Mutant Overload: Fox Sets 2018 Release Dates for Deadpool 2, New Mutants and X-Men: Dark Phoenix!

Superhero fans were already excited about next year as Avengers: Infinity War alone is a thrilling prospect! Now, Fox has given X-Men fans something to celebrate. The studio has set 2018 release dates for not one but three new X-Men movies - and they've also finally revealed the title of the next tentpole movie! Here's what to expect.

New Mutants - Releasing April 13th, 2018

The success of Deadpool and Logan seems to have given Fox a newfound confidence in its mutant properties. If the leaked animatic is any indication, #NewMutants promises to be a young-adult supernatural thriller that brings a handful of teenage superheroes into battle with the ferocious Demon Bear! Josh Boone is a comic book fan, and he approached Fox with a proposed trilogy inspired by the much-loved New Mutants comics.

With the release date of New Mutants finally confirmed, we can expect cast to be announced in short order. So far, there are strong rumors that Nat Wolff is a front-runner for the part of Cannonball and Maisie Williams has been approached to play Wolfsbane. Anya Taylor-Joy is the most popular choice for Magik, the mutant teleporter who's likely to be a central character in any supernatural arc.

The remarkable success of 2016's #Deadpool made the sequel inevitable, but surprisingly Tim Miller isn't on board for this one. #RyanReynolds's Merc With A Mouth will be joined by two major new characters; Josh Brolin's Cable and Zazie Beetz's Domino. This film is sure to be one of the year's highlights, and it's carefully slotted inbetween Marvel's Infinity War and Ant-Man and the Wasp.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix - Releasing November 2nd, 2018

We've known for months that the next tentpole X-Men film would be centered around the famous 'Dark Phoenix Saga.' As one casting call released in February told us:

"Gathered together by Professor Charles Xavier to protect a world that fears and hates them, the X-Men had fought many battles, been on adventures that spanned galaxies, grappled enemies of limitless might, but none of this could prepare them for the most shocking struggle they would ever face. One of their own members, Jean Grey, has gained power beyond all comprehension, and that power has corrupted her absolutely! Now they must decide if the life of the woman they cherish is worth the existence of the entire universe!"

This is Fox's second attempt at adapting the 'Dark Phoenix Saga,' but this time round Fox is clearly aiming to ensure Jean's story takes center-stage. Giving the film the title #XMenDarkPhoenix may be a little on the nose, but it's a hint that maybe this time Fox will choose to do a more comic-book-accurate version.

So there you have it, X-Men fans! 2018 is set to bring us a triple-dose of mutant goodness. We can expect to see a whole new group of fan-favorite characters make their way on to the big screen in New Mutants, followed by the return of the Merc With A Mouth. Finally, we'll be getting the next tentpole X-Men movie, and revisiting perhaps the most iconic X-Men story of them all...

This is definitely a good time to be an X-Men fan.