounds to me that Fox has resecured Bryan Singer back with the franchise for a longer period than just two films, Lauren Shuler Donner is very keen to seek out all avenues within time and I think it's safe to say that Fox is in a much better position with the franchise now than they was since 2005/6.

That said, i now feel we have secure at least four x-men films for the future... Wolverine 2 has a script, it's only a matter of time, X-Men First Class or as i suggest they call it X-Men The Origin - has bryan singer attached and they have a script or hes ironing out the script... eitherway its there its just a matter of time, Deadpool - will be made, but this is just a matter of time and place. And im kind of treating that movie outside of the usual x-men franchise. From what i hear Deadpool will be like the next blade series of films... It will have a different tone, alot of action and a merc with a mouth. Finally X4 - i have more faith now that it will be made than i did back in 2009.

We have essentially lost the Magneto movie, i must admit i was enthusatic about the film, but i was starting to come round to it. Personally i figured Magneto's origin and origin of the x-men which had xaviers origin thrown in too was to much of the same movie. So i am happy with there decession right now.

With this all said, my question is now... How happy are you with the future of the x-men films?... i see possibllity

With X-Men 4 - We could essentially have a new trilogy with a different generation of cast, the what happend next to Rogue, Iceman, Colossus, Angel and Shadowcat (Total 3 movies)

With Wolverine - again this has trilogy written all over it. 2 will be about japan and 3 will definatly be made to bridge the gap between the first film and the wolverine line of films... When Wolverine 3 is made that is probably when you will have hugh jackman retire from the rule. That doesnt actually seem good because hes already confirmed for wolverine 2 and if 3 thats it... Singer suggested wolverine appears in First Class in a small role. And figure this if the deadpool movie is a success. Who wouldnt want to see Wolverine and Deadpool have a re-match? so i say we have potential 4 more movies out of hugh jackman before he hangs up the claws.

With Deadpool - this is something that needs to be its own movie in its own right. By they way they have described it, Deadpool will be the New blade kind of movies. which would be cool. But it all holds with this first spin off and what they do to make it go boom.

And finally First Class - Now this could potentially be a trilogy but i dont think they will, purely because of all the other franchises out there and the interest in x-men 4. So First Class maywell be just one movie... again SHOULD be named X-Men The Origin.

So lots more to come

How do you feel?

 

[insane polaris]

I'd prefer a First Class trilogy than a post-X3 trilogy.
and I believe this is what will happen.

I think they're just mentioning X4 to give fans hope that it 'could' happen.
Once First Class becomes a success, I dont think they'll end that franchise... especially as they will have a new cheap cast, which audiences will have began to like.

 

[TheVelvetOnion]

i dunno... there is no plans to make first class into a trilogy. it is being made as a one off, where as x4 is already a continuation and idea for a trilogy to be based on.

 

[Deaths Head II]

If they weren't planning X4 they wouldn't mention it at all. They've been talking about a First Class trilogy this entire time and now that Singer is back they mention X4 for the first time in ages and they don't mention the prequel trilogy aspect. If they're just trying to give fans hope why didn't they do it for the last couple of years when all we heard was talk about prequels and spin offs?

 

[Electrix]

Lauren Shulder Donner said they intend to turn First Class into a new trilogy, which is what I hope they do.

If X-Men: First Class is a success there would be no point in going ahead with an X4. Not for a few years anyway. That would be the equivalent of Sony making the Spider-Man reboot and then green-lighting Spider-Man 4 again. The X-Men timeline isn't that solid to begin with, never mind jumping from prequels with new cast to distant sequels with the old cast in the space of a few years.

Donner has been talking about X4 and a New Mutant movie for a while now. They won't be happening anytime soon. She just likes throwing ideas out there.

Fox should make a First Class trilogy, finish whatever they're doing with Wolverine, and then start thinking about an X-Men trilogy set in the future.

 

[katie_girl09]

I don't want a First Class trilogy. I don't like the idea personally. I just want an X4.

 

[Deaths Head II]

Lauren Shulder Donner said they intend to turn First Class into a new trilogy, which is what I hope they do.

That's what she was saying before Singer signed on and they threw out the original script. Singer's First Class sounds very different since pre-Singer the talk was all about the teenagers getting into whacky hijinks and dealing with teen troubles while post-Singer the talk is about the relationship between Professor X and Magneto. Considering the fact that the trilogy idea hasn't been brought up since Singer came back while X4 has been brought up, I'm willing to bet the prequel trilogy is as dead as the Magneto spin off.

And it isn't along the same lines of making a reboot and then making a sequel to the old franchise. Once a reboot for Spidey occurs, that is it. People will have to forget the old franchise. Most people I know that don't keep up with X-Men news assume X4 is planned after the Wolverine film and that the Wolverine film is just a small divergence to tell everyone the story everyone wanted to hear. One more film taking it one step further to show the origins of the X-Men as well may or may not change that feeling, but it certainly isn't the same as a reboot. A reboot means letting go of the old continuity while a prequel might mean just taking a slight detour to show a different period in the continuity.

