It’s weird being hopeful about X-Men: First Class. A project I long ago wrote off as being a cheap, shitty cash in and way to avoid paying salaries has morphed into a potentially interesting project. First Matthew Vaughn came on to direct, bringing Jane Goldman with him to write. Now the casting has been intriguing me, with the latest bit of news being just icing on the cake.

Heat Vision is reporting that Jennifer Lawrence, the beautiful young actress who is nothing less than amazing in the indie sensation Winter’s Bone (now playing – go and find it!), has joined the cast as Mystique. I don’t know why there are so many mutants in this film – rather than a prequel it just sort of feels like Mutant Babies in a way – but if they’re being played by good actors why would I ever complain?

By the way, Entertainment Weekly confirms that Kevin Bacon is the bad guy in the film. But nobody knows who he’s playing. A lot of speculation has been around him as Mr. Sinister, but wouldn’t Bacon work better as a mutie-hating government type? And wouldn’t that sort of character help create the schism between Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender)? That’s just a thought.

*Thanks to the legion of Freelance Internet Copy Editors who saw a typo and commented on it.