Ever since 2008's Iron Man, Marvel Studios has carved out a profitable niche in Hollywood independently financing the film adaptations of the Marvel comics.  However, because of the nature of film rights, a few of Marvel's most popular properties are housed at other studios.  Fox has three: X-Men, Daredevil, and Fantastic Four.  In a recent interview, Fox executive Tom Rothman stressed the studio is eager to continue development on the next chapter in those respective stories---a sequel to X-Men: First Class and reboots for Daredevil and Fantastic Four.Hit the jump for the interview clip (plus quotes) to see what Rothman had to say.Here's the clip, wherein MTV News catches up with Rothman at the Gotham Independent Film Awards:Critics loved First Class, and $353 million worldwide is nothing to sneeze at.  But it is the lowest grosser among the five movies in the X-Men franchise.  Still, Fox would like a sequel if they can get the script right:

"It's 'go' in the sense that we're trying like hell. We're trying as hard as we can. We really want to do it. We're planning to do it. But the reason, in addition to [Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy] and Matthew Vaughn, that it was as good as it was that the script was really good. The key to making a great continuing franchise is to have a great script, so we're working hard on it."

We credit director Matthew Vaughn for much of what made First Class great.  But it is not certain that Vaughn will return to direct future X-Men installments:

"I know he'd like to.  We certainly would like him to.  But it's a matter of, as I said, getting a script that's really worthy."

As for Daredevil and Fantastic Four, Rothman confirmed that Fox is working on reboots for both, and indicated what they'd like to accomplish:

"Daredevil is still with David Slade. It's in development now. We're working on it and Fantastic Four. I think for all of us, the bar has been raised, so we've got to aim high now. Marvel's done a terrific job with their films. Where our Marvel movies are concerned or other movies like that. It's like what we had with Planet of the Apes this summer. I think it's important for us to really aim high and deliver an A-level experience to the audience."

Fox, and Rothman in particular, has taken heat in the past for a cynical, corporate approach to filmmaking.  But the studio did provide a great summer for film geeks with the one-two punch of First Class and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.  I can only dream that is, as Rothman implies, the status quo at Fox from here on out.