Another Adamantium Bullet in the Brainpan

Following the "success" of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Fox is already planning a sequel, which will henceforth be referred to as X-MOW 2. According to rumor, the movie is to take place in Japan and chronicle the Wolverine's experiences as he presumably learns the way of the samurai and kills dozens - if not hundreds - of ninja.

To The Middle Room, and geeks everywhere, this poses a difficult problem. We now know that Fox is incapable of delivering even a halfway decent Wolverine movie. We've seen their best attempt and weren't impressed.

And yet... could it be possible that Fox might have learned from their mistake? Could this sequel possibly honor the tradition of Wolverine hunting and slaughtering ninja? Could this movie conceivably... not suck?

The answer to all these questions, of course, is no. If Fox were capable of learning from their mistakes, they'd have taken something from X-Men 3. There is no rational reason to believe that the Wolverine sequel could be better than the first: indeed, it is far more likely that the opposite will be true, that whatever sequel Fox could conceive of will be worse than the original.

And yet... is there hope? Is it not the meaning of faith to cling to hope, even when logic stands against us?

In the end, it won't matter. We paid to see X-Men 3 in the theater. We paid to see X-MOW in the theater. And we will pay again to see X-MOW 2. This cycle, we suspect, shall continue for all eternity.

Because Fox has no need of our faith; Fox needs only our money. And perhaps our souls.