No sooner had Bryan Singer come onboard to direct X-Men: First Class than he was off the project due to scheduling conflicts with Jack the Giant Killer. However he remains as a producer, but Fox is now looking for a new helmer for the movie that will explore the early days of Xavier and Magneto’s relationship and the setting up of the X-Men school.
So who’s going to replace Singer on the project? Well, according to a new report by EW, Fox is in talks with Matthew Vaughn, director of Kick-Ass, to helm the movie. However it’s far from a done deal, as Vaughn has some X-Men history, having negotiated a deal to make The Last Stand, before backing out and handing the project to Brett Ratner. There are even some reports (including from THR) that he’s already passed on First Class, which wouldn’t be a shock, as he’s expressed before how he prefers working outside the studio system as it gives him more control over his movies.
Apparently Rupert Sanders was also being considering but is no longer in contention, while Snabba Cash helmer Daniel Espinosa is one of the directors Fox is currently looking at for the movie. Espinosa is currently hot in Hollywood, with Snabba Cash having already been snapped up for an English-language remake (starring Zac Efron), while he’s also being wooed for everything from the thriller Safe House to the potential DiCaprio movie Prionsers.
At the moment Fox is sifting through potential directors for X-Men: First Class, although with the studio wanting to move forward pretty quickly, expect to hear a name announced soon.