Matthew Vaughn Won't Direct 'X-Men: Days of Future Past'

Deadline is reporting that X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn has bowed out of helming the upcoming sequel, X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. There's no word on why he's elected not to shoot the film, but the site adds that X-Men and X2 director Bryan Singer is being considered to replace him.

Simon Kinberg wrote the script, which is said to be based on The Uncanny X-Men issues #141 and #142. The storyline alternates between present day, in which the X-Men fight Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and a future timeline caused by the X-Men's failure to prevent the Brotherhood from assassinating Senator Robert Kelly. In this future universe, Sentinels rule the United States, and mutants live in internment camps. The present-day X-Men are forewarned of the possible future by a future version of their teammate Kitty Pryde, whose mind traveled back in time and possessed her younger self to warn the X-Men. She succeeds in her mission and returns to the future, but despite her success, the future timeline still exists as an alternative timeline rather than as the actual future.

Vaughn, who will remain on the project as producer, is said to be working on another film for Fox, The Secret Service, an adaptation of the Mark Millar comic book series that he has been working on with the author.

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST is slated for a July 18, 2014 release.

Source: Deadline