X-Men: Apocalypse - Hugh Jackman Didn't Want To Do Weapon X Cameo
Did you spot Bryan Singer as one of his victims?
There are very much two camps when it comes to X-Men: Apocalypse - you either rightly recognise its values as an entertaining spectacle with great moments, or you're wrong.
To celebrate the film, the latest Empire Spoiler Podcast invited Simon Kinberg and Bryan Singer, revealing how they approached the story (including revealing the decision on how to make Professor X bald came late on in production).
The podcast also revealed that Singer actually had a cameo in the film, as one of the victims of Wolverine's Weapon X in the Alkali Lake sequence:
"I have a little cameo, I'm the guy with the machine gun..screaming. When I look at it, I couldn't recognize myself so I knew no one else could. But it was cool to get killed by Wolverine. It's now one of the many things I can put on my resume."
The sequence was actually way too quick to actually see who the victim is, but there's the confirmation.
Singer also revealed that he actually had to work hard to get Hugh Jackman on board for the cameo:
"When went back later to film the Wolverine segment because Hugh was training for the next Wolverine sequel and we wanted him in a certain kind of shape. At first, Hugh was reticent to do it, but once I explained it to him, what the scene is and why it's there, he agreed to do it over the phone, which is unusual. Usually there's a bit of negotiation involved, but he said 'You can call my Agent, but I'm in, I love it.'"
So was that down to the lack of preparation? Or simply that he didn't want to do a single scene? Either way, it's good that Singer managed to convince him, because that sequence is easily one of the very best of the entire film.
The podcast talks in great detail about how Magneto and Professor Xavier's dynamic changes, how the film echoes the other five movies in the franchise, the issue of collateral damage (something Bryan Singer is apparently very sensitive to) and the Dark Phoenix saga. It's an interesting listen whether you're a fan of the movie or not...