Hugh Jackman says “it’s complicated” about Bryan Singer’s X-Men Set Behavior

The legacy of the first series of X-Men movies is extremely confusing. They were released even before Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, and it is very simple to trace the current boom in superhero success back to them. Even some of the big names, like Patrick Stewart, continue to play the same characters in new movies. But the filmmaker Bryan Singer, who has just been accused of sexual misconduct by numerous individuals, is looming over everything.  Singer has denied these claims.  While Jackman’s comments on one aspect of the Singer situation aren’t particularly good, the fact that he addressed it at all and with such consideration is laudable.

Speaking to The Guardian about his recent movie, The Son, Jackman was asked if he witnessed any of Singer’s toxic on-set behavior. He responded “‘This was my first movie in America, you gotta understand; it was all so new to me,’ the actor claimed. ‘I think it’s fair to say that …’ He pauses. ‘There are some stories, you know … I think there are some ways of being on set that would not happen now. And I think that things have changed for the better.’” He then added “There’s way less tolerance for disrespectful, marginalizing, bullying, any oppressive behavior. There’s zero tolerance for it now and people will speak out, and I think that’s great.

Stepping back a bit, Jackman did have positives to say about the films and experience beyond the director. When asked if any of the allegations against Singer have tainted their legacy, he responded as follows. “You know, that’s a really, really complicated question,” Jackman said. “There’s a lot of things at stake there. X-Men was the turning point, I believe, in terms of comic-book movies and I think there’s a lot to be proud of. And there’s certainly questions to be asked and I think they should be asked. But I guess I don’t know how to elegantly answer that. I think it’s complex and ultimately I look back with pride at what we’ve achieved and what momentum that started.”Jackman will reprise his role as Wolverine in Deadpool 3, which is set for release November 8, 2024.