If you've been even slightly interested in the world of TV and film production, you'll notice that superhero properties and shared unvierses are everywhere. And while the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Extended Universe may be battling for dominance, Bryan Singer's X-Men franchise was a game changer in the early 2000s. The franchise has routinely put out new installments, and now the X-Men universe has also arrive on the small screen. FOX's The Gifted premiered last night, with True Blood actor Stephen Moyer playing protagonist Reed Strucker. Moyer is married to franchise favorite Anna Paquin, and he recently revealed the advice he got from the Rogue actress.
Anna and I had discussed the fact that we were gonna try and find something to do in LA, try and find something to do that was where we'd all be together. And this was down in Dallas, and so I immediately was a little bit reticent because I wanted us to be together. And then she read it and she went, 'You're on crack. This is awesome.' I had to get the exploding link put back up again. But I was also really interested to see what she thought from an X-point of view, and she thought it was excellent. And so then it just became, 'Okay, so I'm now gonna mine your extraordinary brain and just ask you things.' And she told me some great things about working with Bryan. They're very close, those two. So I was kind of prepped for the Bryan-ness of the role and she gave me some pointers about research and knowing your topic --- because you kind of don't get forgiven for that. Which was great and I would have done anyway but I was like, 'Noted.' She was an invaluable resource for me and is constantly.
Stephen Moyer's comments to Movie Fone sure make it seem like he's in a supportive and hilarious marriage. Because while Moyer was originally hesitant to take a role in The Gifted due to its shooting schedule and location, Anna Paquin was able to convince vampire Bill to join the X-Men franchise. And then she gave him all the pointers he needed to give a truly great performance in the new FOX series.
In particular, Anna Paquin seems to understand the research involved in taking on a comic book character, given how hardcore the fandom is. Comic book fans typically want silver or small screen adaptations to be faithful to the source material, although directors are known to take creative liberties. For instance, Paquin's Rogue in the films didn't have the super strength and flight typically associated with the character, instead just having Rogue's original power.
It's also nice to see how Bryan Singer and Anna Paquin are still close, considering how they worked together on three X-Men films. And since it was Paquin who managed to convince her True Blood co-star and husband to join The Gifted, with Singer directing the pilot, we have to give Rogue the props she deserves.
The Gifted airs Monday nights on FOX. Be sure to check out our fall premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
