While Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a much-loved superhero franchise, there are still many who long for superhero movies like Fox’s. x-men saga. The long-running film series has had its ups and downs, but is credited with helping start the modern comic book movie craze. While the features are great fun, the stars themselves have since revealed that the working conditions aren’t always easy. Many attributed this to Bryan Singer, who helmed four installments. There’s been a lot of talk about how he would have operated on set, and we’re going to discuss the cast’s comments.
Franchise OGs Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman got candid about working with Bryan Singer
Bryan Singer’s work in the superhero genre began with x-men, which topped the box office in 2000 and received considerable acclaim. Given the quality of the production, one would think that the whole was harmonious, even if Halle Berry has since claimed that she and Singer had a falling out in the middle of production. Berry once detailed just how serious their backstage confrontations would be:
I was sometimes very angry with him. I had a few arguments with him, I said a few swear words out of sheer frustration. When I work, I’m serious about it. And when that’s compromised, I go a little nuts. But at the same time, I have a lot of compassion for people who struggle with whatever they’re struggling with, and Bryan struggles.
It should be noted that the Oscar-winning actor did not specify the productions on which he had his disagreements. Although what she said was that the outbreaks were partially initiated by “because of everything he’s been struggling with.” According to what has been said on Bryan Singer (who previously sued for alleged rape), he has been known to disappear from the set from time to time. Berry even mentioned that he didn’t always seem “present” when he was there. Given the stories that have been circulating over the past few years, one can’t help but wonder what the stars now think of the movies’ legacy. Hugh Jackman was asked if Singer’s reputation tarnished provided them with a diplomatic response:
You know, it’s a really, really complicated question. There’s a lot at stake there. X-Men was the turning point, I believe, in terms of comic book movies and I think that’s something to be proud of. And there are certainly questions to be asked and I think they should be. But I guess I don’t know how to elegantly answer that. I think it’s complex and finally I look back with pride on what we achieved and what momentum it started.
It’s hard not to sympathize with Hugh Jackman — and his colleagues, too — as they produced beloved movies that clearly left a dent in pop culture. It’s easy to see why the Aussie actor would be somewhat conflicted when balancing his pride in the work with his feelings for the director. Although some of the actors who worked on later films provided somewhat sharper answers.
The two previous films that Bryan Singer directed, days of future past And Apocalypse, brought a host of new faces. One such actor is Olivia Munn, who played Betsy Braddock aka Psylocke in this latest film. It was her first major studio film and, as Munn explained, she had its share of struggles with Singer by doing this:
When we shot X-Men, I had never shot such a huge movie before. I didn’t know what was right or wrong, but I knew it seemed odd that Bryan Singer would check up and say he had a thyroid problem. Instead of going to a doctor in Montreal, which is a very high-level working city, he said he had to go to Los Angeles. And he was gone for about 10 days, if I remember correctly. And he said, ‘Keep going. Keep filming. We would be on set, I remember there was a big stage that we would have, and we would come back from lunch, and then one of Bryan’s assistants would come in and show us a cell phone with a text message on it.
The actress further claimed that he would send text messages to the actors, in which he would tell them that he was busy but that they should continue filming without him. While making these comments, she also mentioned Fox’s eventual decision to hire her as the director of Bohemian Rhapsodyfrom which he was later fired. In that case, he would have gone up against lead actor Rami Malek, and Jean Gray actress Sophie Turner quoted Malek when discussing her experience with the director on X-Men: Apocalypse:
Our time together was, as Rami said, unpleasant.
The various comments that have been documented so far indicate that the stars’ time spent working with Bryan Singer has been less than favorable. The singer was even called out by Jennifer Lawrence, who played Mystique in the previous films, when she spoke of the “emotional men” she would work with on set. In the middle of all these feelings, another x-men alum provided a different kind of perspective more recently.
Brian Cox recalls working with Bryan Singer on X2
X2 is still revered as one of the franchise’s best installments, and one of the reasons for that is Brian Cox’s pitch-perfect performance as the villainous William Stryker. Cox was recently asked about what it was like to work with the The usual suspects director and, while speaking with Yahoo! Entertainment, he mentioned that the filmmaker was “under a lot of pressure” during production. He also shed some light on his creative process:
He’d have a thought, then he’d have to think again [the scene]. So it was always a difficult transition for him. But once he cracked it, he cracked it very quickly and was able to continue. I think he’s an amazing director — really, really good. I will definitely always be grateful to him because he trusted me and got me the part. I played a waiting game and it worked.
Despite everything that happened with Bryan Singer over the years, few would deny that he produced some memorable films, x-men– linked or not. Singer hasn’t been credited as a director on a film since 2018, and after the allegations and numerous comments from actors, one can only speculate as to whether he will ever direct another film.
THE x-men movies (which we’ve sorted chronologically) can be streamed using a Disney+ subscription. While we wait for news on the next MCU reboot, read the others upcoming marvel movies.
