Jean killed
Cyclops and
Professor X before
Wolverine ultimately put her down. At the end of the film, we're left with an
X-Men team minus
Professor X [who stole a new body], his first two students and a mutant population that now has a cure. At this point, there's not a whole lot you can do with the franchise.....except put things back the way they're constituted in the source material. Technically, you never see
Jean kill
Cyclops and
Professor X does indeed jump into a new body. The end scene with
Magneto also suggests that the "mutant cure" was not permanent. And if you're familiar with the comic books, you know that
The Phoenix and
Jean Grey have come back from the dead more times than most would like. Here's what
Shawn Ashmore who portrayed
Bobby Drake aka Iceman shared with
Examiner about potentially returning for a continuation of that particular X-Men series (I refuse to believe X-Men: First Class is in continuity)---
“I am still under contract to play Iceman if they make another 'X-Men' movie but there are so many superhero films out there right now. The market is saturated with them. I would love to come back and play that character again, though. It was really unique to sort of grow up playing a character. As I was growing up and maturing, so was the character. But it was an amazing experience and I would love to do it again. I hope that we get chance to make another 'X-Men movie but I really do not know if we will. I guess we will just have to wait and see.”
Not much hope offered up there, but it's interesting to see that he's still under contract. I'd have to think that if he's still under contract then so are the rest of the cast, except maybe Hugh Jackman who's gone on to make two solo Wolverine films. I personally hope they do make a direct sequel and that they somehow bring the story to a more "sensical" conclusion.
Running Time: 1 hr 44 min
Release Date: 26 May 2006 (USA)
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Starring: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry
Directed by: Brett Ratner
Written by: Simon Kinberg, Zak Penn
The X-Men film series consists of superhero films based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. The films star an ensemble cast, focusing on Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, who is drawn into the conflict between Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart / James McAvoy) and Magneto (Ian McKellen / Michael Fassbender), who have opposing views on humanity's relationship with mutants. Xavier believes humanity and mutants can coexist, but Magneto believes that mutants are destined to rule humanity. The films also developed subplots based on the comics' Weapon X and Dark Phoenix storylines.
20th Century Fox earned the film rights to the characters in 1994, and after numerous drafts, Bryan Singer was hired to direct X-Men (2000) and returned for X2 (2003). He left a potential third and fourth film to direct Superman Returns, leaving Brett Ratner to direct X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). Critics praised Singer's films for their dark, realistic tone, and subtexts dealing with discrimination and intolerance, but Ratner's film was met with mixed reviews. Nonetheless, each film outgrossed the last, and Fox developed two prequels: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and X-Men: First Class (2011). Both prequels have been planned to continue into two separate trilogies. Some spin-offs of certain characters are being considered, with Deadpool being the only one confirmed so far. There are also discussions of a potential continuation to the main trilogy.