Empire recently reported on a talk they had with X-Men movie producer Lauren Shuler Donner who gives the skinny on the four X-Men related movies in the works.

1) Wolverine 2: Shocking. The not-bad, not-amazing hit will get another reprise and will be telling the story laid out in the very first Wolverine four-issue mini-series. This is about Logan and his love interest Mariko and her yakuza overlord father. If the body count is half as high as the series, this will be a must-see. This is a much more mature and focused story than this summer’s Wolverine origin movie, and there should be less new character introductions and more ninja heads rolling.

2) X-Men: First Class: Another obvious, but really needed chapter in the enterprise. We can only hope they dump the dopey original uniforms (no doubt, really) but my real fear is the 50s and 60 sci-fi style of the original series (alien-of the week) will try and be repeated here. Cyclops gets darker and more brooding as the comic series advanced, but movie fans already know him as a prick with rose-colored glasses, so jumping back to “funny Cyclops” might be a stretch, if not confusing. This has always been a series about the underlying issue of prejudice, and as long as that can be embraced without being squeezed too tight, I will be happy.

3) Deadpool: As much as I loved seeing Deadpool in the first Wolverine movie, the biggest regret at the end was Deadpool’s inability to speak. The “Merc with a Mouth” is as much about his droll comedic stylings as it is about his weapons and skills, and it looks like Ryan Reynolds will come back in a speaking role that ignores the final scenes of “Wolverine.” Trust me, this is a good thing. Deadpool is a richer character than depicted in “Wolverine,” and the hunky and comedic Ryan Reynolds is perfect for the role. However, it is too early to predict how this will go down. For an unfamiliar character to take the starring role means that script will be key. If we can maintain the style of the few early scenes Reynolds as Deadpool in “Wolverine” in terms of action, you know I will be there.

4) Magneto: Because who demanded it? To be honest, I can’t see this happening (but I said the same about “Thor” and apparently that is still in production). As fascinating a character as Magneto is, he requires a lot of support to make a 100 minute film feasible. Donner said Ian McKellen would not play Magneto exclusively (meaning it would be an origin story) but again, who is asking for “X-Men Origins: Magneto”? Donner predicted at least five years for this one to be made (how young does she think Ian McKellen is?) which means its production will probably depend on the success of  ”X-Men: First Class”. I wouldn’t hold my breath for this one.

Click here or on the Deadpool pic for more details.

By Sci-Guy-John