Bryan Singer Returns to Xavier’s School for the Gifted in X-Men: Days of Future Past

Following last week’s news of director Matthew Vaughn abruptly leaving the project (supposedly to work on Mark Millar’s The Secret Service) original X-Men and X2 director Bryan Singer will now helm the latest addition to the X-Men franchise: X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Based of the fan-favorite storyline from 1981, the comic Days of Future Past told the story of a dystopian alternative future where mutants are incarcerated in interment camps. In the comic the older Kitty Pryde transfers her mind to the younger, present-day Kitty, who brings the X-Men to prevent a fatal moment in history which triggers the anti-mutant hysteria.

While it is unclear at this moment how much the film adaption will follow the comic storyline or just how much it will fit in to the X-Films’ canon, but Bleeding Cool reports that “a meaningful number” of original cast members — Patrick Stewart (Professor X) and Famke Janssen (Jean Grey) have teased possible involvement with Shawn Ashmore (Iceman) and Daniel Cudmore (Colossus) have expressed interest in coming back — will be joining up with cast members — James McAvoy (Professor X), Michael Fassbender (Magneto), and Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique) from X-Men: First Class.

X-Men: Days of Future Past is set for release on July 18, 2014.