After almost two decades of modern superhero films, it’s clear that there’s one trend that helps determine whether a comic book film is going to be good or bad. That trend is tied to how much passion the filmmakers have for the source material and characters. That’s why Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is so great at shepherding the MCU, and according to Olivia Munn, it’s likely why the Fox ‘X-Men’ films have been…less-than-awesome.
In a recent video for GQ, Munn responded to fan questions from Twitter and answered bluntly. And that willingness to spill the tea, so to speak, was most evident when the questions started coming about her small role as Psylocke in “X-Men: Apocalypse.” The 2017 ‘X-Men’ film was directed by Bryan Singer and written by future “Dark Phoenix” filmmaker Simon Kinberg, and in the pantheon of ‘X-Men’ films, the sequel is seen as one of the lesser entries.
So, when Munn was asked if she understands why fans get so bent out of shape about how badly beloved characters are treated in superhero films, the actress not only understands but says that she can relate. Munn then goes to explain a situation she encountered on the set of ‘Apocalypse.’
“When I was doing ‘X-Men,’ I was actually surprised that the director and the writer didn’t even know that Psylocke had a twin brother,” said Munn. “And I had to talk to them about a lot of different things about Psylocke and some other parts of the world that they didn’t even know, and that, as a fan, was very frustrating.”
She added, “Yep, I answered that one.”
While it’s true that Singer and Kinberg have their fingerprints on some truly great ‘X-Men’ films, even fans would agree that it’s obvious that neither is reverent of comic book stories. From the costumes to the characters to the storylines adapted, the Fox ‘X-Men’ universe was littered with examples of situations where the comic books were completely ignored in favor of something specific for the films. And, as Munn illustrates, that can be pretty damn frustrating for long-time fans.
But perhaps the reason why Munn feels the freedom to speak so bluntly is the fact that Disney and Marvel Studios now hold the rights to Fox’s superhero franchise and will most likely reboot the whole damn thing.