*Closes eyes and crosses fingers*

This would be so great. It's been bandied about for a while now, I'd just love to hear confirmation one way or another.

Willowy | August 27, 21:21 CET

I know - I hesitated posting this because it has been talked about, but up to this point I had heard more that he was a fan choice for directing it and no real rumors beyond that. This seems like the next step in the rumor progression. I think he recently said that he wasn't too keen on directing a movie written by someone else, which was when I started to think it wouldn't happen. Trying not to get too excited while we wait for further confirmation

Angela | August 27, 21:27 CET

Add to ‘to do’ list: remain calm and appear nonchalant.

bloodflowers | August 27, 21:44 CET

And didn't we hear that Halle might not be back as Storm? Because if that's the case, and Joss writes/directs it, then life doesn't get much better (except for a Buffy/Angel spin-off, movie, telemovies, a new tv show from Joss...). She's just not Storm. She's just not. To have a Joss-written & directed X-men movie, minus Halle....okay. Must. Stay. Calm.

Angela | August 27, 22:04 CET

Hmm, I'm really not as excited as the rest of you. The recent X-Men movies have been well done and I'm sure a sequel written and directed by Joss would surpass them fully.

However, the time Joss would spend on this would be time taken away from working on a potential Serenity-sequel or potential Buffy/Angel projects. I think Bryan Singer showed that the X-Men can be done well by someone else, but the *only* person who can do Buffy/Angel/Firefly is Joss.

aerelorn | August 27, 22:16 CET

You're right that only Joss can do Buffy/Angel/Firefly, aerelorn, but I'm trying to keep Joss' own wishes in focus. If his first choice is to write/direct an X-men film, ahead of tackling the next Buffy/Angel/Firefly, then so be it. And we have seen seasons of both Buffy and Angel that had less involvement from Joss than others. If he had his creative team around him, those that know the 'verse well and will do justice to the characters, he would not necessarily have to be present for every single step. His direction of a 'verse movie, should he choose to do one, might be delayed, but I frankly want this guy to just do what he wants to do, in whatever order he wants to.

Angela | August 27, 22:21 CET

Yes, please. Just give us more Joss.

IMO if he directs this X movie, it'll be the best in the series. That's saying a lot considering the franchise is already fantastic.

This would be so great. (repeato-girl)

Willowy | August 27, 22:28 CET

I agree with you, aerelorn. I would definitely see anything that Joss writes & directs, even if it were a sequel to Gigli. But the first two X-Men movies just didn't do anything for me, so I'd much rather see Joss focus his efforts somewhere else. Serenity sequels, big screen Buffy & Angel, a new spin-off, or a new series altogether that premieres on HBO. But hey, I'll be first in line no matter what he does, even if it's a sequel in a franchise I couldn't care less about.

MindPieces | August 27, 22:50 CET

Hee hee, sequel to Gigli. Good one. That I'd see. Joss could also make a heck of a fabulous sequel to Battlefield Earth.

Barring Buffy/Angel/Firefly continuation in some form, I second the HBO series idea. Or something entirely new on the big screen. X-Men may be close to Joss's heart but not so much to mine. If he writes and directs, though, I'll be there with bells on and maybe I'll change my mind. I'm open to it.

phlebotinin | August 27, 22:59 CET

The skeptics have to realize something about the concept of Joss writing and directing X3. Most directors of comic book movies usually say they love the material, and they were big fans of the original comics--and they usually are. But Joss and X-Men is another level of fandom entirely.

I can't think of anybody out there whose body of work is dominated by the themes of the Claremont/Byrne/Cockrum run on X-Men as much as Joss. Kitty Pryde informs Buffy. Angel is Cyclops and Wolverine is Spike. The Dark Willow plotline IS the Dark Phoenix plotline, with startlingly few alterations.

X3 (if this is the Phoenix movie) is the film Joss was born to make. He'd dive into it with a passion that would be almost frightening to behold. Yes, I'd rather have Joss do Buffy/Angel movies, but to withhold my enthusiastic support for the man when he has apparently been given his dream assignment would be churlish.

Translation: I hope this rumor is true. Becasue I'd be STOKED.

cjl | August 27, 23:01 CET

I know Joss has said that Buffy as a character was heavily influenced by Kitty Pryde, but I actually see a lot more Cyclops in Buffy than Kitty (last name notwithstanding). Especially in the later seasons when she became so driven by her percieved goals that she closed herself off. In Season 7 she was a clone of the humorless and driven Scott Summers.

ringworm | August 27, 23:11 CET

EEEEEEEE! I AM TOTALLY HAPPY IF THIS IS TRUE!

ranchofiasco | August 27, 23:12 CET

I'm not a fan of X-MEN mostly out of lack of exposure to the material, but if there's one thing that Joss cares about it's quality.

