Did Bryan Singer Ruin ‘X-Men’ Legacy? Hugh Jackman Says It’s ‘Complicated’: Some Set Behavior ‘Wouldn’t Happen Now’

Hugh Jackman was directed by Bryan Singer in three “X-Men” movies (four, if you count the actor’s brief cameo in “X-Men: Apocalypse”). In the years since the two collaborated together, Singer has been accused of sexual misconduct by several men. Has Singer’s alleged behavior tainted Jackman’s view of the franchise that made him a star? “You know, that’s a really, really complicated question,” Jackman told The Guardian in a new interview.

“There’s a lot of things at stake there,” Jackman said. “‘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.”

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In addition to sexual misconduct allegations, Singer has also faced accusations from “X-Men” actors of inappropriate on-set behavior. Halle Berry, who played Storm opposite Jackman’s Wolverine in the franchise, 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 about reports of Singer’s set 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.”

That’s all Jackman would talk about Singer in his interview with The Guardian, although he did add of the industry at large, “There’s way less tolerance for disrespectful, marginalising, bullying, any oppressive behavior. There’s zero tolerance for it now and people will speak out, and I think that’s great.”

Jackman will be returning as Wolverine when “Deadpool 3” goes into production this year, but Brian Singer won’t be involved in any capacity.

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