Reboots are always a tough nut to crack in the superhero genre, but the X-Men series managed to pull it off in grand fashion. After a particularly bad outing in The Last Stand, the franchise decided to move forward by taking things back in time. X-Men: First Class did just that by introducing the world to James McAvoy's Professor X, and Michael Fassbender's Magneto. These actors have done some great things with these characters over the last three movies, but what are the odds of us seeing them again? As of right now, it's apparently up in the air. Fassbender explains:
I don't know to be honest. I haven't made any sort of decision on it because I have no idea what's happening next with the franchise, to be honest.
If we are to take Michael Fassbender's statement during an appearance on the Empire Film Podcast at face value, then it's entirely likely that we may never see his version of Magneto again. Considering the fact that 20th Century Fox does not currently have an actual X-Men movie on its slate, there's no guarantee that the current X-Men continuity will continue any time in the near future. This also raises concerns about the other members of the cast like James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence; if Fassbender might not return, the same can likely be said about them as well.
Another reboot of the X-Men franchise would actually make quite a bit of sense at this point. Although X-Men: Apocalypse ended with the promise of more adventures, it also served as a perfect bookend for the series as well. With the classic X-Men team finally formed, and Michael Fassbender's Magneto catching up with Ian McKellan's version of the character in terms of character growth, now may actually be the perfect time to recast, reboot, and tell a new story that takes the X-Men universe in a new direction. It worked before, and it could work again.
The likelihood of a reboot seems even more possible when we consider the current state of the standalone franchises as well. With Hugh Jackman about to ride off into the sunset after the events of Logan, and Ryan Reynolds riding high on the success of the Deadpool franchise, 20th Century Fox seems perfectly positioned to refocus on a new corner of the mutant world. If you ask me, I think it's time to move away from X-Men and towards X-Force.
Only time will tell whether or not we get to see Michael Fassbender don Magneto's helmet for another X-Men movie. He has done amazing things with the character over the course of the last few years, but for now it seems that 20th Century Fox is placing a bit more emphasis on standalone stories. We will bring you more information related to the X-Men franchise as new details become available to us; Logan will slash its way into theaters on March 3, 2017.
Check out the international trailer for Logan on the next page for an even better look at the next installment in the X-Men universe!
