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    Time travel at the heart of 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' film, linking old and new casts

    Time travel at the heart of 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' film, linking old and new casts

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    Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, and Shawn Ashmore come along for the ride

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    days of future past crop
    days of future past crop

    Some more details are trickling out about Bryan Singer’s upcoming re-entrance into the world of Marvel's mutants, X-Men: Days of Future Past. A tweet from the film's director (below) reveals that Ellen Page, Anna Paquin, and Shawn Ashmore will be reprising their roles as Kitty Pryde, Rogue, and Iceman from the original X-Men trilogy in the 2014 sequel to X-Men: First Class. Get all that?

    Bridging the gap between 'X-Men: First Class' and the first three films

    The comic book version of the Days of Future Past story revolves around the assassination of a senator that acts as a catalyst for a dystopian alternate future. America's surviving mutants live under constant attack and persecution by giant robots called Sentinels, as Kitty Pryde travels back in time to try and prevent the assassination from taking place. The story unfolds simultaneously in both the future and past, and it looks as though Singer is casting both eras separately; bridging the gap between X-Men: First Class and the first three films (two of which Singer directed). Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen have already signed on to the project, reprising their roles as Charles Xavier and Magneto, and they will be joined by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, who played younger versions of the duo in the 2011 prequel. Jennifer Lawrence will also be reprising her role as Mystique, a member of the villainous Brotherhood of Evil Mutants in the original Days of Future Past.

    Hugh Jackman has already been announced to play Wolverine in the movie, but conveniently, his character’s age-proof healing factor obviates the need for a younger alternate. Jackman is also starring in The Wolverine, a separate film about the character's adventures in Japan, slated for release later this year.

    There are still a lot of unanswered questions

    There are still a lot of unanswered questions, such as who (if anyone) will play Rachel Summers, the alternate-future daughter of Scott Summers and Jean Grey. Famke Janssen has said to "stay tuned" with regard to her possible appearance in the next film, though nothing has been confirmed. It’s also unknown whether Daniel Cudmore will be back to fill the role of Colossus, a central character in the story, and whether or not Halle Berry will reprise her role as Storm. Given Singer's previously loose adherence to the comics, it's also possible that we could see other characters from the X-Men canon — we're holding out hope for a Cable cameo when Days of Future Past hits theaters next summer.