We recently reported that Matthew Vaughn, director of X-Men: First Class, was stepping down from heading up the sequel, X-Men: Days of Future Past. On the shortlist of replacement directors was one Bryan Singer, who was already acting in a producing capacity for the sequel. Singer has now been confirmed as the director for X-Men: Days of Future Past. There is still no explanation as to why Vaughn stepped aside, but he is in the process of inking a deal to stay on with the project as a producer. (He did turn in the film’s screen treatment after all.) Hit the jump for more on Singer’s attachment to direct X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Deadline reports that Fox made quick work of replacing their vacant director’s chair and will likely be able to keep their July 18th, 2014 release date as a result. Fans should be familiar with Singer’s work as he wrote and directed both 2000’s X-Men and 2003’s follow-up, X2. He also turned in the script for Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class along with an ensemble of other writers, including Vaughn. We also got confirmation of the title from Singer recently. It follows the 1980s’ comic storyline written by Chris Claremont that alternates between a present day battle against the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and a future timeline where an assassination of a government official has led to Sentinels roaming the land and mutants held prisoner in internment camps.

The cast from the original film is expected to return, including Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy.