Bryan Singer might replace Matthew Vaughn on X-Men: Days of Future Past

Matthew Vaughn is out as director of X-Men: Days of Future Past with Bryan Singer sitting atop 20th Century Fox’s list of desirable replacements, Deadline reports.

Vaughn directed the 2011 hit X-Men: First Class, which resurrected the fledgling franchise after 2006’s questionable X-Men: The Last Stand, directed by Brett Ratner. He briefly bowed out from directing First Class before reconsidering, and has handed the director’s reins for the sequel to his hit Kick-Ass to Jeff Wadlow, proving to be particularly choosy when it comes to directorial projects.

Singer directed X-Men in 2000and X2 in 2003, which both received critical acclaim and sizeable box office returns. He’s also been involved with the latest X-Men spinoff by writing a treatment and producing on The Last Stand.

Vaughn will produce Days of Future Past and is reported to have written a treatment for the sequel, scripted by The Last Stand screenwriter Simon Kinberg.

Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence will all return for X-Men: Days of Future Past with a tentative July 2014 release date.