The Cast of X-Men: First Class courtesy Marvel.com
Fox is turning to a director of hits past to carry on the X-Men franchise. Bryan Singer is officially coming back to the mansion! The director who launched the X-Men film franchise will helm X-Men: Days of Future Past according to Deadline. X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn stepped away the director’s chair but may continue to have a role as a producer.
The story will be based on the classic story by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. In the mutants have been nearly wiped out by giant robots called Sentinels. Imprisoned X-Men from the future send Kitty Pryde into the past to rally the X-Men of the time to prevent an assassination that leads to their horrific future. Wolverine leads the resistance movement and a last stand (pardon the pun and remembrance of movies past) against the Sentinels. This storyline could mean the possibility of Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ellen Page and Daniel Cudmore reprising their roles. With makeup magic that could appear as older, broken versions of the characters they played in the first trilogy. This story is also noted for the introduction of Rachel Summers (daughter of Cyclops and Jean Grey) and Franklin Richards (son of Reed and Sue of the Fantastic Four.)
I was so excited by the preview art and upcoming stories in Wolverine and the X-Men that I had to divide it up in two posts. Jason Aaron mixes action and humor but let’s talk about love at the Jean Grey School.
Kitty Pryde and Bobby Drake? Quentin Quire and Idie? Toad and Husk? Jason Aaron took unlikely couples and started spinning some sweet, and often hilarious romances. And I was a devout Kitty/Colossus fan! Aaron acknowledges the Kitty/Colossus fan base.
“I know some of the hardcore X-Men fans want Kitty and Colossus, but to me, one of the big themes of Wolverine & The X-Men is change, these characters growing up. It’s a book about family, about moving from childhood into adulthood, and Kitty and Iceman fit that perfectly to me. Once they were both the X-Men kids and now they’re basically Professor X. They’re bonding over that. They’re not necessarily head over heels in love, but there’s something there they want to explore.” – Jason Aaron
Here’s what Aaron revealed about upcoming issues and how it might affect other budding sweethearts at the Jean Grey School.
Will Toad be heartbroken because “the core of issue #19 is that Husk has left the school so they’re hiring a new teacher. ”
“Even though Husk has left the main cast, her story is not over. She’ll pop up in a crazy location,” Aaron shared, ” And even though she’ll be out of the book, you can follow her on Twitter. A Twitter mini-series focusing on Husk, unfolding in real time!”
Wolverine and the X-Men #21 courtesy Marvel
Storm will become a teacher at the school. There is an upcoming cover in which Logan and Ororo kiss! Is this the latest power couple on campus?
“I’m a huge Storm fan, so when I knew the Utopia team was breaking up, I wanted to bring her in,” said Aaron, “I love having strong women in the book, so she joins Kitty and Rachel.”
Bobby has reached a new level of using his mutant power and confidence! Did you him kissing Kitty Pryde!
“We’ve been building for a while to Iceman and Kitty going on their first date, so we’ll see that,” teased Aaron, “There’s something going on with Logan and Storm as well. They have a long history.”
It’s not just the staff of the Jean Grey School hooking up! The tragic Idie may bring out the softer side of snarky Kid Omega. Aaron teased the romantic forecast among the students:
“There’s a lot of stuff to come with Idie and Quentin, not all romantic in nature. There’s lots to come with Genesis, our Kid Apocalypse. Rick Remender have talked a lot about him. We’ve been shaping that story for a couple of years and have stuff planned as far as 2014. There will also be a surprising relationship with one of the kids.”
Editor Nick Lowe said to expect Pixie to appear at the school. She won’t have a big role in the book but “will have a place in the Marvel Now.”
For the entire interview and new art here’s Marvel.com link. Here’s my first post about the Wolverine and the X-Men preview including stories in Savage land, Logan’s brother and the fate of Broo and more.
Wolverine and the X-Men #4 cover courtesy Marvel.com
Wolverine and the X-Men became my favorite post-Schim X-book. Jason Aaron was pitch perfect balancing action with dark humor, romance, teen angst and ultimately a shocking tragedy.
