X-Men Updates: Writers for Apocalypse and Changes to Future Past

We’ve got two new updates on the X-Men franchise, so why not deal with them both at once.

First off, Mike Dougherty and Dan Harris, the writers from X2, one of the best received X-Men films, have signed on as the screenwriters for the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse. They will also join writer Simon Kinberg, who worked on Days of Future Past, and will be reuniting with director Bryan Singer. Apocalypse won’t be out until May 27, 2016, so we’ll have to wait to see what these guys cook up for us.

Next in X-news, Bryan Singer has revealed to EW that during edits of X-Men: Days of Future Past a particular scene has been cut. And that scene just so happened to be the only one featuring Rogue (Anna Paquin). Fans who wanted to see the complete casts of the films combined will no doubt be disappointed, but these things happen in the course of production. Singer explains his decision:

Through the editing process, the sequence became extraneous. It’s a really good sequence and it will probably end up on the DVD so people can see it. But like many things in the editing process, it was an embarrassment of riches and it was just one of the things that had to go. Unfortunately, it was the one and only sequence Anna Paquin was in, the Rogue character was in. Even though she’s in the materials and part of the process of making the film, she won’t appear in it.

Paquin at least took the news easily, understanding how films evolve, but fans may not be so easy to please. At least we’ll have almost everyone there. And there is always the DVD.

X-Men: Days of Future Past will open in theaters May 22, 2014 in the UK and May 23 in the US. So are you excited about the X2 writers joining the team for Apocalypse? Disappointed about the lack of Rogue in Days of Future Past? Let us know in the comments below!