Status of X-spinoffs

We know that Marvel’s mutant characters WOLVERINE and MAGNETO are spinning off into their own prequel movies, but when, dammit, when?

Fox honcho Tom Rothman tells us, sorta: “”It’s really soon to tell. The most important thing is to get the movies right!” Just let me interrupt to say Hahahaha, X-MEN 3. Anyway, Rothman goes on to say “”If I had to guess, I’d say Wolvie in ‘08 and Mag in ‘09, but it could change.“

In case you missed it, BLADE and BATMAN BEGINS guy David Goyer is now the one telling how master of magnetism and X-Men adversary Magneto got pissed enough to exterminate the entire human race, concentrating on his formative years as he gets the hang of his mutant powers and forms a friendship with telepath and inevitable antithesis Professor Charles Xavier.

No director has been announced yet for the WOLVERINE prequel (scripted by TROY writer David Benioff), but I’ve heard rumors for a while now that Brett Ratner would be reuniting with Hugh Jackman’s adamantium-laced berserker. Good news for X-MEN 3 fans, I guess. Each movie will almost assuredly feature cameos by Stan Lee, even if he’s dead before filming begins.