Bad news mutant fans, it seems as though we won't be seeing Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen in X-Men: Apocalypse.

The veteran actors, who play Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto in the superhero movie franchise, will be sitting the next instalment out - Stewart has revealed.

He was asked by US TV legend Larry King if he'd be back for the movie - and replied: "No. Nor Sir Ian McKellen, either.

"I was learning quite a lot more about it last night, and it is going to be looking very much at the earlier lives of all our characters and so I don't think we'll be making an appearance."

James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender will instead play younger versions of their characters again.

And they will be joined by Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult and Evan Peters among others.

The movie - being directed by Bryan Singer - is expected to focus on the romance between Fassbender's Magneto and J-Law's Mystique.

It is set for release in May next year.