Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart to return to 'X-Men'

By David Weiner
Entertainment Tonight

Now it's starting to get exciting… Both Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart are returning to the "X-Men" franchise in their signature roles for the upcoming "X-Men: Days of Future Past," according to a tweet by director Bryan Singer.

Bing: More about Ian McKellen | More about Patrick Stewart

The director of 2000's "X-Men" and 2003's "X2" tweeted today, "Thrilled to announce @ianmckellen118 & @SirPatStew are joining the cast of #XMEN #DaysOfFuturePast #magneto #professorX More to come…"

It's clear now that we'll see both the younger and older versions of Magneto and Professor X in the new film -- said to be inspired by an Uncanny X-Men comic book storyline that ran back in 1981 – which contains a complicated time-travel storyline and alternate future scenario that bridges the gap between mutants of the past and mutants of the future.

Singer took on directing responsibilities for the follow-up to "X-Men: First Class" after Matthew Vaughn departed the project.

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" is expected to arrive in theaters on July 18, 2014.

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