Highlights
X-Men: The Last Stand's director Matthew Vaughn revealed that the studio used deceptive tactics to secure Halle Berry's return, leading him to leave the project.
Vaughn resigned after being deceived by a Fox executive who presented him with a script containing a scene with Storm, claiming it was Berry's preference, but subsequently abandoned it upon her agreement.
However, despite the unethical tactics employed, Berry ultimately secured the lead role in the movie, and there is now potential for her to reprise her character as Storm in a future X-Men project within the MCU.
Matthew Vaughn, the original director of X-Men: The Last Stand, recently disclosed the underhanded tactics employed by Fox executives to ensure Halle Berry's reprisal of the role of Storm, ultimately causing him to leave the project.
The X-Men franchise has undergone numerous adaptations across various mediums, including the forthcoming reboot of the X-Men animated series. One notable iteration was the expansive cinematic universe crafted by 20th Century Fox, offering audiences their initial exposure to the mutants and their struggles. This initial foray would serve as the foundation for subsequent films, most notably the concluding installments of the original trilogy, culminating with X-Men: The Last Stand.
During his spotlight panel at New York Comic Con 2023, Vaughn shared the reason for his departure from X-Men 3, despite being attached as the director. Vaughn uncovered a deceptive move by a Fox executive, who tricked Berry into signing on. Confronting the unidentified executive about an undisclosed version of the script, which prominently featured a scene with Storm utilizing her powers to aid undernourished children, Vaughn discovered Fox's sneaky intentions. "That's quite an intriguing concept. So I inquired about it. They claimed it was the Halle Berry script. 'She hasn't committed yet, but this is her vision for it. Once she's signed on, we'll discard it,'" Vaughn recounted. "I was taken aback. Are you really going to treat an Oscar-winning actress that way? I had enough, and that's when I decided to step away. I felt like I was in a precarious situation."
Berry starred in the film due to the questionable actions of higher-ups at Fox. Vaughn, now recognized for his work on Kick-Ass and The Kingsman franchise, confirmed the start of filming for a third Kingsman movie and disclosed that the executive in question had told him he would never work in the industry again, a statement Vaughn believed at the time. He was temporarily replaced by Brett Ratner but later returned to work on X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past. It is unclear how frequent these unethical tactics are in the industry, but Vaughn's experience is a shocking example. Despite the questionable circumstances surrounding her appearance in X-Men 3, Berry would be willing to portray Storm again in an MCU X-Men project if given the opportunity. She expressed her love for the character and the widespread affection for her portrayal. With the X-Men's eventual inclusion in the MCU, Berry may have a chance to reprise her role.
The X-Men movies are available on Disney Plus.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
