Deadpool and Wolverine are just weeks away from release, and we are going to talk about the X-Men movies, starting with the first X-Men movie released in 2000, and ending with a discussion on The New Mutants. From what we know about Deadpool and Wolverine, it appears the movie will be filled with cameos, as the trailer, which includes Pyro, suggests. To understand these developments, we should be familiar with Fox’s X-Men franchise. Therefore, we bring you a series of artile called Road to Deadpool and Wolverine series, where we will publish articles about these amazing movies in their release order. So, make sure you watch these movies in their release order. Let’s start the first episode of Road to Deadpool and Wolverine, where today we are going to talk about the X-Men movie released in 2000.
The first X-Men movie was released in the year 2000. The superhero genre is at today’s level because this movie laid the foundation. The storyline of this movie is simple—a world where mutants and humans fear each other, where Rogue runs away from home and bumps into another mutant, Logan, aka Wolverine. Professor Charles Xavier, who runs a school for young mutants, sends Storm and Cyclops to bring them before it’s too late. Magneto, who believes that a war is imminent, also sets out with his evil plan. Released on August 18, 2000, this movie made $296 million in box office on a $75 million budget. The current IMDb rating is 7.3 and it is still certified fresh with an 82% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Bryan Singer, the director, initially declined the project three times, dismissing comic books as unintelligent literature. However, once he read the X-Men comics and watched the 1992 X-Men The Animated Series, he understood that the theme of the story is prejudice and discrimination. Then he finally agreed to direct. However, this is the only X-Men movie with an original story, whereas the rest of the movies are loosely based on some comic book stories. Bryan Singer had banned X-Men comics on the set so that the movie cast would not be influenced, but the movie cast had read X-Men comics in their own preparation.
Hugh Jackman, portraying Wolverine, adopted the routine of bathing in ice-cold water every morning during filming. Instead of screaming, he gritted his teeth, realizing this is how Wolverine must feel all the time. Thus, he made these showers part of his preparation routine. However, Hugh Jackman was cast three weeks after principal photography had begun, so you might notice that he looks slightly different in different scenes. This discrepancy in his appearance is because he was still working out during the shooting. His late joining was because director Bryan Singer’s first choice for Wolverine was Russell Crowe, but he rejected the role, and after considering Mel Gibson, Aaron Eckhart, and Keanu Reeves, finally Dougray Scott was cast for the role. However, due to scheduling conflicts, he also left the role, then Russell Crowe himself suggested Hugh Jackman to Bryan Singer, and the rest is history.
The role of Mystique was played by Rebecca Romijn, whose makeup involved 110 custom-designed prostheses covering 60% of her body and took 9 hours to apply. She could not drink wine, use cream, or fly in planes during production because it would alter her body chemistry and the prostheses would not set properly. Yet, on her last day on set, she brought alcohol, which she shared with her crew and cast. Unfortunately, that was also the day she had to shoot a fight scene with Wolverine and ended up vomiting blue on Hugh Jackman due to her makeup. Her filming experience was different from the rest of the cast; her look was kept a secret, and she was kept in a windowless room alone when not shooting. This is the only X-Men movie where the actress playing Mystique never appeared without makeup.
In one scene, Charles Xavier tells Logan that it has been 15 years since they met, he is referring to the events of the 2009 movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine, where the paths of Professor Xavier and Logan had crossed. However, the events of X-Men Origins: Wolverine took place in 1979, which is 21 years before the events of this movie, not 15. Also, Scott had already met Logan in 1979, but there is no mention of this. In the movie, Xavier also says that he met Magneto when he was 17 years old, whereas it is shown in X-Men First Class that Xavier met Magneto when he was writing his thesis in college, which means he was older than 17. Neither Sir Patrick Stewart, who played Charles Xavier, nor Sir Ian McKellen, who played Magneto, knew how to play chess, so a chess master was hired for their scenes. Additionally, movie director Bryan Singer is a big Star Trek fan, which is why Sir Patrick Stewart was his only choice for the role of Professor X, despite other big actors also competing for the role. Just after accepting the role of Magneto, Sir Ian McKellen was offered the role of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings, which he originally intended to decline. However, after talking to Bryan Singer, the shooting schedule was rearranged to accommodate his presence in New Zealand. Sir Ian McKellen’s biggest motivation for taking on the role was the costume, which he could not refuse after seeing it.
In the comics, X-Men have a distinctive blue and yellow uniform, but because the test designs for a blue and yellow outfit were not successful, Bryan Singer decided to go with black leather outfits. Fans were upset, but famous X-Men writer Chris Claremont and Stan Lee supported his decision. Therefore, Bryan Singer added a dialogue in the movie referring to this issue, where Wolverine complains about the costumes and Cyclops responds, “What would you prefer, yellow spandex?” However, colors aside, these costumes were so stiff that actors and actresses couldn’t even jump over a 2 feet wall in them. Plus, for the eye effects for mutants, actors and actresses had to wear special contact lenses, which they reported as uncomfortable and dangerous. Rebecca Romijn, who played Mystique, could only see 10% through her lenses. Tyler Mane, who played Sabretooth, wore his lenses too long one day and could not see anything for a day. Halle Berry, who played Storm requested CGI for her eyes after wearing the lenses, and James Marsden, who played Cyclops, had custom specs made by Oakley Glasses, which provided James Marsden with a lifetime free supply of sunglasses. However, these glasses also posed difficulties for James Marsden. While other actors could enhance their performances with their eyes, Cyclops’ were completely covered.
About 52 minutes into the movie, you can notice a child smiling at Cyclops. Originally, Cyclops was just checking a train schedule, but that child was a big X-Men fan and Cyclops was his favorite, so he smiled at James Marsden also smiled back at him. Director Bryan Singer liked this moment so much that he kept it in the movie. In one scene, Mystique shape-shifts into Iceman and walks right past him. To make this scene possible, careful slicing was required in several takes. This would not have been necessary if director Bryan Singer had known that the actor playing Iceman, Shawn Ashmore, has an identical twin brother, Aaron Ashmore. When Rogue leaves school, Mystique appears as Iceman, and we can see his breath coming out of his mouth. This shows Iceman’s abilities as well as director Bryan Singer’s dedication to X-Men, even though it’s an error because it was actually Mystique, not Iceman.
This was the article about the first X-Men movie. The X-Men cinematic universe has not only shaped the landscape of superhero films but also captivated audiences with its rich narratives and complex characters. From the groundbreaking release in 2000 to the latest entries, each film has contributed uniquely to the saga. As we eagerly anticipate the release of Deadpool and Wolverine, revisiting these films provides valuable context and enriches our understanding of the evolving storyline. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the series, the journey through X-Men’s filmography is a thrilling ride filled with action, drama, and the eternal struggle between mutants and the society that fears them. Next, we are going to publish an article about X-Men 2, so make sure to watch it in the meantime.
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