Plot twist: the X-Men comics were banned on set during the making of the 2000 film. Yep, Bryan Singer, the director, actually banned them. No, it wasn’t some kind of strange mutant power—he was just worried about the movie being taken seriously. The man had a plan.
According to Collider, Singer didn’t want the X-Men to be seen as mere comic book characters. “Bryan really wanted to take comic book characters seriously,” Hugh Jackman recalled. He was concerned that “people who don’t understand these comics might think they’re two-dimensional.” The last thing he wanted was for audiences to think of the mutants as just fun cartoonish figures.
So, Singer banned comic books from the set. Yep, not even the actors could read them. This wasn’t some weird attempt to shut down geek culture—it was all about keeping things grounded. “It was contraband. I’d never read X-Men, so people were slipping them under my door,” Jackman said. Talk about a secret smuggling operation! Jackman, not exactly a die-hard fan of the comics at that point, still found himself on the receiving end of a comic book underground network.
But here’s the kicker: despite Singer’s refusal to let the comics influence the film, X-Men became a major hit. Critics liked it, and it helped kick-start the following superhero movie revolution. Singer’s gamble paid off—but it wasn’t without some tension. The movie wasn’t just about capes and powers; it carried deeper themes of discrimination and identity that the comics had been known for. Still, it was grounded in a way that helped make the film appealing to a broader audience.
Even though the comic books were banned, Jackman still came to respect the X-Men legacy, especially after getting a crash course from Kevin Feige. “Kevin Feige helped expose me to the franchise’s greatest hits,” Jackman admitted. And that, folks, is how they became lifelong pals. Who knew Feige’s comic book recommendations would be the key to Jackman’s X-Men education—and their lasting friendship?
In the end, banning the comics didn’t stop the X-Men from making a huge mark on Hollywood. Singer’s vision brought Wolverine to life in a way that kept fans coming for more, and Jackman’s portrayal became iconic. So, while Singer might’ve locked the X-Men comics out of the set, the movie still gave birth to a legacy that’s impossible to ignore.
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