Not to mention X-Men wouldn't be the first series ever to go from prequel to sequel. Metal Gear Solid did the same thing and had a prequel before having a sequel 7 years after the product it was a sequel to had been released. I actually would follow MGS's way of doing it because in that series the prequel actually revealed hidden things about the story before it that set up for a sequel and couldn't be resolved in a prequel sequel. I would do something similar with the X-Films. Someone suggested having Mr. Sinister be a big manipulator in the events of the X-Films and I think that would be a good way to do it.

 

[BMM]

Personally, I wouldn't mind if First Class becomes a reboot of sorts because I think the films are becoming a jumbled mess, and I don't know where Fox will go after the First Class movie. X-Men 4 isn't the answer, and I honestly don't know how anyone can read the fan treatments for X-Men 4 and think they're not, well, bad (Good luck, writers!). I don't expect a reboot of sorts to happen (though I thought the Spider-Man reboot might make Fox rethink its position), but I think it would make things a lot easier rather than trying to salvage the current continuity with its bloated cast of cured and "dead" characters, problematic loose ends, and actors who aren't likely to return.

 

[Electrix]

That's what she was saying before Singer signed on and they threw out the original script. Singer's First Class sounds very different since pre-Singer the talk was all about the teenagers getting into whacky hijinks and dealing with teen troubles while post-Singer the talk is about the relationship between Professor X and Magneto. Considering the fact that the trilogy idea hasn't been brought up since Singer came back while X4 has been brought up, I'm willing to bet the prequel trilogy is as dead as the Magneto spin off.

Singer has been interviewed twice about X-Men: First Class since he signed on. I wouldn't be making conclusions such as the 'prequel trilogy being dead' before it has even begun. Just because he hasn't mentioned turning First Class into a trilogy in those 2 interviews doesn't mean they don't intend too (like they said last year) and just because Singer's First Class will focus more on Xavier and Magneto doesn't mean they won't either. The teens will still be a big part of it, Singer just wants to explore the relationship between Xavier and Magneto where as Josh Schwartz' script didn't.

In anything, the Xavier/Magneto focus will probably mean sequels are made so the storylines of Jean/Beast/Cyclops can be developed further. Fox won't set up these new younger characters and just leave it hanging. When the cast are signed up they will most likely sign 3 picture deals, and then if the film makes $400 million+ like the rest have they will probably move forward with a sequel.

Fox will jump at any opportunity to make another X-Men trilogy, and that's what they intend to do with First Class. Since when has a movie studio ever intended to make a superhero movie as a 'one off'?

 

[Deaths Head II]

Personally, I wouldn't mind if First Class becomes a reboot of sorts because I think the films are becoming a jumbled mess, and I don't know where Fox will go after the First Class movie. X-Men 4 isn't the answer, and I honestly don't know how anyone can read the fan treatments for X-Men 4 and think they're not, well, bad (Good luck, writers!). I don't expect a reboot of sorts to happen (though I thought the Spider-Man reboot might make Fox rethink its position), but I think it would make things a lot easier rather than trying to salvage the current continuity with its bloated cast of cured and "dead" characters, problematic loose ends, and actors who aren't likely to return.

They're not going to reboot now that Singer is back. Not to mention a prequel series is a creative dead end in a million ways and a worse alternative then just fixing the continuity and trying to move forward. Most people aren't interested in a prequel trilogy while most casual viewers are still expecting an X4 even after all this time. And considering the amount of time passed since the last film, they can take a very different route for the sequels.

Fox won't set up these new younger characters and just leave it hanging.

Just like they didn't leave it hanging with X3?

The way Singer has been talking about the script, I'm more willing to believe the concept has shifted and the main focus will be on Xavier and Magneto, making it less of a set up of a bunch of a new rad teen series and more of something simply created to elaborate on a plot element in the series. I don't think the teen unknown actors they hire will matter that much. They'll probably matter just as much as the young actors in X-Men Origin Wolverine.

Fox will jump at any opportunity to make another X-Men trilogy, and that's what they intend to do with First Class. Since when has a movie studio ever intended to make a superhero movie as a 'one off'?

Fox is obviously been stuck in the old way of planning superhero films one at a time. Just look at what happened to their X-Men Origins line and their obvious plans for a Post-X3 young X-Men film. They're playing everything by ear and any plan they come up with can go out the window at any second. I'm guessing that already happened with the FC trilogy idea now that Singer is back, though I guess we'll see whether or not that is true in the upcoming year or so.

 

[FaT_tONle]

I hope First Class spawns into a reboot, and I agree with the Electrix that it will. No reason to waste what will eventually be a young and hopefully talented cast with a talented director by just doing one film to lead in to a movie that is already ten years old.

The only problem is are they really going to do more Magneto? Even if Mags is a minor player in First Class, he will need to be featured later on. Here is my solution. Do TWO "prequel" films that loosely follow the story from the original trilogy. Meaning no Rogue or Wolverine, and no major continuity issues. And don't have Magneto as the main villain in either one. And if the movies are a major hit, the third First Class movie can pretty much be your X-Men one, and that's where you re-introduce Wolverine and Rogue and anyone else. I think two "prequels" would be important to leave more time between the original movies and allow more opportunities to set up different storylines outside of the typical Xavier vs Magneto conflict. What I don't want is a prequel trilogy, but that was not going to happen anyway.

