10 X-Men Movie Concept Designs Better Than What We Got
Artwork of future past.
The X-Men movie franchise dates back to a time when superhero films were more of a risky undertaking than the box office juggernauts they are today. When Fox snapped up the rights to the Marvel series, there were fears it wouldn't take well to cinema, not least because spandex-clad mutants sounds like the stuff of bad B-movies.
The filmmakers took the bold decision to alter the character designs as seen in the comics, a move that was supported by Stan Lee and Chris Claremont, and for the most part, they successfully reimagined these heroes and villains for the big screen.
What works on the page doesn't necessarily work well in cinema, and understanding that has been the key to the success of the X-Men film franchise, which has since grown into a fully-fledged cinematic universe. The majority of the design changes have worked well, but not all of them have been a triumph.
To help these characters make the jump from the page to the screen, concept artists draw up a series of sketches and the best ones are selected as the basis for their celluloid form. Often the powers that be select the right design, but occasionally, better alternatives have surfaced online long after the movie has hit cinemas...
10. Comics-Accurate Magneto (X-Men)
Sir Ian McKellen made the role of Magneto his own, but his character's look could have been more faithful to the source material. The version of Erik Lehnsherr that appeared in the first X-Men movie sported a more grounded fee than his crimson-clad comic book counterpart, albeit with a similar helmet.
McKellen's Magneto had a lot of black in his wardrobe and wouldn't have looked out of place commanding troops on the Death Star in a galaxy far, far away, but concept artist Tim Flattery originally had brighter garb in mind for the character.
The illustrator's original sketches reveal a rejected design that was much closer to the comics, with blood-red dominating his outfit and a helmet resembling the one worn by the classic incarnation of the master of magnetism.
While it's all well and good seeing a comics-accurate Magneto on the artist's sketch pad, it's debatable whether the effects team would have been able to recreate this design down to a tee, which is probably why they played it safe and grounded.