Well, I guess we all knew that there was just as much a chance that Twentieth Century Fox would let the “X-Men” franchise die as there was that Michael Jackson would be normal again anytime soon. And so it is, that the studio has officially announced the commencement of a new “X-Men” movie, the fourth in the series, to be written and possibly direct (he has been offered the chair, but has said No for now) by TV vet Josh Schwartz, creator of teen-centric hits The OC and Gossip Girl. Yes, that’s right, the guy who did The OC and Gossip Girl has been given free reign to make your next X-Men movie. Cry if you want to, but we already knew this was in the offering earlier this year when news of Schwartz’s involvement in the X franchise leaked. So yeah, we were ready for it, but I’ll be damn if it still doesn’t come as something of a shock anyway.

Variety has the official word, which is either good or bad, depending on how you approach shows on the CW not called Smallville or Supernatural:

Twentieth Century Fox is gearing up to continue its “X-Men” franchise with a younger set of mutants.

Studio has tapped “Gossip Girl” creator Josh Schwartz to write “X-Men: First Class.”

Schwartz, the creator and exec producer of CW’s teen sudser hit as well as Fox’s youth-centric “The OC” and NBC’s “Chuck,” is expected to inject a next-gen sensibility into the superhero series, which has earned $1.2 billion worldwide.

Writing assignment has also included the possibility of directing the pic, but so far Schwartz has opted not to take the helm.

Gossip Girl. The OC. And now “X-Men: First Class”. Yeah, I can see the progression there, too. Well, okay, I can’t, but then again, I’m not a rich studio suit making a gazillion bucks a week, so what do I know.

Below: If the X-Men thought Magneto was tough, wait until they face back-stabbing best friends who want to sleep with their boyfriends!