The Wolverine sequel to film after X-Men: Apocalypse

Los Angeles  - The Wolverine sequel will be filmed after X-Men: Apocalypse.

Director James Mangold has revealed he intends to shoot the follow-up to last year's hit superhero film starring Hugh Jackman following the next installment of the X-Men parent franchise, which is set for release in 2016.

The decision means fans will have to wait four years for the next Wolverine solo adventure.

Quizzed about the release of the next film on Twitter, Mangold responded:

@R__E__D_R__U__M @20centuryfox @ShuDonner We are figuring it all out. At the moment, I'm shooting The next #Wolverine after #XmenApocalypse.

— Mangold (@mang0ld) March 15, 2014

The director - who previously worked with Jackman on 2001 comedy Kate & Leopold - has been largely credited with turning around the spin-off franchise's fortunes after The Wolverine became a critical and commercial success last summer. This despite poor reviews for Jackman's first solo film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009.

Wolverine will next be seen in the upcoming Bryan Singer-directed blockbuster, X-Men: Days of Future Past, which will feature characters from both the original X-Men trilogy and the stars of 2011 prequel X-Men: First Class.

Singer has confirmed he will then director X-Men: Apocalypse for a 2016 release and the film is set to feature solely the prequel cast, including James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence.

The director recently teased X-Men: Apocalypse will feature "more of the mass destruction that X-Men films, to date, have not relied upon. There's definitely now a character and a story that allow room for that kind of spectacle."