For years, Hugh Jackman has done his best to remain out of the drama surrounding Bryan Singer.
Singer, known for his work in the X-Men franchise, has many allegations against him, including horrible on-set behavior and some unsavory allegations involving young actors. Many of his former co-workers have released little blurbs or addressed the situation, but long-time collaborator Hugh Jackman has kept to himself.
Now, the Wolverine actor is diving into working with Singer in a new interview with The Guardian. The publication asked Jackman if working with a filmmaker like Singer changed his perspective on making movies in Hollywood.
“You know, that’s a really, really complicated question,” he says. “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.”
He focuses on 2000’s X-Men, directed by Singer, with whom Jackman works for three more X-Men projects. “This was my first movie in America, you gotta understand; it was all so new to me,” he says. “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.”
That’s as far as Jackman discusses Singer directly, expanding to a more general statement: “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.”
Hugh Jackman initially retired from the role of Wolverine in the beloved comic book film Logan, released in 2017. But, last year, we learned Jackman is set to return as the iconic X-Men in Deadpool 3, the first entry under the Marvel Studios banner. When asked by The Guardian if he had trouble letting go of the role, he said it was more about re-connecting differently.
“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 says he realized how much fun he would have doing a Deadpool movie: “I just wanted to do it, and I felt it in my gut.” He adds: “I get to punch the shit out of Ryan Reynolds every day.”
SEE ALSO: Hugh Jackman says Wolverine and Deadpool will have a hate/hate relationship in Deadpool 3
Deadpool 3 will star Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin are writing the film, and Shawn Levy (Free Guy) is on board as director.
The as-yet-untitled Deadpool 3 is set for release on September 6th, 2024.