It’s back to school time. Writer Jason Aaron and Editor Nick Lowe share their lesson plan for the students and staff of the Jean Grey School. One character that experienced huge growth was the arrogant heir to the Shi’ar throne. Kubark learned to love his human classmates and was humbled when his father was brutally beaten Continue reading Wolverine’s Brother, Jean Grey and More X-Men Plans
The Cast of X-Men: First Class courtesy Marvel.com
Brace yourself X-fans!
Matthew Vaughn has decided to not direct the sequel to X-Men: First Class.
His possible replacement: Bryan Singer.
All this behind the scenes drama is according to Deadline. The story calls X-Men: Days of FuturePast a spinoff instead of a sequel. Hmmmm.
Singer launched the film franchise and directed X-Men and X2: X-Men United. Singer has been heavily involved with the sequel as a writer/producer. Vaughn and Singer could eventually swap roles on the film with Vaughn producing the script treatment he worked on with Simon Kinberg.
Mark Millar was recently hired as Creative Consultant for the Marvel superheroes franchises controlled by Fox. Vaughn directed the film version of Millar’s Kick-Ass but bowed out of the sequel. Could Millar be moving Vaughn into a film based on one of his other creations: Secret Service, Superior?
Fox controls the movie futue of the Fantastic Four. Josh Trank is directing but could Vaughn give his writing or producing expertise to the reboot of Marvel’s First Family on the big screen?
I loved the first two X-Men films by Singer and feel like this is a “coming home” for the creator. I still hope Days of Future Past (with it’s time travel elements) could reboot the X-Men films set in the present.
The Children of the Atom are mutating again. Will a blast from the past reinvigorate the future for Marvel’s mutants? In All-New X-Men #1 Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen bring the original five teen mutants from the past in the Marvel Now. Bendis and X-Men Editor Nick Lowe talk about the time twist and how it will affect the mutants on Marvel.com.
In many ways All-New X-Men is a twist on Chris Claremont’s Day of Future Past. Scott, Jean, Hank, Bobby and Warren of the past have arrived in what to them is a horrific future. Their mentor is dead. Cyclops is in prison for the murder. Anti-mutant hate is raging. The X-Men are without a leader. How will the meeting of past and present X-Men affect the mutant and Marvel universe?
“I am fascinated by the power and responsibility of abusing time travel for your own selfish purposes. I do believe it will create a butterfly effect,” Bendis said, “something that happens in All New X-Men will create a cosmic stir.”
After Schism – Logan rebuilt the a school for mutants. I’m a huge fan of Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron. The staff and students of the Jean School will be front and center in the new book.
“The time traveling X-Men will be trained in the Wolverine school is different and unique ways,” Bendis said, “Hate is very interesting to write but someone appreciating you for your differences will be explored.”
All-New X-Men #2 courtesy Marvel
Bendis revealed that the core of the new book is not just old X-Men.
“There’s a lot more going on in the book than just the five coming here,” he said. “A lot of it has to do with modern day Cyclops and who his alliances are with. That will take shape very quickly in the first issue — a very new X-Men idea. What he’s going to do is a completely different shape akin to when the Avengers moved from Avengers Mansion to Avengers Tower.” “There’s new X-Men. We’re not calling it ‘All-New X-Men’ for nothing. There are all new X-Men debuting in our first issue. Brand new characters, you’re welcome Fox. They’re going to be representing a new look at mutants … a very modern take. All this is going on in every issue going forward.”
During his Avengers run Bendis’s stories (“No More Mutants” in House of M, The Dark X-Men and formation of Utopia in Dark Reign) had a huge impact on the mutants. Expect Bendis’s X-Men stories to affect the entire Universe. The
“I want to make the X-Men a part of the Marvel Universe proper,”he said. “you’ll see the X-Men interacting with The Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy.”
