During the time of mega-blockbusters and commercially successful films, the one who is at the top is the man whose films make the most bank at the box office. In this day and age, that honor goes to James Cameron, who has consistently given the world some of the most exceptional cinematic experiences atop the superhits.
Considering his reputation and accolades, it’s a wonder he becomes King Midas with the golden touch to turn any potential cinematic project into an overnight success. This might’ve also been the case with Marvel’s very successful X-Men franchise in the past until the writer of Marvel Comics Stan Lee had a talk with him.
How Stan Lee Talked James Cameron Out Of Making The X-Men Films
Most famous for creating some of the most commercially successful films in the industry today along with equally exceptional in terms of story and execution, James Cameron has gained the reputation of the most bankable filmmaker in the industry. This reputation and a long list of achievements have attracted many production companies to him with their offers, but a film series that he was personally interested in was none other than Marvel’s X-Men, so much that he was even in talks with Stan Lee about it, but that turned out very differently than expected.
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Talking with Flickering Myth, comic book creator Chris Claremont revealed how Cameron, along with his now ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow wanted the rights to X-Men for his production company Lightstorm Entertainment so he may produce it while Bigelow may direct the film, or subsequent films if it became a success. But then, when they went ahead and talked with The Avengers creator, he distracted him from the project at hand, which eventually derailed the entire plan for the X-Men film. He said:
“Just think about this for a minute: James Cameron’s X-Men. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. That’s what we were playing. So we’re chatting. And at one point Stan Lee looks at Cameron and says, ‘I hear you like Spider-Man.’ Cameron’s eyes lit up. And they start talking. And talking. And talking. About 20 minutes later all the Lightstorm guys and I are looking at each other, and we all know the X-Men deal has just evaporated.”
And just like that, what could’ve potentially been one of the biggest superhero films and/or franchises in the world dissolved into nothingness.
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Will James Cameron Ever Work For The MCU?
With such a vast and borderline impeccable legacy that the Terminator director has created by making some of the most commercially successful and critically exceptional films in the industry, it begs the question of what will Cameron do next. Seeing as the MCU is the biggest thing in the world today in terms of cinema, people are curious whether they will see him directing a film for the cinematic juggernaut.
Considering he has experience in creating some of the most visually stunning films in history, something that the MCU is also known for along with well-thought-out stories spanning many films, not to mention that he now works for Disney, it might not be too far off to say he may consider the opportunity in the future.
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The X-Men Franchise, now available on Disney+.
Source: Flickering Myth
