Last summer's X-Men: First Class ended with a snap, crackle, and pop, as erstwhile BFFs Professor Xavier and Magneto ended up on opposite ends of the spectrum agitating for mutant rights.  While Xavier set about establishing his school for gifted youngsters, Magneto adopted his codename and helmet to bring the fight to the Man.  That doesn't mean, however, that Erik Lensherr will be twirling his mustache as an arch villain in the planned sequel, though.  According to screenwriter Simon Kinberg, Magneto will remain a conflicted character in the continuation.

2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine was commercially successful, but critics and audiences didn't exactly fall in love with the film and there was a general sense that the X-Men franchise might be running out of steam.  Then last summer, X-Men: First Class pulled a Batman Begins, basically rebooting the series and setting it in a promising new direction.  20th Century Fox has indicated it would continue with a sequel to the prequel and even hired a writer to do some work, but its been an open question whether or not Matthew Vaughn would return for another round. 

All the attention regarding cinematic Marvel superheroes is currently aimed at The Avengers, the big ensemble crossover brewing for next summer.  But what's the status of the Marvel heroes whose movie rights reside over at 20th Century Fox?  We know The Wolverine should go into production in 2012, but beyond that, plans aren't exactly clear.  Fans would love to see a continuation of the prequel universe established in X-Men: First Class, but it remains to be seen if that will come together.  Fox Filmed Entertainment co-chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tom Rothman recently offered a little clarification on the potential sequel's development, and also chimed in on the studio's reboots for both Daredevil and Fantastic Four.

Over the summer, the prequel X-Men: First Class pulled a Batman Begins, performing well, but not phenomenally, and establishing a new direction for a franchise that was probably running out of creative momentum.  It was something of a palate cleanser, a well-reviewed adventure with solid word of mouth to hook wayward fans back into the world of Marvel's mutants.  It also ended with a promise of continued adventures for Michael Fassbender's Magneto and James McAvoy's Professor Xavier, we've seen precious little indication that 20th Century Fox would continue the series.  An as-yet unconfirmed rumor suggests that a continuation of X-Men: First Class is in the works, with a writer familiar to the Merry Mutants at work on a sequel to the prequel.

Though it was a hit at home and abroad, 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine was not hugely well received by critics or fans.  For the follow-up The Wolverine, 20th Century Fox has been looking to adapt Frank Miller and Chris Claremont's much-loved Marvel comics arc which finds the adamantium-infused mutant finding love and trouble in Japan.  After numerous setbacks this, the project is set to begin shooting in several months under new director James Mangold, making his first comic book-based picture.  There have been no shortage of rumors and rampant speculation about The Wolverine, but Mangold has gone on the record to discuss his approach to the material, including details on recent extensive rewrites to the screenplay.

Two years ago, Matthew Vaughn was the producer of Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels who, between Layer Cake and Stardust, made two wildly different, well-executed films as a director.  Now, though, he's very much associated with comic books properties, having directed last year's Kick-Ass and this year's X-Men: First Class.  Though creator Mark Millar still enthuses about the possibility of Kick-Ass 2 and many fans similarly can't seem to give up hope that Vaughn will return, the odds there are pretty much slim to none.  Still, Vaughn is currently developing two different Millar titles as possible directing vehicles, and Superior or The Secret Service could end up being his next project.  Maybe.

Before he popped adamantium claws from his fists as the mysterious Logan in Bryan Singer's 2000 X-Men, Australian actor Hugh Jackman was more or less completely unknown to American audiences.  Based on his wildly charismatic performance as Marvel's single most popular mutant, however, Jackman became a star almost immediately.  While he's gone to roles in diverse films such as The Prestige, Van Helsing, and The Fountain, Jackman is still most associated with his signature role as the mutton-chopped shitkicker.

Though it was mauled by critics, the spin-off X-Men Origins: Wolverine was commercially successful, leaving 20th Century Fox eager to get Jackman back in his signature tank-top for another round.  Getting The Wolverine off the ground has not been easy, but there is now a new director in the form of James Mangold, with whom Jackman worked on Kate & Leopold before the director went on to helm Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma, and Knight and Day.  While promoting his new robo-boxing crowd-pleaser Real Steel, Jackman promised that The Wolverine is on the way, and also discussed the film's long development, including the recent hiring of Mark Bomback to provide rewrites.

Ever since supermodel Rebecca Romijn first slunk across the screen in blue bodypaint and latex scales as shapeshifter Mystique more than a decade ago in X-Men, the makeup and the process behind it have been a natural point of interest for audience everywhere.  That's only natural, and with Oscar nominee and fellow gorgeous woman Jennifer Lawrence having sported the scales as Mystique in this summer's X-Men: First Class, it's only natural to be curious all over again.

A new behind-the-scenes video excerpted from the upcoming Blu-ray release of X-Men: First Class goes into some detail about the arduous daily routine that turned the actress into a shapeshifting mutant.  It includes some interesting trivia, such as the fact that, though previous makeup artists had three movies to perfect the process, First Class did not benefit from any of their expertise, with the all-new makeup team starting all over.  Also, as surreal as Mystique may appear in her final form, it's far stranger to see Lawrence in partially-completed makeup.

Earlier this summer, X-Men: First Class proved to be the franchise's best installment since X2, and the story of emergent mutants in the midst of the Cuban Missile Crisis was anchored by a simple tale of friendship between Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, with each man's philosophy and background leading them to an inevitable break.  As Xavier, James McAvoy was charmingly flippant and kind, while Michael Fassbender's nascent Magneto was the engine driving the entire film, filled as he was with and almost regal rage and determination.  Would Fassbender's performance not have reached new heights of wonder if a scene were included of him in drag, rocking a slinky dress and a wig?  It's a legitimate question, since director Matthew Vaughn actually shot that bit, but didn't include it in the final cut.  Now it's online and available for viewing by your disbelieving eyes.

Since dropping the first-ever digitally animated feature film with Toy Story in 1995, Pixar Animation Studios has become a reliable purveyor of blockbusters that have been, until now, critically lauded without exception.  This weekend's Cars 2 is the first exception, and the critical pummeling it received last week was at least a partial contributor to low projections for the automotive sequel's opening weekend box office.  Despite the critical walloping, though, Cars 2 managed to outperform some lowered expectations, pulling in an estimated $68 million since Friday.  More surprisingly, the R rated comedy Bad Teacher also exceeded expectations in second place.