With the August 31st start date of Matthew Vaughn's X-Men: First Class fast approaching, we've posted a ton of casting news recently.  With multiple actors playing the same character at different ages (for instance: Jennifer Lawrence is Mystique, Morgan Lily is Young Mystique), the nature and setting of the how and when of First Class was a bit murky.

Thankfully, producer Bryan Singer came along to clear up some of the finer points.  Because we're entering spoiler territory, you can find what he had to say after the jump.

Here are the highlights of Singer's conversation with AICN:

-The film takes place in the 1960s: John F. Kennedy is president, and it sounds like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X will appear on TVs in the background.  The technology in the film is inspired by the James Bond films of the decade.

-Shooting will take place in England and the U.S., with other international locations (including The Soviet Union) represented.

-We will see how Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) met Erik Lehnsherr (aka Magneto, played by Michael Fassbender) in their late twenties.  Together they envision a future in which mutants and humans are united, and lay out what they intend to achieve in assembling the X-Men.

-Xavier will have full use of his legs and a full head of hair at the beginning of the film.  By the end of First Class, we will see how he ended up in a wheelchair.

-Scott Summers (Cyclops) and Jean Grey are absent from the film.  Scott's brother Alex Summers (Havoc) is confirmed for First Class, as played by Lucas Till.

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-Kevin Bacon will indeed be playing Sebastian Shaw in the film (pictured, right), as a key member of the Hellfire Club.  When asked if Bacon would sport the ponytail and ribbon associated with the character, Singer laughed and remarked, "We'll see."  I'm guessing that's a yes.

-Singer suggests "this is not the conventional First Class comic, but rather a new beginning for X-Men."  The costumes will be "far more comic bookish" than the prior films.  Singer promises sort of glimpse of the costumes and the look of First Class within the month.

With the exception of Rosamund Pike (rumored for Moira MacTaggert), Singer confirms that the cast as listed on IMDB is correct.  Here's how it stacks up:

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