Caleb | August 27, 23:20 CET

I think the idea of Joss doing X-3 is fantastic! I enjoyed the first two movies and the prospect of Phoenix in the third installment is really great. Besides the fact that this is a dream project for Joss, who knows, maybe if we’re introduced to some new mutants Joss could help out some unemployed (or poor-role-choosing) Buffy/Angel Alums! =)

Karen | August 27, 23:46 CET

*Fangirl squeal*

Joy! Rapture! Oh please, let this be confirmed soon! :)

I mean, I seriously loves me some Angel and I'm more than ready for a big screen epic, but what Angela said: His direction of a 'verse movie, should he choose to do one, might be delayed, but I frankly want this guy to just do what he wants to do, in whatever order he wants to.

I say rock the X-Men, Joss. Get down with your bad self and show 'em how it's done!

Wiseblood | August 27, 23:51 CET

He would be an excellent choice but I will believe it when I see it.

And Angela excellent first link btw :).

Simon | August 28, 00:42 CET

Why thank you Simon! I'm such a dork - all nervous and hesitant to post it. I've never really been involved in a blog before, other than just lurking. Apparently the anonymity of the Internet did not diffuse my fear of looking stupid. Beware...I'm over that now. :)

Angela | August 28, 00:58 CET

LOL, Angela! Good for you. =)

Karen | August 28, 01:13 CET

Speaking from an entirely selfish point of view, if Joss directed and/or wrote such a huge movie, he could have practically anything he wanted in Hollywood, right? Of course, I am thinking that after he did "X-Men," with the snap of his fingers he could convince any network or studio to do a Buffy/Angel/Serenity project. Perhaps I am too optimistic, but I think something like this would definitely increase his status in Hollywood.

obsessed | August 28, 01:48 CET

It seems quite a few people are complaining that if Joss did do X3, it would take away time he could spend working on a Serenity sequel or a Buffy/Angel project. Let's keep in mind that Serenity hasn't opened yet. A sequel isn't a definate at this point. The future of the franchise sinks or swims on the performance of the movie. If Joss is offered and decides to do X3, it would be a smart move. He loves the characters AND the movie has a built in audience. If (gods forbid) Serenity does underperform, having X3 to balance it out would be a good move to show that he CAN put butts in seats.

thekey1313 | August 28, 04:10 CET

maybe if we’re introduced to some new mutants Joss could help out some unemployed (or poor-role-choosing) Buffy/Angel Alums! =)

::pictures James Marsters as Gambit::

Must.Remain.Calm.

...Aw, heck with it.

SQUEEEEEEEE!!

Ahem. Carry on...

Joss' bitch | August 28, 12:09 CET

I'm with Obsessed in that, for those of us who want to see a Buffy/Angel cinematic release happen, Joss getting to do X3 is the best news ever.

Even at this point in his career he has managed to convince Fox to go ahead with Serenity. With a major movie like X3 under his belt getting a slayerverse trilogy would be a piece of cake. Not to mention it would only increase Joss' exposure so that a slayer type show on one of the bigger networks would be a more realistic proposition.

I'd rather see the next slayer show on a more genre friendly cable channel like HBO or SciFi to be honest but any and all options are welcome.

The Arcane | August 28, 13:26 CET

Hi! I`m new here. I`m from Spain.

For me, Joss is the best choice to replace Brian. I love both X-Men movies, and Brian made a great job, but i`m happy if Joss will make X3.

See you!

Angel TheVampire | August 29, 06:40 CET

"Our sources say Joss Whedon is set to Write and Direct X Men 3 with the start date now pushed back to the Summer of 2005."

Once again I arrive to be the wet blanket. Let's not jump the gun here. I think we need confirmation cuz this is a major upset, if Bryan Singer isn't doing the third installment. I'd be all for Whedon taking over if he was given the okay to reboot the franchise. However, if the suits and ties holding the pocketbook on this baby want Whedon to continue on in the third story with things the way they are in the first two Singer movies, that would be like putting Muhammed Ali in the ring, in the prime of his life, with both hands tied behind his back.

