As blockbuster season approaches it's only natural for studios and directors alike to discuss the potential futures of their respective franchises. Some are more certain than others - I'm sure we'll be seeing another Pirates whether we want one or not and the same goes for Thor and Captain America if they do decent money. Others, like the Green Lantern, may have a slightly more uncertain future. Of all the films out this summer however, the one that has most potential to grow must surely be the X-Men reboot, First Class.
In talking to Total Film, director Matthew Vaughn touched on the idea of doing sequels, even going so far as to compare his new series to Nolan's Batman movies. And you can see his angle - a trusted, hugely popular franchise being completely revamped with a serious, fresh look at the material. I personally loved the first two X-Men movies, due in part to the scale of the stories - there's a goldmine of material here for Vaughn to build on.
In musing about the future of the series, he suggested that they may take a jump to the late sixties when 'flower power' was in full swing, or even perhaps going right to the seventies. From the interview it seems like Vaughn relishes the idea of making another movie without having to introduce the core characters, leaving more time for the drama. And there was no shortage of drama in the late sixties anyway, even without mutants. It's great to think that instead of the typical 'one year later' sequel, they'd really try and look at the course of their lives.
X-Men First Class hits cinemas in June, and if it does well (and why wouldn't it?) I'd expect a sequel as soon as 2013. The question is though, what would they call it? Hardly X-Men Second Class....