After months of rumors, X-Men and Superman Returns director Bryan Singer has publicly stated that not only does he want to return to Fox's mutant angst franchise, but that he's spoken to the studio about the possibility.

Talking during an appearance with director Kim Ji-woon at the Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea, Singer told the audience,

I'm still looking to possibly returning to the 'X-Men' franchise. I've been talking to Fox about it... I love Hugh Jackman. I love the cast.

While Singer has spoken before about his fondness for the X-Men, this is the first time he's confirmed rumors that he and Fox have discussed the possibility of his return. Another reason he wants to return to the franchise he helped launch, he says, is because of the opportunity it offers to make social commentary without the audience necessarily realizing it:

[I like to] trick audiences into thinking they're seeing fireworks, but they're learning about themselves and listening to what I have to say. The excitement about working in science fiction and fantasy is - the stories, if they are good, are about the human condition.

And if they're bad, they're X-Men Origins: Wolverine. We hope that Singer and Fox come to an arrangement that'd see him back with the students at Xavier's; it's really not been the same since he left.

Bryan Singer wants more 'X-Men' [Hollywood Reporter]

Send an email to Graeme McMillan, the author of this post, at graeme@io9.com.