Halle Berry Likely to Appear in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

Director Bryan Singer (X-Men) isn’t content with rounding up just one group of mutant superheroes for X-Men: Days of Future Past, he needs two.  He’s already got Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman, Ellen Page, Anna Paquin and Shawn Ashmore slated to return, but there’s still the noticeable absence of Halle Berry as Storm.  Having appeared in all three of the original X-Men movies, it would be rather unfortunate if we didn’t see her reunited with the team.  Since shooting is expected to start in April, we should have word fairly soon on whether or not Berry will sign on, but it’s looking positive (don’t hold your breath for James Marsden and Famke Janssen, however).  Hit the jump for more.

Although Berry wouldn’t provide any direct quotes or confirmations in a recent interview with Shadow and Act, the actress appears to be “90% confident” that she’ll return as Storm in the new film.  It seems to be more of a contractual roadblock than a lack of willingness to work together on either side.  I’m hoping the agreement promises to eliminate any cringe-worthy dialogue on Berry’s behalf, as her scene with Toad (Ray Park) still gives me agita.

Since the plot of X-Men: Days of Future Past will take place with both the mid-twentieth century team established in X-Men: First Class as well as the “future” group seen in the first trilogy, it would be much more convincing to have as many of the original cast members on screen as possible.  To use Singer’s own term in describing the film as an “inbetwequel,” X-Men: Days of Future Past is not only going to bridge time and space within the story, but within our own movie universe here in the real world itself.  Meta.  If Berry can’t get the negotiations to work out, I’m sure the plot will just explain her absence as one of the many casualties of the horrific future that the younger team must try to prevent.

Here’s the synopsis for X-Men: Days of Future Past:

The storyline alternates between present day, in which the X-Men fight Mystique’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and a future timeline caused by the X-Men’s failure to prevent the Brotherhood from assassinating Senator Robert Kelly. In this future universe, Sentinels rule the United States, and mutants live in internment camps. The present-day X-Men are forewarned of the possible future by a future version of their teammate Kitty Pryde, whose mind traveled back in time and possessed her younger self to warn the X-Men.