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X-Men: Days of Future Past is the X-property getting all the attention right now, but as Fox shifts its focus more and more toward the "expanded universe" approach currently being perfected by Marvel, execs are already turning their eyes toward what lies ahead for the franchise -- and that includes a sequel to 2013's The Wolverine.

Director James Mangold hinted at the interlocking lead-up to Wolverine's next outing during a recent Twitter exchange with a fan, saying, "We are figuring it all out. At the moment, I'm shooting The next #Wolverine after #XmenApocalypse."

X-Men: Apocalypse is currently scheduled to bow on May 27, 2016 -- and if the franchise continues its relatively speedy turnaround between sequels, that'll give Mangold a fairly brief window to deliver The Wolverine 2. Of course, given that star Hugh Jackman is currently 45, they'll want to get this done quickly anyway; if he hasn't given up the character by then, he'll definitely be reaching the end of his window with an extremely physically demanding role.

Not that Jackman sounds like he's in any rush to let go of Wolverine. As he recently told Entertainment Weekly, he's eager to stick around for a sequel to The Wolverine. "There are some really cool ideas that I’m dying to tell you, but that would be giving away a secret that is not even [fully] formed yet," he teased. "I think we’ve got a great opportunity to make something really cool, but it has to be great. That’s what we’re all working toward."

Whatever the future might hold for Wolverine in terms of standalone adventures, fans can content themselves with the knowledge that another X-Men movie is right around the corner. X-Men: Days of Future Past is scheduled to arrive on traditional and 3D screens on May 23.

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