While comic book films have grown into the dominant force in popular culture within the past two decades, there was certainly a time when the genre itself was a far more risky prospect. Although theBatmanandSupermanfranchises had both been popular, films inspired by comic books began to dwindle in popularity in the 1990s, with flops likeJudge Dredd, Batman & Robin, Steel,andSpawnsignifying an uncertain future for the genre. However, the unspoken trepidation about superhero films changed forever thanks to the release ofX-Menin 2000, which both revitalized the genre andkicked off an immensely popular franchise. Despite arguably shaping the future of superhero dominance in the movies,comic books were banned from the set ofX-Menby directorBryan Singer.
In a world where mutants (evolved super-powered humans) exist and are discriminated against, two groups form for an inevitable clash: the supremacist Brotherhood, and the pacifist X-Men.
Comic Books Were Banned From the Set of ‘X-Men'
Although there had been several successful films based on DC properties before the 21st century, Marvel had a much more checkered history when it came to live-action adaptations. The first Marvel comic book adaptation ever,Howard the Duck,was a notorious box officebomb that essentially ruined the brand for over a decade. WhileBladewas a hit in 1998, theWesley Snipesfilm was squarely aimed at an adult audience, drawing in audiences familiar with R-rated action films of the 1990s.The firstX-Menfilm was Marvel’s first attempt at courting a four-quadrant blockbuster audience. Since the future of all Marvel adaptations was resting on its shoulders,X-Menwas certainly saddled with tremendous expectations.
In an attempt to prove that the franchise could be taken seriously, Singer was hired to directX-Menbased onthe success of his neo-noir thrillerThe Usual Suspectsand theStephen KingadaptationApt Pupil. Singer intended for the film to be grounded in real emotional stakes that would allow it to reach viewers outside a core audience of comic book readers.According toHugh Jackman,Singer was concerned that the film would be misperceived as “children’s entertainment” if it was directly based on the comics. Jackman revealed that Singer “really wanted to take comic book characters seriously, as real three-dimensional characters,” and was concerned that “people who don’t understand these comics might think they’re two-dimensional.”
The concerns about striking the right tonal balance are understandable, as some viewers may have only associated the franchise with the family-friendlyX-Men: The Animated Series, which was immensely popular in the 1990s.Even ifX-Men: The Animated Serieswas courting a different audience than what 20th Century Fox wanted for their film adaptation,Singer’s stigma against comic books was ignorant of theX-Menfranchise’s proud literary history.TheX-Mencomics were groundbreaking in how they addressed social issues, including discrimination, hate speech, and politics. Despite being barred from reading comics initially, Jackman admitted thatKevin Feigehelped expose him to the franchise’s greatest hits. Jackman credits Feige’s suggestions about whichX-Mencomics to read as the primary reason they have “stayed friends ever since."
‘X-Men’ Changed Comic Book Cinema Forever
While Singer’s comments about the franchise’s source material may have rubbed many comic book readers the wrong way,X-Menwas a massive successthat paved the groundwork for future Marvel adaptations.Although the film was not necessarily as colorful as the comics that inspired it,X-Mennailed the team dynamic that was so essential within the franchise’s history. A strong focus on the moral and ethical differences between Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Erik Lehnsherr (Ian McKellen) allowed the film to delve into relevant debates about stigmatization and nonviolence that reflected the comics’ cultural impact.
While it inspired a franchise that was broadly successful,Singer’s avoidance of the comic books is evident in howX-Menhandles some of its key characters. Despite beinga fan favorite onX-Men: The Animated Series, James Marsden’s Cyclops is relegated to a background role in the film, and only serves as the third wheel in a romantic love triangle between Wolverine and Jean Grey (Famke Janssen). Similarly,Halle Berry’s depiction of Storm was saddled with a shaky accent and an underdeveloped set of powers that was not reflective of the prominent role she played in the comics.
Although the first trilogy ofX-Menfilms was rather gloomy in tone,later installments in theX-Menfranchise took more direct inspiration from the comic books. 2014’sX-Men: Days of Future Past, oftenregarded as one of the best films in the series, was directly inspired by a popular comic book run of the same name byChris ClaremontandJohn Byrne. The failings ofX-Men: ApocalypseandDark Phoenixcan be partially attributed to a complete misunderstanding of the source material by the films’ creative collaborators.
Bryan Singer Gives the ‘X-Men’ Franchise a Complicated Legacy
Much of theX-Menfranchise is mottled after Singer’s vision, as he returned to directX2,X-Men: Days of Future Past,andX-Men: Apocalypse. While it would be impossible to deny the impact he’s had on the genre at large,the disturbing allegations of sexual abuse leveled against Singergive theX-Menfranchise a checkered legacy.Singer has been absent from Hollywood after he was fired from the production ofBohemian Rhapsodymidway through production and replaced byDexter Fletcher. Although he’s beencriticized by former collaborators,Singer’s patterns of abuse make theX-Menfilms particularly challenging to rewatch with objectivity.
The controversy surrounding Singer is unfortunately not an isolated incident within theX-Menfranchise, asX-Men: The Last StanddirectorBrett Ratnerhas also been accused of sexual misconduct.While it’s unfortunate that these abusers were enabled by their films’ success,theX-Menfranchise has always been one that supports marginalized communities.The groundbreaking LGBTQ representation within the Disney+ seriesX-Men ‘97only signifies how much the franchise has grown since its inception. Hopefully, future iterations of theX-Menfilm franchise within the Marvel Cinematic Universe will continue on this positive trajectory.
