Bryan Singer returning to direct ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’

Bryan Singer is returning to the “X-Men” franchise to bring about the end of the world.

Singer has closed a deal with Fox to direct “X-Men: Apocalypse,” the next installment of the blockbuster superhero series set for release May 27, 2016, The Times has confirmed. Deadline first reported the news.

The 49-year-old director of “X-Men: Days of Future Past” has been associated with “Apocalypse” for some time — he announced the title on Twitter in December and teased a page of the script on Instagram in June — so it’s not hugely surprising that he and the studio have made things official.

With strong reviews and a worldwide gross of nearly $746 million, “Days of Future Past” proved to be a fruitful homecoming for Singer, who came back to the franchise after an absence of more than a decade (he made 2000’s “X-Men” and 2002’s “X2”). He seemingly regained his mojo after a semi-slump that included “Superman Returns” and “Jack the Giant Slayer.”

That said, Singer’s involvement with “Apocalypse” was thrown into uncertainty when a scandal erupted over a teen sex abuse lawsuit filed against him, which prompted him to withdraw from promoting the film. But the allegations were later dropped, clearing the runway for Singer to proceed with Fox’s answer to the cinematic superhero universes of Marvel Studios (owned by Disney) and Warner Bros. (which holds the rights to the DC Comics stable of heroes and villains).

Plot details have yet to be revealed for “Apocalypse,” although the eponymous villain was glimpsed in a post-credits scene in “Days of Future Past.”

The latter film, with its complex, time-travel-themed plot, united the casts and time lines of the original “X-Men” trilogy and the reboot-prequel “X-Men: First Class,” and in doing so set up stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence to take the franchise baton from Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen.

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