Hugh Jackman is synonymous with his role as Wolverine in the X-Men franchise produced by Fox Studios. The Bryan Singer-directed franchise is credited in many ways to have pushed the industry to take superhero films seriously and may just be responsible for universes such as the MCU and DCU to exist.
However, the legacy of the franchise has been tainted after numerous se*ual misconduct allegations were made against Singer. Several men, who were reportedly minors at the time, came out to accuse the Bohemian Rhapsody director of misconduct. A few X-Men actors too spoke about his behavior. However, Hugh Jackman, who will be returning as Wolverine, chose to take a neutral stance on the issue.
The X-Men Franchise’s Bryan Singer Problem
The X-Men films were lauded as some of the best superhero films ever made and were reportedly instrumental in the emergence of serious superhero films such as The Dark Knight trilogy and the MCU. However, the legacy of the franchise has been tainted since director Bryan Singer was accused of se*ual misconduct by several men. The victims were reportedly minors when Singer misbehaved with them.
After the allegations surfaced, Bryan Singer was fired from his directorial duties in the film Bohemian Rhapsody. Though he still retained the credit, Dexter Fletcher reportedly finished filming the biopic and finished the film. Singer also lost his credit from the production of Dark Phoenix, the last film in the X-Men franchise.
More allegations of bullying and problematic behavior were brought forth by people who were on the sets of the X-Men films. Producer Ralph Winter spoke of Singer’s constant partying and absences, while other executives mentioned how forgiving Hollywood was of directors who gave blockbuster hits. In an article by The Hollywood Reporter, an executive stated,
“His behavior was poor on the movie. We accommodated him on the first movie, and therefore we can accommodate him on the second movie. And on and on. And it created a monster.”
Many conversations about Singer’s behavior and misuse of his power have been brought up in the media since the allegations came out. The article also pointed out many problematic issues that Singer did on the sets of X-Men as he was given free rein due to his success as a director.
Hugh Jackman Gave a Diplomatic Response About Bryan Singer
Actor Hugh Jackman had his Hollywood breakthrough when he starred as Logan a.k.a Wolverine in X-Men. The Australian actor was a relative unknown back then, appearing only in a few Australian films and shows, and on stage. He was reportedly recommended by fellow Australian actor Russell Crowe, who was tapped to play the superhero.
Though his casting was initially met with opposition due to his height, Jackman was welcomed with open arms after the release of X-Men, which was a huge commercial success. The actor went on to appear in nine films and played the role for seventeen years. While he retired in 2017 after Logan, he announced his return with the upcoming film Deadpool 3.
Bryan Singer directed four films in the X-Men franchise including some of its best-rated films such as X-Men, X2, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. Actor Hugh Jackman also owed his success to the films and the decision by Singer to cast him in the films. While many actors from the X-Men films, such as Halle Berry, have come out and spoken about Singer’s on-set behavior, Hugh Jackman seemed to have a neutral stance.
In an interview with The Guardian, Hugh Jackman said,
“This was my first movie in America, you gotta understand; it was all so new to me. I think it’s fair to say that there are some stories, you know … I think there are some ways of being on set that would not happen now…I don’t know how to elegantly answer that. I think it’s complex and ultimately I look back with pride at what we’ve achieved and what momentum that started.”
The actor went on to deflect the question by talking about how problematic behaviors such as bullying, mistreatment, and “oppressive” behavior would not fly on sets these days. However, he went on to credit the X-Men franchise for changing the way comic-book films were made.