Just like they didn't leave it hanging with X3?

The way Singer has been talking about the script, I'm more willing to believe the concept has shifted and the main focus will be on Xavier and Magneto, making it less of a set up of a bunch of a new rad teen series and more of something simply created to elaborate on a plot element in the series. I don't think the teen unknown actors they hire will matter that much. They'll probably matter just as much as the young actors in X-Men Origin Wolverine.

Yeah but now you contradict yourself. Sure you can explore that relationship more in depth which I am sure they will in FC, but isn't that essentially a dead end? Heck you could leave the mutants as ten year old kids throughout First Class, but that doesn't mean you still can't make a sequel to that now featuring Cyclops, Jean, and Beast. Then another sequel. It could EASILY be a reboot.

 

[Electrix]

Just like they didn't leave it hanging with X3?

They decided against an X4 directly after X3 because the budget was getting huge, the cast were too expensive and they would have had to keep getting bigger and bigger.

The way Singer has been talking about the script, I'm more willing to believe the concept has shifted and the main focus will be on Xavier and Magneto, making it less of a set up of a bunch of a new rad teen series and more of something simply created to elaborate on a plot element in the series. I don't think the teen unknown actors they hire will matter that much. They'll probably matter just as much as the young actors in X-Men Origin Wolverine.

Singer said First Class won't just be about the kids, it will also feature the Xavier/Magneto angle. He didn't say it was going to be the 'Xavier/Magneto movie featuring cameos from The X-Men'.

The unknown teens who are eventually cast as Beast/Jean/Cyclops etc. (ie. The X-Men) WILL matter. I can't believe you said they won't.

 

[FaT_tONle]

The unknown teens who are eventually cast as Beast/Jean/Cyclops etc. (ie. The X-Men) WILL matter. I can't believe you said they won't.

And what about the younger Magneto/Xavier they will have to eventually find? Just throw those actors away? And if they cast around 30ish for the two of them, are they really going to play convincing 70 year olds in X-4 three years later? So they'd go to waste as well.

 

[Deaths Head II]

Yeah but now you contradict yourself. Sure you can explore that relationship more in depth which I am sure they will in FC, but isn't that essentially a dead end? Heck you could leave the mutants as ten year old kids throughout First Class, but that doesn't mean you still can't make a sequel to that now featuring Cyclops, Jean, and Beast. Then another sequel. It could EASILY be a reboot.

I'm not contradicting myself. Analyzing Magneto and Professor X's relationship is fine in a stand alone prequel meant to elaborate on elements from the sequels is different from building an entire prequel series. There is a difference between a prequel meant to elaborate on it's sequels and one that is trying to become it's own series. One is just a look at the past of the characters, one is trying to make a new series in the past, which is ridiculous since there will always be a definite end point.

Not to mention, what is the point of building up a chronology that will forever lead up to a disappointing finale in X3? I would rather they at least make the attempt to move past X3 and fail then to make Shakespearean classics that lead up to X3 and forever end on X3. I just hate knowing that is the resolution to the characters and to the story.

They decided against an X4 directly after X3 because the budget was getting huge, the cast were too expensive and they would have had to keep getting bigger and bigger.

Which proves my point. Thank you. Fox is playing everything by ear and any plan can go out the window at any time.

Singer said First Class won't just be about the kids, it will also feature the Xavier/Magneto angle. He didn't say it was going to be the 'Xavier/Magneto movie featuring cameos from The X-Men'.

The unknown teens who are eventually cast as Beast/Jean/Cyclops etc. WILL matter.

The talk since Singer has come on and brought in a new script has been all about Magneto and Xavier. Like I said, this sounds more like a film elaborating on their relationship then setting up a new cast of teens. There is nothing to suggest that this is focused on the teens except the comments on the old script and because this was originally planned to be a loose adaptation of First Class. Most people have already surmised that they might be incorporating elements of the Magneto film. We have no idea what kind of a film this is going to be at this point so there is no guarantee that it'll be about the First Class or be more focused on the formation of the First Class.

The fact people are jumping to the conclusion that this a reboot in any way, shape, or form is a much bigger leap then the film being more about the formation of the original team rather then original team itself.

 

[FaT_tONle]

I'm not contradicting myself. Analyzing Magneto and Professor X's relationship is fine in a stand alone prequel meant to elaborate on elements from the sequels is different from building an entire prequel series. There is a difference between a prequel meant to elaborate on it's sequels and one that is trying to become it's own series. One is just a look at the past of the characters, one is trying to make a new series in the past, which is ridiculous since there will always be a definite end point.

And then you end up with a Wolverine situation where you have to account for a memory swipe after every movie. Assuming Deathstryke is in the movie, and I can't imagine she won't be, so there arises a continuity issue because Logan had no recollection of her in X-2. And heaven forbid they skip over the character and fail to elaborate because of that, what's the point in going to Japan in the first place? Other characters to explore, I get that, but let's see what they come up with.

Not to mention, what is the point of building up a chronology that will forever lead up to a disappointing finale in X3? I would rather they at least make the attempt to move past X3 and fail then to make Shakespearean classics that lead up to X3 and forever end on X3. I just hate knowing that is the resolution to the characters and to the story.

That's actually your problem because you think they will stay in continuity with these prequels. I recommend doing that for one, maybe two films... for the most part. After that I see no reason throwing away a cast you have already established for at least one prequel, hence a good chance it will lead in to a reboot. Every other character is getting one so... can't see why X-Men would be different.

The talk since Singer has come on and brought in a new script has been all about Magneto and Xavier. Like I said, this sounds more like a film elaborating on their relationship then setting up a new cast of teens. There is nothing to suggest that this is focused on the teens except the comments on the old script and because this was originally planned to be a loose adaptation of First Class. Most people have already surmised that they might be incorporating elements of the Magneto film. We have no idea what kind of a film this is going to be at this point so there is no guarantee that it'll be about the First Class or be more focused on the formation of the First Class.

The fact people are jumping to the conclusion that this a reboot in any way, shape, or form is a much bigger leap then the film will be more about the formation of the original team rather then original team itself.

I will put money that Cyke and Jean will be featured in a huge way... even if they get actors hitting puberty. You think they are doing a movie soley on Eric/Charles? That's a HUGE leap of faith. Otherwise, Singer would be directing Magneto, not X-Men FIRST CLASS...

 

[BMM]

They're not going to reboot now that Singer is back. Not to mention a prequel series is a creative dead end in a million ways and a worse alternative then just fixing the continuity and trying to move forward.

Trying to move forward for what, the whole three movies people keep talking about beyond The Last Stand? A prequel trilogy is no more a creative dead end than X-Men 4, 5, and 6 and it’s not nearly the logistical nightmare that the latter trilogy is, in my opinion.

Most people aren't interested in a prequel trilogy while most casual viewers are still expecting an X4 even after all this time.

You’re not equipped to make this assertion.

And considering the amount of time passed since the last film, they can take a very different route for the sequels.

If you’re going to take a very different route from what people are expecting, then why bother?

 

[Electrix]

Here's a collection of quotes from Singer regarding X-Men: First Class to give people a bit of perspective:

December 18th:

“This is the formative years of Xavier and Magneto, and the formation of the school and where there relationship took a wrong turn,” Singer said. “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.”

“Whether it’s ‘Batman,’ ‘Lord of the Rings’ or ‘Star Trek,’ if the characters are good, you want to see them on their journey even if you know their destiny,” Singer said. “I put myself in the fan’s position, and I think this story is something I would want to see, and so will they.”

December 22nd:

Heat Vision: What is the story?

Singer: I can’t tell you that; it’s secret. But it’s basically about the formation of the X-Men. How they began and the relationship between a young Xavier and a young Magneto.

March 18th:

“Just doing younger mutants is not enough. The story needs to be more than that. I love the relationship between Magneto and Xavier, these two men who have diametrically opposite points of view but still manage to be friends — to a point. They are the ultimate frenemies.”

So there will be a focus on the relationship between Xavier and Magneto, but that doesn't mean the X-teens will just have a glorified cameo. The X-Men will probably be a big issue for Xavier and Magneto and their friendship, with them both having different vision of what the X-Men stand for (we saw Eric and Xavier recruiting in X3). The romantic element may be Jean/Cyclops, so they will have other storylines other than just Xavier/Magneto.

 

[Deaths Head II]

And then you end up with a Wolverine situation where you have to account for a memory swipe after every movie. Assuming Deathstryke is in the movie, and I can't imagine she won't be, so there arises a continuity issue because Logan had no recollection of her in X-2. And heaven forbid they skip over the character and fail to elaborate because of that, what's the point in going to Japan in the first place? Other characters to explore, I get that, but let's see what they come up with.

First of all, I was talking about First Class, not Wolverine. Second of all, there is nothing that suggests Deathstrike will be in Wolverine 2. Third of all, the point of Wolverine 2 is too tell the story of Wolverine in Japan, a classic tale from the comics. It doesn't have a point as a prequel though because Fox didn't even plan those films out properly. Even X-Men Origins: Wolverine wasn't a story that needed telling because it didn't have proper direction. It didn't expand on Wolverine's character in any meaningful way. First Class will probably be different because it has Singer behind it.

That's actually your problem because you think they will stay in continuity with these prequels. I recommend doing that for one, maybe two films... for the most part. After that I see no reason throwing away a cast you have already established for at least one prequel, hence a good chance it will lead in to a reboot. Every other character is getting one so... can't see why X-Men would be different.

If this was a reboot, they would have announced it already. To have a prequel lead into a reboot is the most confusing thing ever. Not to mention it would be a gigantic waste to start out influenced by the X-Films and then drop it later. If you're going to make a reboot why not make it MORE accurate to the books not the same level of accuracy?

