Casting news for two new X-Men films

We have potentially good X-Men news and potentially bad X-Men news (it's so hard to be sure before the films are released). We'll start with the potentially good!

Teleporting mutant and fan favorite Nightcrawler, who last appeared on the big screen in X2 in 2003, is returning to the franchise in X-Men: Apocalypse! The 80s-set movie will feature a younger version of the character played by Kodi Smit-McPhee (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Road).

Smit-McPhee's Nightcrawler is the latest younger take on a previously established character, joining Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) as Jean Grey, Tye Sheridan (The Tree of Life) as Cyclops, and Alexandra Shipp (Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B) as Storm. They will appear alongside returning cast James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult (and Hugh Jackman and Ian McKellen, according to rumor).

Our other bit of news; the long gesticulating and highly anticipated Deadpool movie was green-lit awhile ago with Ryan Reynolds set to play the titular mutant mercenary. We've heard that steel-skinned mutant Colossus will have a larger role in the movie, but now we know the filmmakers are looking for someone new and previous Colossus Daniel Cudmore (who had small parts in previous X-Men films) will not reprise the role.

We don't know who will take the reins in the upcoming movie, but we do know former MMA-fighter Gina Carano recently joined the cast alongside Reynolds.

With these two movies plus a solo movie for popular X-Man Gambit, starring Channing Tatum, all slated for release in 2016, it's safe to say that'll be a big year for our lovable gang of mutants. As Marvel continues its course of world domination, we admit we aren't not too upset to be along for the ride.