UPDATE: X-Men to appear in a scene during The Amazing Spider-man 2 credits

UPDATE: The X-MEN scene is now explained! According to Variety, Sony is featuring the X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST scene due to contractual obligations between the studio’s indie banner, Fox Searchlight, and director Marc Webb. Webb was contracted for a second film after (500) DAYS OF SUMMER which he left to helm THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and it’s sequels. To allow Webb out of the deal for a second film, Sony was required to advertise Fox’s mutant sequel for free. So there goes any hope of a cross-over being teased.

Yes, you read that headline correctly. During the credits for THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 there will be a stinger sequence featuring the X-MEN. But, before you get yourself so excited at the prospect of these Marvel characters crossing over into each other’s universes you should know that the sequence in question is actually a scene excerpted from Bryan Singer‘s upcoming X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST rather than a tie-in created specifically for Marc Webb‘s film.

There does not appear to be any explanation why the X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST scene is being attached to international reels of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, but Empire is reporting that the scene in question is teased in the DAYS OF FUTURE PAST trailer where Jennifer Lawrence‘s Mystique, along with Havok and Toad, battle William Stryker and a squad of soldiers. ScreenCrush has confirmed that the American release of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 will also feature the scene.

This is fairly substantial news in that THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 and X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST are being released by rival studios. The two films are being released less than three weeks apart from each other, so the rationale may not be to build buzz for one another’s films. Maybe 20th Century Fox and Sony have put aside their competitive nature in a combined bid to finally see if they can compete with Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. After all, Spider-man, The X-Men, and The Fantastic Four all crossed over with one another frequently in the pages of Marvel Comics. Maybe this is a sign of big things to come.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 hits theaters on May 2, 2014 while X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST hits on May 23, 2014.