The Official Avatar Myspace Site had a major news drop with the announcement that, director Bryan Singer is headed back to the franchise he pioneered…that’s right he is coming back to X-Men!

“I just yesterday signed a deal to do an origins picture, which is kind of cool. I’m very excited.”

X-Men: First Class is expected to inject a next-gen sensibility into the series. – The studio has been leaning toward using the younger characters introduced in the previous in future installments –teenagers with powers taught at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning.

Resulting film would likely draw from elements of the Marvel Comics of the same name, launched in 2006, and enlist such characters as Iceman, Rogue, Angel, Colossus, Jubilee and Shadowcat, who have appeared prominently or made cameos in prior pics.

This is obviously a groundbreaking turn of events for the franchise as Singer’s vision will remain constant in a prequel. I really love this news and think that Singer’s return is something that is special and rarely happens this day and age. THR is reporting that Singer will also replace draft 1 writer Josh Schwartz with Jamie Moss to redraft the film’s screenplay. This has been hinted to for awhile that Singer has been contemplating a return to the series, since regretting his leaving for the Superman Returns film.

Singer chatted with Variety about how he thought long and hard about returning to the franchise he launched until he found a storyline that would stand on its own:

“This is the formative years of Xavier and Magneto, and the formation of the school and where there relationship took a wrong turn,” Singer said. “There is a romantic element, and some of the mutants from ‘X-Men’ will figure into the plot, though I don’t want to say which ones. There will be a lot of new mutants and a great villain. Whether it’s ‘Batman,’ ‘Lord of the Rings’ or ‘Star Trek,’ if the characters are good, you want to see them on their journey even if you know their destiny,” Singer said. “I put myself in the fan’s position, and I think this story is something I would want to see, and so will they.”

Seems like a Star Trek type prequel that Singer has in mind for his return to franchise. I remain cautiously optimistic but he surely the guy that knows how to handle X-Men and create a great understanding of the project and characters.