James McAvoy is promoting his new film ‘Filth’ but having just wrapped shooting ‘X-Men: First Class’, IGN asked him about the experience and it sounds like it’s going to be even bigger than we suspected!

McAvoy stated:

‘There’s an army of brilliant actors in that film. Bryan Singer is back at the helm. Potentially it’s going to be the biggest, most epic X-Men they’ve ever had. I think it’s the second biggest production Fox have ever embarked upon, behind Avatar. So they’re definitely going for it.’

Second only to ‘Avatar‘?!  That’s going to be huge!  Especially with Bryan Singer back on board, the man responsible for, y’know the good ones.  (Oh, okay, ‘First Class’ was good too.)  About working with the X-Men’s original director, McAvoy had only good things to say.

“Bryan’s very protective of the series. He did create it. He did help form that environment that allowed subsequent superhero movies to exist and thrive like they have done for the last however many years… He does take it really seriously. There’s a kind or reverence about it, which I like… You know you’re in good hands.”

In addition to scores of returning mutants, everyone from Havok and Mystique from ‘First Class’ to Kitty Pryde and Colossus from the original trilogy, the movie actually features both versions of Professor Xavier and Magneto.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like McAvoy got much face time with Patrick Stewart who plays his older self.

“His last day was my first day and that was it. Then we were done. But we did crossover and we do get a scene together.”

What about working with the rest of the cast?  He seemed particularly smitten with none other than Hugh Jackman.

“Getting to work with Hugh [Jackman] – who I christened Hugo Boss – was great. What he’s like on camera when he’s getting interviewed and you think he’s the nicest man in show business – he is. He’s amazing. The guy’s got grace coming out of every single pore. If we could all be a bit more like Hugh it would be a very happy planet.’

You can read the entire interview here, including what it was like working with the rest of the cast and his thoughts on Ian McKellen officiating Patrick Stewart’s wedding.

You can check out the “army” of X-Men when ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ invades theaters on May 23, 2014.

Are you excited?