This idea of a prequel leading into a reboot sounds terrible to me. I say they either go prequel trilogy or full reboot. If you're going to have a reboot with the exact same director and the exact same level of accuracy what is the point? All its going to do is hurt future reboot options for X-Men under Marvel Studios just like the Sony Spider-Man reboot will. The only reason Sony even resorted to a reboot is because Raimi wasn't playing along. Fox got Singer and the franchise is still making money. Why would they reboot? So they can lose Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, the big money maker?

Not to mention how confusing it will be for the audience. When does the reboot start? Wolverine might still be going on after that time. Will First Class be the start or will Wolverine retroactively be the start? Will there be two different X-Men storylines going on at the same time? Just the idea of going prequel and gradually becoming a reboot is 100% sure to confuse everyone. Retroactively making something a reboot is just ridiculous.

Fox: First Class 3 is coming out. Yeah, Wolverine is being played by a new actor. First Class was actually a reboot, guys. Uh...surprise?

I will put money that Cyke and Jean will be featured in a huge way... even if they get actors hitting puberty. You think they are doing a movie soley on Eric/Charles? That's a HUGE leap of faith. Otherwise, Singer would be directing Magneto, not X-Men FIRST CLASS...

Magneto was put on the shelf a long time ago. Not to mention an X-Men film is way more marketable then a Magneto film so it would be way more profitable to take the remnants from Magneto and use them for this film. Now they have the X-Men title and more possibility for X-Men to appear.

Trying to move forward for what, the whole three movies people keep talking about beyond The Last Stand? A prequel trilogy is no more a creative dead end than X-Men 4, 5, and 6 and it’s not nearly the logistical nightmare that the latter trilogy is, in my opinion.

Yes it is more a creative dead end and it's more pointless. A prequel trilogy means the characters will devolve no matter how well they develop in the prequel trilogy. They can build Cyclops up as a confident leader but he'll still devolve into the needy emotional wreck that abandons his duties after Jean dies. They can show Professor X have a father-son relationship with Cyclops and it won't matter since X3 shows he's willing to give up on Cyclops. What can they even do with Storm? Her character changes so much in the trilogy. Make her like her comic self so she can change into a more passive character and then a more aggressive character again? Have her like she is in X1 the entire time? So many options and all of them are rendered completely meaningless by the fact its a prequel.

In a sequel, there can be development. The characters can have closure. I don't even know how you can even argue that a prequel is more of a dead end then a sequel since a sequel can have the character progress and improve. Cyclops could become more of a leader and learn to accept life without Jean. Rogue could learn to accept who she is and not change herself for some boy. Collosus can grow a personality. The fact that X-Trilogy is the end of the road for these characters would be a tragedy, and like I said I don't care how great a prequel trilogy would be since the conclusion will always be X3. All their development, progress and improvement will lead to X3 and it will forever feel like a waste.

You’re not equipped to make this assertion.

Well, I'm just talking about what my own personal experiences, but I doubt the casual film goer is going to be rooting for a prequel over a sequel. Just the fact that Wolverine isn't in the prequels is enough for me to be confident in that claim. Most causal viewers I know don't even know First Class is coming and wonder when X4 is gonna come out.

If you’re going to take a very different route from what people are expecting, then why bother?

I don't understand this argument. You bother because the story can actually develop and move forward. Even if it's a dramatically different direction at least the characters can develop and the story can progress.

So there will be a focus on the relationship between Xavier and Magneto, but that doesn't mean the X-teens will just have a glorified cameo. The X-Men will probably be a big issue for Xavier and Magneto and their friendship, with them both having different vision of what the X-Men stand for (we saw Eric and Xavier recruiting in X3). The romantic element may be Jean/Cyclops, so they will have other storylines other than just Xavier/Magneto.

For all we know the romantic element could be Xavier and Moira or Magneto and his wife or whatever. The fact he said "some of the mutants from X-Men will factor in the plot" just doesn't sound like wording that means "this is setting up a teen mutant team for the sequels." It sounds like the X-Men that will appear for the sake of being factored into the story not to start their own series. And the fact that Xavier and Magneto would argue about the direction of the school doesn't mean much, since the students could just boil down to plot devices.

Heck, we don't even know what the First Class is now. It might not even be Scott, Jean, Hank, or Storm. We only suspect that because those guys were brought up in interviews about the old script. You'd think Singer would mention them because they were already talked about in the old script but he just says he can't name the X-Men mutants that show up. It could be some new mutants that didn't show up in the series, the mutants they had in the school already before they met Jean in X3. It could even take place before X-Men Origins: Wolverine. That would be actually funny, since a lot of people kept saying they should ignore Wolverine, and then they'll have their wish with a prequel trilogy without Cyclops, Emma, or Gambit.

There really is no telling what Singer's First Class is going to be at this point and Fox's original plans are extremely free to change because any plan they might have could go out the window at any moment.

 

[TheVelvetOnion]

Lets look at it at its core...

