Arguably no single director has become more inextricable from a particular superhero franchise than Bryan Singer. His involvement in the X-Men franchise effectively started the modern superhero genre in 2000 with the original installment in the series, and he continues to put his mark on the saga to this very day. That being said, 16 years is a long time to commit to anything, and that has many of us wondering how long he will stick by Marvel’s misunderstood mutants after X-Men: Apocalypse. As it turns out: he can’t envision himself completely stepping away from these films in the near future.
During a recent Los Angeles Times interview, Bryan Singer revealed that a recent conversation with Danny Boyle brought him to the conclusion that he may never walk away from X-Men completely:
I recently met [Oscar-winning director] Danny Boyle — he and I have known of each other for many years but never met. He was prepping Steve Jobs at the time and I was doing this and he said, ‘Are you going to be doing X-Men movies forever?’ And I didn’t actually say no. The reality is, even though I’m very desperate to jump to something completely different, I’ve spent so many years in this universe and I love this cast and the characters so much, I just don’t see myself abandoning them forever. Perhaps as a consultant, as a producer, even as a director, I could see myself returning in the future. Just right now, once this one is done, I’d like to do something really different.
After so many years working with these characters and actors, Bryan Singer simply cannot imagine a scenario in which he stops doing something X-Men related with his career. Of course, he has interests outside of the massive superhero franchise that will occasionally take him away from the center stage. Don’t expect every film he makes in the foreseeable future to involve Wolverine or Charles Xavier, but he will likely continue to come back to the X-Men in-between his smaller, and more personal projects. (or larger projects like his 20,000 Leagues adaptation.)
However, we have to note that the fact that he wants to stick with the franchise does not mean that he will continue to direct X-Men films. He takes great care to point out that his involvement could come in the form of something else entirely such as a producing role or as a creative consultant. After directing a total of four X-Men films, it might be time for a director with a new creative vision to take the reigns on the franchise while Singer maintains some degree of control from behind the scenes.
With X-Men: Apocalypse dominating the Memorial Day Weekend box office, it’s looking more and more like 20th Century Fox will give Bryan Singer whatever he wants. If he wants to direct another film, we’re on board; if he wants to simply help out behind the scenes, that’ll work too. His latest X-Men adventure is currently in theaters, so be sure to check it out.