This is exciting news. The mutants have a stellar (pardon the pun) tradition of conflicts with alien races (The Shi’ar, The Brood, The Skrulls) and there’s a rich history of family connections (The Starjammers, Vulcan, Phoenix – Jean and Rachel, Deathbird) with those alien empires. Bendis is writing a brand new Guardians of the Galaxy series. Maybe we’ll revisit the infamous M’Krann Crystal?
Bendis said he did not want to bring the Professor X of the past into the here and now “I considered Professor X like a wet blanket”
The way this story is structured is that since Xavier won’t be there, he won’t be able to “mind-wipe” the X-Men.
All-New X-Men #4 courtesy Marvel
I have openly said AvX should have been called Operation: Let’s Make Eveybody Hate Cyclops. The leader now sits in prison (for his actions as the Dark Phoenix) even though he was right about the role of the Phoenix Force and the restarting of the mutant race. Bendis revealed how Scott will not be left rotting in prison and off the burner.
“To the world at large, the public doesn’t know Cyclops killed Xavier,” revealed Bendis. “Even though everybody saw it … everybody saw a different thing. To the public, there was a very cool guy named Scott Summers [who changed the world], did it and then suddenly disappeared.” Bendis said Cyclops will become a very public face of a mutant revolution. “When I say these things, it’s not everyone. There are some people who really like him, there are some who really don’t.” The X-Men will be forced to change their roles and everyone has very different ideas on how to handle Cyclops.”
Bendis said to watch out for a certain shapeshifter!
“A very big, positioned antagonist is going to be Mystique,” Bendis said. “She’s going to be very interested in the past X-Men coming here.”
In Uncanny X-Men #20 Kieron Gillen wrapped up the story of Cyclops’s Extinction Team. It was a satisfying ending, set up some characters for their new roles in the Marvel Now and left some intriguing possibilities for others.
You could say Gillen was back for a post-op in his final X-Position (a must read each week for me) on Comic Book Resources. I wanted to share some of the best answers and my thoughts on them.
Colossus has been a tortured soul for years. Peter was possessed by Cyttorak, became the Juggernaut and it cost him Kitty Pryde. Colossus became a member of the Phoenix Five and created hell on earth with Magik. Turns out Peter was being tortured by his twisted sister the whole time. A fan asked if Peter was the only member of the Phoenix Five who regretted his actions in the Avengers vs. X-Men conflict.
“Well, Colossus does like having a big ol’ whine.
More seriously, I think you’re a little hard on the Phoenix Five. Colossus is most openly repentant, but just because Scott would do it all again doesn’t mean he doesn’t wish it went a different way. I’ve written him openly suicidal in “Consequences,” for example, and that’s not a man who is entirely at home with what he’s done. We’ve seen very little of Emma and absolutely nothing of Namor post-Phoenix Five. And even when we have seen them, they’re two incredibly proud individuals. Even if they did have regrets, who would they admit it to?
And Magik keeps her cards close to her chest. She kept the fact she was torturing her brother secret for 25 issues. Who knows what’s going on in the be-banged head of hers.”
Magneto joined the X-Men because he believed in Scott for uniting the mutants on Utopia. How does the Master of Magnetism connect to Cyke now?
“You’ll see more of Magneto in “Consequences” shortly, but while he’s certainly hurt mutants’ reputation, he’s also brought them back. There will be a future mutant race. You have to suspect that Magneto will respect that.”
Avengers vs X-Men #6 courtesy Marvel
I’ve always thought Scott’s drastic actions have been because he was possessed by the Void. Emma and then Scott kept this sliver of Robert Reynolds (aka The Sentry’s) evil dark side in the minds. A fan asked if Cyke was possessed or if he truly became the new Magneto.
“I think Scott’s route to where he is now was taken a step at a time. I don’t think he’s Magneto, even now. I think there’s still a sliver of idealism in him — which is something I explore in “Consequences.”