The X-Men Trilogy and Spin Off, was all about wolverine - to some level, at all angles it really was just a woverine focus movie...

maybe having a prequel trilogy - will give you a better understand of the core character that didnt get the chance to really develope there character in the wolverine themed movies... you have to question, what made Cyclops a leader, How did Jean Grey end up with Cyclops, How did Beast become politically involved with the mutant cause, where does storm fit into the saga, how did magneto and xavier fall out... all those loose ends was never picked up yet they had that oppertunity in the current trilogy but was never used. I mean you had that whole Wolverine, Jean Grey tension, yet the relationship between cyclops and Jean was only present in the first movie. Beast was only in one movie but even still he was a former x-man yet no mention why he left, why he went into politics... wasted. And at the end of the day why did professor xavier and eric lenshire fall out... Even in xaviers death was it explained.

So i think a Prequel trilogy will explore alot of those factors.

On the other hand we still havent had full development of the future x-men characters, Rogue, Iceman, Angel, Colossus, Shadow Cat. a future trilogy has a message too.

firstly look at the comics, when wonda maximoff caused all those mutants to lose there powers the events are still felt even to this day in the comics. When she did that 3 million mutants lost there powers (very similar to how after the x-men last stand story line with the cure... how many mutants was left?) the decimation then lead to a civil war where almost mutant registration act was created, and the war grew stronger.. even resulting in no mutant mating so no more mutants would be born. Its hostile at the moment and that is really what you want to think about what has happend after x3...

Magneto had his war, although he lost, you would think a lesson would of occured for xaviers dream of peaceful co-existance... nope. All Magneto did was put fuel on the mutant/human rivalry...

if there was a future x-men trilogy x4 to x6... it will be grander in scale im talking a story as large as the star wars saga.

So i am on board for both trilogy ideas

 

[BMM]

Fox got Singer and the franchise is still making money. Why would they reboot? So they can lose Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, the big money maker?

If they have a suitable director fans like and one already familiar with the universe, and if the franchise is capable of making money regardless, then why not reboot? They could reboot to avoid the prequels you deem a dead end and the sequel I deem a convoluted mess and money pit. As for Jackman, Fox is going to lose him anyway, so the studio might as well get over it. He’s played Wolverine in four X-Men films, soon to be five. Jackman isn’t getting any younger and he isn’t going to play the character forever. Besides, I’m sure there are plenty of other things the man would like to do with his time other than making X-Men movies into his fifties.

Yes it is more a creative dead end and it's more pointless. A prequel trilogy means the characters will devolve no matter how well they develop in the prequel trilogy. They can build Cyclops up as a confident leader but he'll still devolve into the needy emotional wreck that abandons his duties after Jean dies. They can show Professor X have a father-son relationship with Cyclops and it won't matter since X3 shows he's willing to give up on Cyclops. What can they even do with Storm? Her character changes so much in the trilogy. Make her like her comic self so she can change into a more passive character and then a more aggressive character again? Have her like she is in X1 the entire time? So many options and all of them are rendered completely meaningless by the fact its a prequel.

In a sequel, there can be development. The characters can have closure. I don't even know how you can even argue that a prequel is more of a dead end then a sequel since a sequel can have the character progress and improve. Cyclops could become more of a leader and learn to accept life without Jean. Rogue could learn to accept who she is and not change herself for some boy. Collosus can grow a personality. The fact that X-Trilogy is the end of the road for these characters would be a tragedy, and like I said I don't care how great a prequel trilogy would be since the conclusion will always be X3. All their development, progress and improvement will lead to X3 and it will forever feel like a waste.

Your dislike of X-Men: The Last Stand does not make exploring the origins of the X-Men a creative dead end, nor does it make it pointless. There can be development in a prequel of old and new characters alike, and some might argue that, despite your dissatisfaction (and mine as well), that characters in The Last Stand received closure and it isn't a bother to them one way or the other.

The more I read, the more it sounds like progress is really just people wanting to revert the characters back to the way they were before The Last Stand and circumvent the outcome of the movie altogether, without any regard for the integrity of X-Men 4 in the process.

Well, I'm just talking about what my own personal experiences, but I doubt the casual film goer is going to be rooting for a prequel over a sequel. Just the fact that Wolverine isn't in the prequels is enough for me to be confident in that claim. Most causal viewers I know don't even know First Class is coming and wonder when X4 is gonna come out.

If that's their hang-up, then how will they react when they learn Jackman may not return for X-Men 4, let alone X-Men 5 and 6???

I don't understand this argument. You bother because the story can actually develop and move forward. Even if it's a dramatically different direction at least the characters can develop and the story can progress.

You say people are still anticipating X-Men 4. The only reason people would be anticipating X-Men 4 is because they like what they saw in the previous films, yet you suggest going in a dramatically different direction. If that's the case, then what's the point? Why bother, if you're just going deviate from what made people like them in the first place?

 

[Deaths Head II]

If they have a suitable director fans like and one already familiar with the universe, and if the franchise is capable of making money regardless, then why not reboot? They could reboot to avoid the prequels you deem a dead end and the sequel I deem a convoluted mess and money pit. As for Jackman, Fox is going to lose him anyway, so the studio might as well get over it. He’s played Wolverine in four X-Men films, soon to be five. Jackman isn’t getting any younger and he isn’t going to play the character forever. Besides, I’m sure there are plenty of other things the man would like to do with his time other than making X-Men movies into his fifties.