The Phoenix Saga, told in one film, is going to be weakened enough. The actual story took years in the monthly published comic books. With the variables and characters the way they are from the first two movies? We're moving so far away from the comic books as to make the third X-Men movie almost unrecognizable from its source material. I recall no annoying Lover's Triangle between Cyclops, Marvel Girl and Wolvie. In fact the first time she disappeared, Wolverine wasn't even there yet. Wolvie getting googly-eyes for Phoenix? That wasn't in the original storyline at all. That's just the tip of the iceburg.

I agree that there's much in common between Buffy and Kitty Pryde. Like Whedon, Kitty is one of my personal favorites. If Whedon can't properly use Kitty, it'll weaken the potential of what he could bring to the franchise. The movies put Rogue where Kitty Pryde was in the days of Claremont and Byrne. The movies made Kitty a cameo in both films. One of the predominant reasons why Storm's character is so weak, is because her support group in the comic books included Kitty, Colossus, and the other younger characters. She was the Den Mother of the X-Men in the comic books, but in the movies she seems out of place, because there's no one to support. Halle's performance has also been lackluster and unfocused. I just don't see how they can pull off continuing things the way they are without a reboot, but that will just upset the following that the first two films have managed to aquire.

Frankly, I'd much rather they keep Bryan Singer for the third film and not stop that horse in mid stride. Simultaneously, I'd like to see Whedon allowed to turn Excalibur into its own film franchise, distantly linked to the X-Men movies but due to the multiple alternate realities, simultaneously entirely separate. Kitty Pryde, Nightcrawler, Captain Britain, Meggan and Rachel Summers. Now THAT would make a movie. It would be something Whedon could mold and shape into a powerful story told on film.

But heck, I'd settle for Lockheed The Movie.

ZachsMind | August 29, 07:39 CET

ZachsMind, Bryan Singer is out for X3 because he's directing the next Superman movie. That's official.

I don't know as much about X-Men as you do (I've only read the 4 issues of Astonishing X-Men =), but I kind of see your point about the continuity problem between the Singer X-Men and the Whedon X-Men. But as much as Joss loves Kitty Pryde, I'm sure he can do a movie without having her in a major role. I imagine he'd upgrade her from a cameo, but respect the order of things established by Singer.

Point is, I'm sure he can make it work (just like he can make Serenity work for fans who know Firefly inside-out as well as for a new audience). I'll be thrilled if this turns out to be true.

jam2 | August 29, 11:38 CET

For ZachsMind:

First of all, Bryan Singer is definitely out as X3's director. He's jumped ship to Metropolis. If Singer eventually becomes the 34th director to part ways with Warners about the script and casting of a Superman movie, he might be back--but I'm going to presume that X3 will go on without Singer regardless of whether Singer stays on Superman. So who better to fill the gap than Joss? Avi Arad has confessed many times to wanting JW for a big project. Why not X3? To call the fit of artist and subject "a natural" would be to grossly undervalue the term.

As for the differences between the X-Men comics and the X-Men movies, this is hardly a deal-breaker for Joss. Yes, he adores Kitty Pryde, and Shadowkat's reduced role in the movies would no doubt rankle him. On the other hand, he would have the opportunity to work with Oscar-winner Anna Paquin as Rogue, and we all know how much Joss loves frighteningly talented young actresses. Also, there is the prospect of directing the incredible Famke Janssen as Jean Grey and Rebecca Romijn (no longer Stamos) as Mystique. I think I'd jump at that assignment. Wouldn't you? And if Halle decides to bail out, all the better.

On your other objections: It's not necessarily a given that the Phoenix saga would be squashed into one movie. For all we know, Marvel could film X3 and X4 simultaneously, with other master villains (Magneto, Hellfire Club, the Sentinels, etc.) occupying the antagonists' slots. The X-Men could be busy with other matters for most of the two movies, with Jean's increasing instability finally blowing up in the latter half of X4. And I think Joss could do wonders with a Cyke/Jean/Wolvie triangle in the background of the Dark Phoenix plotline. Singer already laid the groundwork for it in X2.

So, in conclusion: I'm skeptical about this rumor. I'll believe it when I see Joss kissing Stan Lee's pinkie ring with Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen watching and smiling in approval. But if it does happen? I guarantee that movie will be a wonder to behold.

cjl | August 30, 21:27 CET

I would really want Joss to direct the movie.It would be so sad, if Halle doesn't reprise her role.No one could replace her, because she did an awesome job.

TheSlayer246 | August 31, 01:21 CET