You’re right to bring up the concept of possession though — how much is Scott to blame for it? I’ve said that Logan considers he really is, as he was of his right mind as he went along that road. But, once he’s started, he’s definitely being influenced. That Scott held himself together for as long as he did is no small thing.”
I believe Cyke was right but what does Gillen think about Scott’s stance in AvX?
“Scott was right in many ways. However it’s also worth stressing — and I suspect this is the thing which most pro-Scott advocates are skirting over — is that if we did everything like Scott said, the Earth would have been destroyed. Hope wasn’t ready. She was ready eventually but that required time.
(That said, there’s also the reading that Hope was always fine and could have dealt with it if she had too. I think that’s a bit of a reach — but we’ll never know.)
Scott’s position was always a fatalistic, providence-heavy one. The Avengers’ resistance was all part of the universal plan. Scott taking the Phoenix for as long as he did allowed Hope to be ready. It all worked out.
That’s the thing which makes Scott’s mono-vision more questionable, for me. By believing it all worked out in the end does mean you remove the possibility that it could have worked out in a better way.
Though I suppose when you’ve killed your mentor and father figure, that’s a question you may want to avoid for as long as possible.”
Gillen is taking over Iron Man with Greg Land and said Tony’s role in AvX Consequenceswill foreshadow what he’s had planned for the Armored Avenger.
Gillen is also launching a new Young Avengers with Jamie McKelvie and said he will use a member of the New/Young X-Men team.
Marvel Now relaunches the Marvel Universe with new books and new creative teams. Joe Quesada delivers stunning variant covers for All-New X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man and Thor: God of Thunder via the Marvel Facebook page.
My personal favorite is the X-Men because of that famous redhead! The original Jean Grey (along with Scott, Bobby, Hank and Warren) from the past arrives in the Marvel Now in All-New X-Men #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen. Looking at this cover by Joe Quesada, is it any wonder why everyone falls in love with Jean and wants her back?
One of the biggest Marvel Now surprises is the announcement of a new X-Men Legacy starring Legion. Professor X’s son has been central to many storylines but as a supporting character but now he’s the leading man. In the aftermath of AvX it makes more sense that Legion assume a greater role in mutant affrairs except that Daniel Haller isn’t the most stable guy. Legion’s mental instability and drastic actions created the Age of Apocalypse and Age of X. Professor X’s son will struggle with his psychic demons while trying to save his father’s dream. November’s X-Men Legacy #1 really takes on a personal and literal meaning.
X-Men Legacy #1 courtesy Marvel
Writer Simon Spurrier (X-Club) and Editor Daniel Ketchum shared their vision for the series on Marvel.com.
“It’s kind of the black sheep of the X-Men family,”Spurrier says of the book and star, “is he going to step up and try to fill his father’s shoes? Is he going to go in a completely opposite direction? At the same time, how are the X-Men going to feel about this?”
X-Men Legacy #1 courtesy Marvel
“How do you feel when you’ve grown up in the shadow of a great man?” Legion is someone who has largely defined himself by who his father was,” Spurrier said of Professor X’s son.”
You could call Legion an enemy of the X-Men because of the evil personalities that took over David but Spurrier plans on giving him his own voice.
X-Men Legacy #1 courtesy Marvel
“It was wonderful to give Legion a voice & get into the nittygritty about what he is all about.”
Legion will confront the X-Men in issue #4 and questions their decision to keep mutants closed away at a school.
How will Legion react to meeting Cyclops – the man who murdered his father?
“I haven’t written Cyclops yet, let’s just say that,” Spurrier replied.
Since Legion grew up on a small island off Scotland Spurrier said he will give him a slight Scottish accent. Spurrier said he’s a fan of Chamber and Blindfold is a “brilliant and broken character” who will have a big part to play. Wolverine, Storm and Frenzy will appear in the series.
What about Legion’s famous hairstyle?
As you can see from the interior art by Tan Eng Huat, Daniel’s classic hair is staying.
X-Men Legacy #1 arrives November 14.
For the entire liveblog here’s the Marvel.com link.
