Comic Book Movie Round-Up #1: X-Men: Days Of Future Past

As you may have gathered, The Watchers are huge comic-book movie fans. There are so many future comic-book movie films coming out over the next few years, we thought it would be a good idea to do a round-up of some of the bigger ones that are due and what we know about them. We won't be doing a round-up for either Iron Man 3 or The Wolverine as both films are due out imminently (Iron Man 3 at the end of April and The Wolverine at the end of July).

So without further ado, here's our first round-up...

X-Men: Days Of Future Past

Director: Bryan Singer
Writer: Simon Kinberg, Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman from a story by Bryan Singer based on Days Of Future Past by Chris Claremont and John Byrne
Provisional Release Date: July 18 2014

What We Know: X-Men Days of Future Past is based on a storyline from two issues of The Uncanny X-Men comic book series released in 1981. In that, Kitty Pryde is warned about the future consequences of the X-Men failing to stop the assassination of Senator Robert Kelly which leads to anti-Mutant hysteria and a future where all Mutants are hunted by Sentinels. The title was confirmed in August 2012.

Who's In?: Cast members from X-Men: First Class as well as the original trilogy are reprising their roles, along with some new actors to the franchise.

From X-Men First Class:
James McAvoy (Charles Xavier/Professor X)
Michael Fassbender (Magneto)
Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique)
Nicholas Hoult (Beast)

From the original trilogy:
Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier/Professor X)
Ian McKellen (Magneto)
Hugh Jackman (Wolverine)
Halle Berry (Storm)
Anna Paquin (Rogue)
Ellen Page (Kitty Pryde)
Shawn Ashmore (Iceman)
Daniel Cudmore (Colossus)

New actors:
Peter Dinklage (rumoured to be Bolivar Trask, creator of the Sentinels)
Omar Sy 
Booboo Stewart
Fan Bingbing (Blink)

Who's Out?: It has been confirmed that several previous characters will not be appearing in Days Of Future Past. These include January Jones (Emma Frost), Alex Gonzalez (Riptide), Zoe Kravitz (Angel) and Jason Flemyng (Azazel) from X-Men: First Class and Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler) from X-Men 2. Rose Byrne (Moira McTaggart from First Class) has stated she is unsure if she will be returning, despite signing a three-picture deal.

Anything Else?: Bryan Singer came back in to direct after X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn had to drop out due to scheduling issues. Vaughn will still act as producer, along with Singer, Simon Kinberg, Richard Donner and Lauren Shuler Donner.

Oscar-winning production designer John Myhre, composer John Ottman and costume designer Louise Mingenbach are all confirmed to work on the film.

Days Of Future Past is set more than ten years after the events of X-Men: First Class, which would make it set primarily in 1973. American President Richard Nixon is due to appear (much like in Watchmen).

Singer tweeted this picture back in February 2013, showing the two wheelchairs for the different incarnations of Professor X:

Principal photography is due to begin in Montreal in mid-April, and the film will be released in 3D.