They're not going to reboot until they're completely sure they're done with Hugh Jackman. He's still on for Wolverine 2 and he has already been shown to have been coaxing Singer to working on a project with him, which more or may not be Wolverine 2. If they got Singer for X4, chances are Singer could at least convince Jackman to make an appearance. They're not going to stop milking that well until it's completely dry. The only reason Sony rebooted is because they lost Raimi and with him they probably lost the rest of the cast since they all supported Raimi. Fox has Singer and they have Jackman for the time being working on the franchise the two of them started. They're not rebooting with First Class.

Not to mention going with the same director that started the old idea really defeats the purpose of a reboot, which is to completely reimagine the series. Not to mention it assumes Singer will want to throw out his original films with Ratner's and Hood's. Not to mention the reboot you're all suggesting is a weird prequel morphing into reboot. Do you honestly think Fox is even going to go for that?

Your dislike of X-Men: The Last Stand does not make exploring the origins of the X-Men a creative dead end, nor does it make it pointless. There can be development in a prequel of old and new characters alike, and some might argue that, despite your dissatisfaction (and mine as well), that characters in The Last Stand received closure and it isn't a bother to them one way or the other.

If they explore the characters as they are, then I'm not interested. I don't want to see Cyclops as a passive guy dependent on Jean and even taking orders from her. I don't want to see *****e Professor X or passive Storm.

If they make them better then they are in the trilogy then it IS pointless because all the characters change to their trilogy personae. Professor X's scenes as a father figure don't matter because he gives up on Cyclops later in the series. Cyclops as a confident leader doesn't matter because all it takes for another alpha male to appear to make him fade into the background and all it takes is for him to lose Jean to completely break him as a human being.

The more I read, the more it sounds like progress is really just people wanting to revert the characters back to the way they were before The Last Stand and circumvent the outcome of the movie altogether, without any regard for the integrity of X-Men 4 in the process.

Even X3 wanted to circumvent the outcome of the movie. The ending revealed the cure might be temporary and that Professor X was alive. The movie itself leaves backdoors for a sequel to exploit, so it's natural that almost everyone wants to circumvent the ending.

Heck, going back to the argument of closure, that right there is wrong. Where is the closure for the Magneto that regained his powers? Where the heck is the closure for the Professor X that woke up in his ex-lover's patient's bed?

If that's their hang-up, then how will they react when they learn Jackman may not return for X-Men 4, let alone X-Men 5 and 6???

Shocked, I'm sure. But between the option that has zero possibility of Hugh as Wolverine returning EVER AGAIN FOR THE REST OF TIME and the option that has the possibility of Hugh as Wolverine returning even for a bit sometime down the line (even if it's an Old Man Logan spin off)..I don't think it's hard to tell which wins out.

You say people are still anticipating X-Men 4. The only reason people would be anticipating X-Men 4 is because they like what they saw in the previous films, yet you suggest going in a dramatically different direction. If that's the case, then what's the point? Why bother, if you're just going deviate from what made people like them in the first place?

I never knew anticipated sequels have to be something viewers have to be expecting. I better call James Cameron and tell him not turn the Alien franchise into an action series.

 

[FaT_tONle]

First of all, I was talking about First Class, not Wolverine. Second of all, there is nothing that suggests Deathstrike will be in Wolverine 2. Third of all, the point of Wolverine 2 is too tell the story of Wolverine in Japan, a classic tale from the comics. It doesn't have a point as a prequel though because Fox didn't even plan those films out properly. Even X-Men Origins: Wolverine wasn't a story that needed telling because it didn't have proper direction. It didn't expand on Wolverine's character in any meaningful way. First Class will probably be different because it has Singer behind it.

We can only hope. But it would be a shame if we go through all the planning and flawless execution, only to find out it's a one off prequel and Singer leaves the franchise yet again after First Class. Hell, I'd be appreciative of a well done prequel, but it does make it a moot point if that's all she wrote.

If this was a reboot, they would have announced it already. To have a prequel lead into a reboot is the most confusing thing ever. Not to mention it would be a gigantic waste to start out influenced by the X-Films and then drop it later. If you're going to make a reboot why not make it MORE accurate to the books not the same level of accuracy?

Not really. You are essentially starting from scratch. There is no previous baggage. You are not foreboding any events directly from the original trilogy, other than the basic premise of a human vs mutant war and the similar (or perhaps altered) characterizations. It can loosely adapt as a prequel(s) with the potential to sprout into a completely different interpretation from the OT. You could let Singer make a film that can co-exist with the original trilogy, but you leave it wide open, plant new seeds and create different avenues for the eventual successor of the franchise.

This idea of a prequel leading into a reboot sounds terrible to me. I say they either go prequel trilogy or full reboot. If you're going to have a reboot with the exact same director and the exact same level of accuracy what is the point?

