"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" isn't even out in theaters yet, but the endless amount of "Wolverine" movie footage and sound bites from the "Wolverine" cast might have you thinking otherwise. Whatever the case might be, the studio bigwigs behind Logan's solo debut are banking on the fact that you're gonna love the picture -- since they're already thinking about a sequel!

Earlier in the week, Ain't It Cool News and SlashFilm separately posted reports that "Slumdog Millionaire" writer Simon Beaufoy was tapped to write a sequel to "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." While the rumor has since been debunked, there now appears to be some element of truth to the initial report -- Beaufoy was contacted by producers, Entertainment Weekly reports.

"According to Beaufoy's manager, Beaufoy was approached by 'Wolverine' producer Lauren Shuler Donner to gauge the writer's interest in ['Wolverine 2'], but no formal offer was made," reports EW's Sean Smith. "A Fox source says that the two met at the 'Slumdog' Oscar party and chatted about 'Wolverine' there. Beaufoy, in any case, didn't feel he was right for the project."

Smith goes on to say that Fox has denied that they're working on "Wolverine 2," despite the colossal marketing machine currently grinding websites, movie theaters and television networks across the world. There are even hopes for a "Deadpool" spin-off if "Wolverine" proves its worth in the box office as many are expecting.

But regardless of whether a "Deadpool" feature or "Wolverine" sequel are in the pipeline, there's almost no question that Fox is quietly working on further "X-Men" movies, whether they're in active production or not. As Splash Page previously reported, Fox risks losing the rights to some of their Marvel properties -- such as "Daredevil" and "Fantastic Four" -- unless they push the films into active development.

The "X-Men" franchise is certainly one of those at-risk properties, but with rumors of "X-Men Origins: Magneto" and "X-Men: First Class," chances are good that Marvel's mutants will carry on under Fox's watchful eye for the foreseeable future. But lord knows, there's some hungry Marvel writing teams hoping for a crack at Wolverine and the gang.

Who would you want to write a "Wolverine" sequel? What classic Logan stories would you like to see adapted to the screen? Dig those claws into the comments section!