See also: Days of Future Past
Fox envisions X-Men: First Class as the first film of a new trilogy.[47] Lauren Shuler-Donner compared the franchise plans to be similar to the darker, more mature content of the Harry Potter film series.[49] Matthew Vaughn and Bryan Singer will return to direct and produce the sequel, respectively.[50] While speaking about the sequels, director Vaughn said, "First Class is similar to Batman Begins, where you have the fun of introducing the characters and getting to know them, but that takes time. But with the second one, you can just get on with it and have a rollicking good time. That’s the main difference between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight."[51]
On how First Class 2 could open, Vaughn said: “I thought it would be fun to open with the Kennedy assassination, and we reveal that the magic bullet was controlled by Magneto.”[52] Vaughn has speculated that a sequel could be set in "in the latter part of the 1960s where you’ve got The Stones, The Beatles, flower power."[53] Actor James McAvoy said he has a contract for three movies,[54] and expressed interest in seeing Charles Xavier get “really messed up” in the sequel and speculated that a third film could show his transition into a character closer to the one played by Patrick Stewart in the original trilogy.[53] Michael Fassbender has said that he is "very excited" about the possibility of a sequel.[55] He has said: "We worked very hard. It was a very trying time. Thank God, James is a good guy a very smart guy and he's a very practical guy. Matthew's great because he makes films as a fan. There's something like a nine-year-old boy in him when he's making a film. He's very much into characters and allowing the characters to drive the plot and the plot to drive the action film, as opposed to action driving the film and threading in some sort of a plot. It was a very rewarding experience, so hopefully we'll get the same team back again."[56] Producer Lauren Shuler Donner has said that the sequel may be set in the 1970s.[57] Writer and executive producer Bryan Singer has stated that it could be set around the Civil rights movement or the Vietnam War,[58] and that Wolverine could once again be featured.[59] Hugh Jackman has said that he would like to return.[60] Simon Kinberg who co-wrote X-Men: The Last Stand and co-produced X-Men: First Class will write the sequel.[61]
Actress Jennifer Lawrence has expressed interest in reprising her role as Mystique in a sequel.[62] Rose Byrne and Álex González revealed that they had signed on for one or two more films in the X-Men franchise.[63][64] January Jones has said that she would love to do another film.[65] Lucas Till has said that he would like to reprise the role of Havok.[66] Alan Cumming has expressed interest in exploring the origins of Nightcrawler.[67] McAvoy added he wants to portray the psychological transformations Xavier suffers: "He can't just become the guy that we saw in the first three movies. He just had two major things happen to him. He's lost his best friend, essentially, and he's just been paralyzed from the waist down. Which is just a huge, huge blow to his considerable ego. So he's got to deal with that."[67]
The sequel is scheduled to go into production in January 2013, when Jennifer Lawrence has finished shooting the film adaptation of Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games.[68] The sequel is scheduled for a release on July 18, 2014.[69] In August 2012, Singer stated that the film was still being scripted, and revealed that the film's title is X-Men: Days of Future Past.[70]
