X-Men is a significant part of popular culture, with the franchise being one of the most memorable and iconic superhero films of all time. Unfortunately, the third part of it, X-Men: Last Stand, is extremely mediocre compared to the rest. Matthew Vaughn, who has been a part of many projects from this franchise, perhaps the most, recently went on to reveal that he was originally supposed to direct this film.
Ironically enough, X-Men: Last Stand, stood as nothing compared to Vaugh’s moral and ethical beliefs, as he recently revealed his reason for leaving the X-Men franchise, which was due to the fact that studio executives of Fox, the studio behind the projects, allegedly tried to trick Halle Berry into joining the project through a false script.
Halle Berry Was Given A Different Script On X-Men: Last Stand
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Matthew Vaughn spoke on why he decided to leave The X-Men: Last Stand, explaining that this completely has to do with something that happened behind the scenes, that left him so disgusted that he could not continue working on the project. The director revealed that one time he went into the the offices of one of the executives.
“I went into one of the executive’s office and I saw an X3 script, and I immediately knew it was a lot fatter. I was like what the hell is this draft? He went, ‘Don’t worry about it,’ and I’m like, ‘No, no. I’m the director. I’m worrying about this draft,’”
There, he saw a script of the film, immediately noticing that it was a lot thicker compared to the original one. When he asked what this was, their immediate response was to tell him that he did not need to worry about it. Vaughn, rightfully so did not let this go, stating that he was the director, and therefore he did have to worry about it, and what was in that script was his business.
“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.’”
Despite this, the executive did not budge, resulting in the director, simply picking up the script and looking for himself. What he saw confused him. The director revealed that the first page of the new script talked about Halle Berry’s character, Storm, in Africa, saving the lives of children who did not have water, by creating a thunderstorm.
Matthew Vaughn Asked The Reason For This
Naturally, Matthew Vaughn was extremely confused, even though he found the idea quite cool. According to The Hollywood Reporter, when he asked what this was, he was told that it was Halle Berry’s script. He was a little confused upon hearing this but asked if it was like this because she hadn’t signed up for the project yet. What he was told completely disgusted him.
“[I went,] ‘What is this?’ [They said,] ‘Oh, it’s Halle Berry’s script. I went, ‘OK, because she hasn’t signed up yet.’ ‘But this is what she wants it to be, and once she signs up, we’ll throw it in the bin,’” the director said, recounting the executive’s response. “I was like, ‘Wow, you’re gonna do that to an Oscar-winning actress who plays Storm? I’m outta here.’ So I quit at that point.”
The executive told Vaughn that this was the initial script for Berry to read so that she would approve and join the project, as this is what direction she wanted her character to go into. However, when she signed on, they would allegedly throw this script away, and go with their original plan. When the director heard this, his first response was how ridiculous it was that the studio was doing something like this to the Oscar-winning actress, then stated that he would not be a part of it, and quit.
Fans Are Disgusted
After Matthew Vaughn revealed this news, fans of the actress, the X-Men, and general people on the internet, were enraged. They talked about how these executives, and people behind this manipulation should be arrested. Some brought up the Actor’s Strike, adding that it is because of things like this, that the actors went on to strike in the first place.
And this is why the actors are going strike 😂
— ジョーイ (@wonderfuljoey23) October 15, 2023
That’s so messed up. Sure scripts get changed but thats so underhanded.
That’s the kind of person you just don’t need to do business with. Glad he walked away. But such a shame they negotiated in such bad faith with her
— Just a Rooster Illusion (@justarooster_) October 15, 2023
This is disgusting, racist and manipulative, if Halle wasn’t interested her no should have been accepted this is gross
— 💙🦂Scorpiogirl2🦂💙 (@NellyBelle3379) October 15, 2023
Reminder: corporations will do anything to make a buck, including lying about making you a superhero who saves kids in Africa from starving.
— Jack (@Jac5Connor) October 15, 2023
Those execs need to be arrested 😭😭
— Cousin Nicky (@RealCousinNicky) October 15, 2023
They even stated that, though it’s common in projects for them to put in changes in scripts,, however, this is instance was entirely unethical and shameful. Some added that it is disgusting, how corporations like this, would do anything and everything in order to make money off of someone, including manipulating and lying to them about children, who are starving in Africa.
