Fox's "X-Men: First Class" was set in the early 1960s, and the upcoming "X-Men: Days of Future Past" unfolds primarily in the 1970s. So it's perhaps only logical that "X-Men: Apocalypse" jumps forward into the 1980s.

"We're going to deal with the notion of ancient mutants - the fact they were born and existed thousands of years ago," "Days of Future Past" director Bryan Singer tells Total Film (via Comic Book Movie). "But it'll be a contemporary movie - well, it'll take place in the '80s. ... The '80s is a period now - it's hard for me to believe that!"

First teased by the filmmaker in early December, "Apocalypse" will of course center on the ancient mutant of the same name introduced in 1986's "X-Factor" #6. Singer said in January that the film is more of a sequel to 2011's "X-Men: First Class" than a follow-up to "Days of Future Past"; none of the actors from the original trilogy will be involved.

"'Apocalypse' will have more of the mass destruction that X-Men films, to date, have not relied upon," he reveals to Total Film. "There's definitely now a character and a story that allow room for that kind of spectacle. ... I don't want to get too specific, but we'll introduce familiar characters in a younger time. That'll be fun to show the audience. I call these movies in-between-quels. It's a mind-fuck sometimes in terms of where things fall in the timeline!"

The magazine also debuted 10 new images from "X-Men: Days of Future Past," which stars Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Nicholas Hoult, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, Shawn Ashmore, Omar Sy, Evan Peters, Daniel Cudmore, Bingbing Fan, Adan Canto, Booboo Stewart, Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart. The film opens May 23.