New details about X-Men: Apocalypse emerge

Following Bryan Singer's surprising announcement about his X-Men: Days of Future Past follow up, the internet has gone wild with speculation.

And it looks like, rather than acting as a swansong for the old franchise, Days of Future Past will in fact be the first in an epic two-part ensemble movie.

[X-Men: Apocalypse coming in 2016]

According to Bleeding Cool, the upcoming X-adventure will lead directly into Apocalypse.

The site reports: "There’s a clear narrative thread that will string the two pictures together, and the character of Apocalypse is a good part of how this will work."

Bleeding Cool also suggest that we'll see many familiar faces return, adding: "Several cast members of Days of Future Past will be wanted back for Apocalypse, including members of both the 'past' and 'present' timelines.

"I can’t find out who has signed or even who might have entered negotiations, but I do know who is on the shopping list and, in short, it’s everybody. Or, to be more precise, it’s a direct continuation, a next chapter that picks up the status quo at the end of Days and carries on developing it."

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While none of the above has been confirmed by Singer or 20th Century Fox, it does make a lot of sense. The X-Men villain Apocalypse, considered the first mutant on Earth, made his debut in 1986 and has featured in a number of storylines, the most famous being 1995's 'Age of Apocalypse'.

The story sees an alternate timeline created after a character went back in time and changed history - much as we're about to see Wolverine do in Days of Future Past. The comic book saw the X-Men band together to defeat the immortal mutant, who rules over the alternate Earth with an iron fist.

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Meanwhile, the franchise's most famous star Hugh Jackman remains unsure of whether he will return to the role of Wolverine.

"I don't know whether or not I will do this next movie," he told Vanity Fair.

"I am really proud of The Wolverine and I am excited to develop something with Jim Mangold from the beginning because that is a great ride.

"That's exciting, to see what we come up with but I have a very high expectation of what it would need to be [for me to star in it] and if it doesn't reach those, I won't be doing it."

X-Men: Apocalypse is scheduled for a May 2016 release, while Days of Future Past hits cinemas on 22 May, 2014.