Hugh Jackman has addressed whether “X-Men” director Bryan Singer’s alleged behavior, including off-set sexual misconduct and on-set abusive behavior, has tainted his opinion of the franchise that turned Jackman into a household name, saying it wasn’t easy to talk about.
“You know, that’s a really, really complicated question,” the actor said in a wide-ranging interview with The Guardian, intended to promote his turn in “The Son.” “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.”
As detailed in The Atlantic in 2019, Singer has been accused of sexual misconduct by a number of young men, some of whom were underage at the time of the alleged offenses. Singer has consistently denied any and all wrongdoing or criminal behavior.
The director of “X-Men,” “X2: X-Men United,” “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and “X-Men: Apocalypse” has also faced accusations from other “X-Men” actors regarding inappropriate on-set behavior. Halle Berry, who played Storm alongside Jackman in those first three films (Berry does not appear in the 2016 entry while Jackman offers but a fleeting cameo), told Variety in 2020 that “Bryan’s not the easiest dude to work with.”
“I mean, everybody’s heard the stories…I would sometimes be very angry with him. I got into a few fights with him, said a few cuss words out of sheer frustration. When I work, I’m serious about that. And when that gets compromised, I get a little nutty.”
When asked by The Guardian about reports of Singer’s onset behavior, Jackman responded, “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. And I think that things have changed for the better.”
He added that, in relation to the industry overall, “There’s way less tolerance for disrespectful, marginalizing, bullying, any oppressive behavior. There’s zero tolerance for it now and people will speak out, and I think that’s great.”
Jackman also briefly discussed returning to the role of Logan/Wolverine for Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy’s upcoming “Deadpool 3.” Rebutting the idea that he was unable to let go of the role after being killed off in James Mangold’s “Logan,” Jackman stated that he was “OK” with hanging up the claws.
“I wasn’t tortured by it. When people would ask me [to reprise the role] – including Ryan, every five seconds – I was like: I’m done.” But he changed his mind when he realized how much fun he might have doing a “Deadpool” movie.
“I just wanted to do it and I felt it in my gut. Plus, I get to punch the shit out of Ryan Reynolds every day.”
