Hugh Jackman has spoken out about Bryan Singer's controversies. Singer directed several films in the X-Men series but has faced misconduct allegations in recent years. However, Jackman does not believe Singer's reputation entirely taints his view of the franchise.
X-Men was one of the first successful superhero film franchises. Jackman portrayed Wolverine for over 20 years within that franchise, and his portrayal has become synonymous with the character. Singer directed four films in the saga but has since been mired in allegations of sexual assault.
In an interview with The Guardian, Jackman commented on how he felt about the X-Men franchise despite the allegations against Singer. “You know, that’s a really, really complicated question,” Jackman said. “There’s a lot of things at stake there. X-Men was the turning point, I believe, in terms of comic-book movies and I think there’s a lot to be proud of. And there’s certainly questions to be asked and I think they should be asked. But I guess 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.”
Jackman also obliquely commented on the Me Too Movement, which ultimately brought down high-profile cases of abuse like those committed by Harvey Weinstein. “There’s way less tolerance for disrespectful, marginalizing, bullying, any oppressive behavior," Jackman said. "There’s zero tolerance for it now and people will speak out, and I think that’s great.”
Fox's X-Men franchise was one of the first in the game, but there are many behind-the-scenes stories of various mishaps and dramatic disagreements. Singer's allegations are perhaps more salacious, and many in the industry have since spoken out about the director's alleged behavior. While the cinematic landscape was very different when X-Men first hit theaters, behavior such as that reportedly displayed by Singer was unacceptable at any time.
Jackman isn't the only person to speak about working with Singer. Various reports have said that Singer turned into a 'monster' on the set of the X-Men films, and some stories say that he allegedly created a toxic on-set environment. The director has not picked up any work since these allegations became more widespread, and his last credits are all in 2019.
The X-Men films are available to stream on Disney Plus.
Source: The Guardian