Intrigue Unleashed: Matthew Vaughn's Shocking Departure from 'X-Men 3' Reveals Stunning Plot to Dupe Halle Berry

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Matthew Vaughn has revealed the reasons behind his decision to decline directing X-Men: The Last Stand in 2006, and one of the primary factors involves Halle Berry. Speaking at a New York Comic Con panel on Saturday, October 14, the 52-year-old filmmaker recounted how he stumbled upon a script for X3 in an executive's office. Noting that it was considerably thicker than usual, Vaughn asked about its contents. When told not to worry about it, he couldn't resist taking a closer look. To his dismay, he discovered that the first page depicted a scene in Africa where children were dying from lack of water, and Storm uses her powers to save them by creating a thunderstorm.

Berry, who is 57 years old, previously portrayed the character of Storm in two X-Men films before this particular one. The actor expressed his initial impression of the project, stating that he found the idea to be quite intriguing. He was informed by the creators that the script he was given was the version tailored to Halle Berry's preferences, as she had not yet committed to the project. However, once she did, they intended to discard it. This treatment of a highly esteemed Oscar-winning actress and her portrayal of Storm led him to contemplate quitting.

After Vaughn's departure, the studio brought in Brett Ratner as his replacement. However, Vaughn did return to helm X-Men: First Class in 2011, which boasted a remarkable ensemble including Jennifer Lawrence and James McAvoy.

Although X-Men: The Last Stand excluded the scenes Vaughn had originally known from the script, Berry did reprise her role as Storm in both that film and X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2014.

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During the filming in 2014, Berry was pregnant with her second child, who would later become her first child with ex-husband Oliver Martinez. (Berry and Martinez, 57, recently finalized their divorce settlement, almost seven years after their separation.)

"I didn't have as much screen time in [the movie] as originally planned," she shared with Total Film. "My pregnancy influenced my level of involvement, which is why I entered and exited the project early on."

Berry further explained that her changing body presented additional obstacles during filming. "My growing belly posed a constant challenge," she remarked. "I had to adapt my actions as my mobility became limited, which ultimately altered the character I portrayed compared to what could have been, all because of my unexpected pregnancy."

We confirmed in October 2013 that she and Martinez welcomed son Maceo.

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