They are not going to do a prequel trilogy that will essentially kill appearances of every young mutant they established in the OT for three films, from Bobby and Rogue to Kitty and Pyro among others. Not to mention Wolverine wouldn't ever show up (horrible business), unless it's a completely irrelevant side plot as far as the X-Men are concerned. And you have to once again build up to the Xavier/Magneto conflict again. We don't need three more films for that. Besides, you can develop the pre-X-Men movieverse through spinoffs instead of a prequel trilogy.

All its going to do is hurt future reboot options for X-Men under Marvel Studios just like the Sony Spider-Man reboot will. The only reason Sony even resorted to a reboot is because Raimi wasn't playing along.

As far as future reboots at Marvel, it doesn't hurt more than it already will. Sony is digressing and once again by revisiting the high school years, which is what they already covered. Fox would be doing the same with a prequel trilogy or the preboot idea that I layed out, covering **** they already covered, which is good because that way Marvel can pick up the new storylines that were omitted and start off fresh, with the basics completely covered and out of the way.

Fox got Singer and the franchise is still making money. Why would they reboot? So they can lose Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, the big money maker?

The cast is irrelevant. As was mentioned, Jackman will be out. I'll be shocked if there is a third Wolverine. Maybe a cameo in First Class to officially cement his c*** into the character. Patrick and Ian are gone as well, this will be the case whether it's three prequels or three sequels. And it is always easier to recast when you start over from scratch. Imagine doing a prequel, then having to recast everyone all over again because most of the actors are too young to be believable in X-4. It's not like Fox can sit on the property for ten years either.

Not to mention how confusing it will be for the audience. When does the reboot start? Wolverine might still be going on after that time. Will First Class be the start or will Wolverine retroactively be the start? Will there be two different X-Men storylines going on at the same time? Just the idea of going prequel and gradually becoming a reboot is 100% sure to confuse everyone. Retroactively making something a reboot is just ridiculous.

Wolverine's story will be in Japan and will have little bearing as you said yourself. Wolverine 3 is anyones guess, but will probably have little to do with the X-Men regardless of the direction they take the franchise. And you will have to recast him anyway once Wolverine fully rejoins the team. Even with a reboot, it wouldn't be a stretch imagining the mutant roster that was freed in Origins to be part of the First Class.

Fox: First Class 3 is coming out. Yeah, Wolverine is being played by a new actor. First Class was actually a reboot, guys. Uh...surprise?

How is a prequel that eventually ends up rebooting the OT so confusing? You are staying in continuity from the previous film and deviating from movies that become older by the minute. There won't be two concurrent timelines.

You said yourself that you hate the X-3 continuity. Sure we all have our solutions for X-4, but who is to say Cyke is brought back and done correctly? What body is Xavier going to show up in with Patrick getting old. They can't CGI everyone. Look, I don't mind if we get a prequel or even a prequel trilogy, so long as they rectify some characters and their development in X-4. X-3 can be ingrained in the continuity just as much as the first two films. But we don't have that reassurance. It could very well be Storm and Logan as head masters with a bunch of new mutants and a younger team, or something that too conveniently follows the likes of X-3. That's what I am afraid of. If we had insurance that X-4 would address concerns the fans had after X-3, they could do 6 prequels to the OT for all I care. I obviously don't trust them for X-4.

 

[Deaths Head II]

Well with the news that Singer might not be directing X-Men First Class, all I'll say is that if First Class is a reboot I'll be skipping this new age of X-Men films. I gave up on Fox finding a good replacement for him long ago.

 

[X-Maniac]

It's really not clear what people actually want.

If you get Singer back, you are likely to get his characterisations. Which people don't really seem to like (passive Storm, alpha-male Wolverine, marginalised Cyclops, whiny Rogue with no Ms Marvel powers, rogue/iceman relationship).

If you don't have Singer, you will of course have different characterisations but you are saying you will then freak out over the characters being different to the Singer versions.

For God's sake folks, you can't have it all ways. Pick something and accept the consequences. This constant dissatisfaction with every available option is tiresome beyond belief.

 

[GregComicFan]

I may be in the minority, but I think X-Men is the one superhero franchise that NEEDS to be rebooted, even more so than Spiderman.

I say start the whole thing over starting with FIRST CLASS.

X-Men 4 doesn't need to ever happen.

Nor does Wolverine 2.

From the very beginning, Singer's X-Men was more so "Wolverine and his pals". He did a good job with the Xavier/Magneto relationship, but I think a lot of his characterizations were uninteresting. Storm, Cyclops, Jean... none of these characters ever really became interesting or grew to be dynamic characters in Singer's version. I'd say Singer only did a good job with Logan, Xavier, and Magneto. That's it. Also, the action scenes were never all that great... I think a lot of missed opportunities occurred (No Sentinels, Why is Magneto the only super villian?, etc.)... and then X-Men The Last Stand just totally screwed the pooch with a crappy Dark Pheonix, killing Cyclops, killing Xavier, and depowering Rogue and Magneto... ugh, the list goes on and on ... just reboot the whole thing please.

And on top of all that, now Wolverine is getting his own spin-offs, and I thought "Wolverine" totally sucked even worse than The Last Stand... so now this marginally good/poor-third-film franchise is getting even crappier spin-off films. haha. Just put a fork in it.