We all know that superhero movies absolutely dominate the box office. There’s something about seeing our collective imaginations take flight in big-budget and visually stunning movies that brings out the inner child in all of us. As such, studios have a habit of producing film after film, in hopes of cashing in on this trend. One of the longest running franchises is the X-Men movies, which released its first movie back in 2000. These films have been released steadily since, with 6 main movies in the canon.
What’s strange is how rarely spinoff films have occurred in the X-Men franchise. Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is currently filming his third spinoff, but no other characters have ever gotten the chance to have a solo outing (except for our homeboy Deadpool).
Now it appears that Bryan Singer is hoping for a new solo outing with another major X-Men character. Namely, Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique from the First Class trilogy.
Bryan Singer’s recent appearance on the Empire podcast all but confirmed his wish for a Mystique-centric movie. In the podcast he said the following:
People have asked if I’d do a stand-alone [movie about Mystique]. I think she’s right. . . . She has that view of the world.
This statement by Bryan Singer echoes what that had been said back when X-Men: Days of Future Past was being released. At that point, X-Men screenwriter Simon Kinberg told EW that he believed a spinoff film would allow Jennifer Lawrence to truly shine, rather than sharing the screen with such a large ensemble cast.
I love what Jen Lawrence has done with Mystique, and I feel like because she is in such a crowded ensemble, there’s so much more opportunity if you were to follow her solo.
Having Jennifer Lawrence lead her own spinoff movie makes a great deal of sense for a few reasons.
To start, Jennifer Lawrence’s starpower would presumably be a major box office draw. While we might love the opportunity for different X-Men character to get their own film, few actors are quite as powerful as J Law at this point. Seeing Katniss *ahem* Mystique kick some major ass in a big budget spinoff might be a great way to keep an otherwise unplanned franchise on its feet. Alternatively, this could help X-Men release more films, akin to Star Wars’ plan to release a spinoff or main chapter every year.
A Mystique movie would also work because of the unique way that the First Class trilogy has handled the character. While the original Mystique, played by Rebecca Romijn, had all of 5 lines throughout 3 films, Jennifer Lawrence’s version is a bonafide star of the films. She’s a conflicted, flawed, and layered character who could surely carry a spinoff film. Plus, Fox has the ability to create original stories, rather than following closely to the comics, where Mystique was rarely a hero.
Then again, it seems unlikely that Jennifer Lawrence would be willing to continue her tenure as Mystique. She’s shown a particular disdain for the makeup process, which is why she wasn’t blue for the majority of X-Men: Apocalypse. And considering she’s been Katniss and Mystique for so long, she may be ready to step away from franchises, and work on more intimate Oscar-worthy projects.
Would you see a Mystique solo film with Jennifer Lawrence? Sound off in the comments below.
