Shocking Revelation: The Real Reason Original X-Men Director Walked Away!
Director Matthew Vaughn's shocking revelation about his departure from the X-Men franchise exposes Fox's deceitful attempt to manipulate Halle Berry into joining the cast Discover why Vaughn returned to the X-Men movies in this intriguing exposé
Summary
Original X-Men: The Last Stand director Matthew Vaughn quit due to a dirty Hollywood trick.
Fox gave Halle Berry a bogus script as a ploy to persuade her into reprising her role as Storm, with no genuine plans of actually producing it.
Appalled by the way Halle Berry was being mistreated, Vaughn's intense response prompted him to resign and instead direct "Stardust," a film adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel.
As the MCU prepares to introduce the X-Men into the current Marvel movie timeline, 4 years after Disney's acquisition of Fox, the original director of X-Men: The Last Stand has disclosed the shocking reason for his resignation almost two decades ago. Matthew Vaughn, who took over from Bryan Singer after the release of X2, left the production in 2005 without a finalized script, citing "personal issues" at the time. However, speaking at New York Comic Con, Vaughn revealed the truth behind his departure, exposing a deceitful tactic employed by Fox. During contract negotiations with Halle Berry, who portrayed Storm in the original X-Men series, Vaughn claims that Fox presented her with a fraudulent script that placed greater focus on her character, including a heroic sequence at the beginning of the movie.
Vaughn's decision to quit X-Men 3 was driven by his encounter with the political and peculiar nature of Hollywood. While visiting an executive's office, he stumbled upon a thicker version of the X3 script and inquired about its significance. The response he received was dismissive, prompting him to take matters into his own hands. As he flipped through the first page, he discovered a captivating idea: Storm using her powers to save children in Africa who were dying due to lack of water. To his surprise, he learned that this alternate script was tailored specifically to Halle Berry's desires, as she had not yet committed to the project. The executive assured Vaughn that once Berry signed on, this version would be discarded. The unjust treatment of an esteemed actress like Halle Berry, who had won an Oscar for her portrayal of Storm, left Vaughn disheartened. Feeling like he himself would be disposable, he made the difficult decision to walk away from the film. This led him to embark on the production of Stardust, a film adaptation of Neil Gaiman's enchanting novel, alongside Jane Goldman. As he exited the project, Vaughn was met with the trite threat that he would never work in Hollywood again.
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Why Matthew Vaughn Returned To X-Men Movies
Vaughn expressed initial concerns about assuming responsibility for X-Men 3 following Singer's departure, while also highlighting a significant disparity between the finished film and his original vision.
"I found X2 to be an absolute masterpiece. Initially, I had concerns about filling Bryan Singer's shoes. However, it turned out to be a dream come true as I had the opportunity to storyboard the entire movie. However, the end result was not the movie I had originally intended to make. The Golden Gate sequence was initially planned as the beginning of Act 2, and we had an intense action sequence set in Washington. Unfortunately, I was naive and unaware of the workings of Hollywood. I was accustomed to the traditional approach of sticking to a budget and schedule, but Hollywood operates differently. They give you a budget and schedule, but then proceed to make adjustments and deviate from it. I was unaware of this at the time. I even received a stern warning that I would never work in the industry again.
Despite the difficult experience, I eventually decided to return to Fox to create X-Men: First Class. The studio had decided to reboot the series with a new cast and a period setting after the disappointment of The Last Stand. During the NYCC, I shared the reason behind my decision to return.
After watching Kick-Ass, the man who previously proclaimed, "you'll never work in this town again," called me and admitted that he didn't mean his harsh words. This turned out to be a brilliant decision, as the film First Class revitalized the franchise. The exceptional performances of James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence were key factors in its success. Despite the challenges faced by Fox's X-Men franchise, such as the troubled productions of Dark Phoenix in 2019 and the relatively unknown New Mutants, it was Vaughn's creative contributions that allowed Marvel's mutants another opportunity to succeed or fail.
