McKellen Talks X-Men Return

The news broke this week that both Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart will return for .”X-Men: Days of Future Past, the sequel to X-Men: First Class.

The entire FC cast is set to reprise their roles, including James McAvoy (Professor X), Michael Fassbender (Magneto), and Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), Rose Byrne (Moira MacTaggert), January Jones (Emma Frost) and Nicholas Hoult (Beast). Hugh Jackman is talks to play Wolverine again as well.

Bryan Singer penned the treatment and produced 'First Class' which was directed by Matthew Vaughn. Now, their roles will be completely reversed for this sequel with Singer helming the film while Vaughn wrote the treatment and will produce with Lauren Shuler Donner and writer Simon Kinberg.

The sequel is based on a -2 issue story arc in the 'X-Men' comics published in 1981. Kinberg (Sherlock Holmes) is on board to pen the screenplay which will include New Mutants. Magneto and his relationship with Charles X. Xavier will be front and center as well.

Now, out on the stump for "The Hobbit: An Expected Journey," McKellen talked about reprising the role:

"What a gas! I mean, Patrick Stewart and I have just been playing "Waiting for Godot" throughout England and in the West End of London. So, we've stayed in touch. We can't believe it [laughs]. I thought these were Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy's parts, but -- no, no -- we're back. We'll give them a run for their money."

He adds that he hasn't read the script and doesn't know yet how involved he is. but says, "to be back in that world, and for Bryan Singer to be doing it -- with all the success he's had in the meantime -- it's wonderful. Wonderful."

McKellen also gave his opinion about Michael Fassbender's work in the role for "First Class": "I thought he was exactly that: first class. Excellent. [Laughs] I thought he was better than me. But, we weren't quite playing the same character because he was so much younger than me. And the scope of Magneto, one day a Jewish actor will play it. Clearly, he's Jewish. We first meet him in at Auschwitz and there's scope for all sorts of people to pay Magneto. But, I was just the lucky guy who got to play him first

Scheduled to begin shooting early next year, "X-Men: Days Of Future Past" hits screens July 18th 2014.