X-Men: Apocalypse hasn’t quite hit theaters yet, but we’re already hearing some interesting news about the sequel, including that it will jump ahead ten years and be set in the 1990s.
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“That was something Simon [Kinberg] and I discussed a long time ago, all the way back to when I first pitched the studio on First Class — that they do each movie in 10-year increments,” Singer tells Fandango. “It’s a nice way for the audience to kind of keep track of the timeline, and it’s fun to play in these different eras. So that’s a good starting point.”
As Singer mentions, jumping forward a decade with each new installment has been a franchise trope since X-Men: First Class, but something new that may come with the next installment is interstellar travel. That’s right, the X-Men could be going into outer space.
“Also I imagine – and this is the first time I’ve actually answered the question this way – but another thing that’s been introduced in the comics is a big alien, interstellar tenant within the X-Men universe that hasn’t been explored,” Singer continued. “And to me, that might be kind of fun because I’m a huge Star Wars and Star Trek fan, and exploring the X-Men universe and being able to utilize that would be exciting, visually.”
Singer is correct, the X-Men have had many space adventures, including horrific battles with the Brood and epic team-ups with the Guardians of the Galaxy, but it all began when the X-Men crossed paths with the Shi’ar Empire during “The Dark Phoenix Saga,” arguably the most beloved and iconic X-Men story of all time. X-Men: The Last Stand did a loose adaptation of the story, but not one that was well-liked by fans. Many of those same fans have been hoping that turning back the clock on the franchise in X-Men: Days of Future Past would provide Singer and Kinberg with an opportunity to do the story justice, and that the success of Guardians of the Galaxy would encourage them to take the story to the stars.
We’ve already speculated, just based on interviews and trailers, that Singer and Kinberg were sowing seeds for a new cinematic “Dark Phoenix Saga.” Perhaps he’s hinting that we were on to something.
Check out when X-Men: Apocalypse and other movies are coming out in ComicBook.com’s Movie Release Schedule.
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