Anna Paquin, Ellen Page and Shawn Ashmore Return to the X-Fold

Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, and Shawn Ashmore who starred as Rogue, Kitty Pride, and Iceman in Brett Ratner’s X-Men: The Last Stand in 2006 will reprise their roles in the new X-Men: Days of Future Past, which is expected to begin shooting later this month. It now appears that Bryan Singer, who directed the first two successful X-Men films, is returning for Days of Future Past, which is slated to debut on July 18th, 2014.

According to Deadline, Paquin, Page, and Ashmore will join an X-Men: Days of Future Past cast that also includes a number of veterans from Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class such as James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult.

 In addition Hugh Jackman, who had a cameo as Wolverine in First Class, will have a much larger role this time around, and first X-Men trilogy principals Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen will also reprise their roles as an older Professor Xavier and Magneto in Days of Future Past..

Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Bacon in "X-Men: First Class"

The cast for Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class re-boot is rounding into shape as the studio announced today that Jennifer Lawrence will be playing Mystique and Kevin Bacon will portray the film’s chief villain.

Lawrence, who is currently starring in Winter’s Bone, will play the blue mutant shapeshifter, who was portrayed by Rebecca Romijn in the first three X-Men films.

Fox has not released any information about the character that Kevin Bacon will play, though Variety is reporting than fan speculation is centering on Mister Sinister as the villain for the origin story that stars James MacAvoy as the young Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender as the youthful Erik Lensherr (Magneto).