“I quit at that point”: X-Men Director Quits the Superhero Franchise Because of Halle Berry
Matthew Vaughn is famously known for his remarkable directorial like Kingsman and Kick-Ass. He also made his mark in the superhero franchise with his work on X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past. Before directing his 2011 movie, he was hired to work on X-Men: The Last Stand. However, a week before the filming, the director who dropped the project due to his deadline concerns is now revealing the actual reason that drove him to quit.
Matthew Vaughn was shocked at how the studio treated Helle Berry
Years ago, it was reported that the X-Men director, Matthew Vaughn, was forced to step away from the FOX production film due to family matters, and back in 2007, he told the Telegraph about the deadline concerns that ultimately led to his departure.
And now, leaving all reasons aside, speaking at the New York Comic Con (via THR), he spilled the beans on the filthy industry politics that revolved around the actress Halle Berry, which prompted him to walk away.
The director revealed that Halle Berry who plays the Storm was tricked into acting in X-Men: The Last Stand back in the 2000s. Recalling the incident with the executive producer of the film, Vaughn narrated that, once he happened to find an unfamiliar draft of the movie, upon inquiring about it, he was shocked to learn that it was a decoy to lure the academy-winning actress to the project.
“I went into one of the executive’s offices and I saw an X3 script, and I immediately knew it was a lot fatter. I was like what the hell is this draft? ?e went, ‘Don’t worry about it,’ and I’m like, ‘No, no. I’m the director. I’m worrying about this draft’.
He wouldn’t tell me, so I grabbed it literally — it was like a crazy moment — opened the first page, and it said, ‘Africa. Storm. Kids dying of no water. She creates a thunderstorm and saves all these children.’”
The director also mentioned that, since Berry was reluctant to sign the movie, with the return of stars like Hugh Jackman, the studio underwent a duplication tactic. Matthew also claimed that the executive producer was about to dispose of the draft as soon as she signed in.
Vaughn right at the point stated: “‘Wow, you’re gonna do that to an Oscar-winning actress who plays Storm? I’m outta here. So, I quit at that point.” Later the project was taken over by Brett Ratner along with series mastermind Bryan Singer.
Matthew Vaughn refused to direct X-Men: Days of Future Past
The X-Men: Last Stand was eventually released in 2006. Later Vaughn marked his debut X-Men film with X-Men: First Class in 2011. Vaughn, who had previously signed for the sequel, decided to step aside in favor of Bryan Singer who directed initial X-Men films while Vaughn worked on the script for X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2014.
Being an expansive production from the 20th Century Fox, X-Men: Days of Future Past, achieved commercial success and grossed over $748 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing films in the X-Men franchise.
Due to the poor reception of X-Men: Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants, the X-Men series is now open to a fresh start with Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Deadpool 3 serving as the entry point into a new era and is likely to hit the screens by 2024.
