As studios continue to pack their slates with solo films for every web slinger, shield bearer, and insect based superhero out there, X-Men: Apocalypse director Bryan Singer expressed his support for a potential Mystique standalone film.
“I think [Mystique’s] right for [a standalone movie], whether it’s Jennifer [Lawrence] or not,” he said. “Xavier can get into Cerebro and look at the world, but he’d rather just teach classes and see the beauty of mutants and humans co-existing in his mansion in Westchester. Along comes Raven with a reality check on the state of the world. It opens up a lot of avenues.”
Singer’s comments come during a pivotal time for the franchise. Although Apocalypse took the top spot at the box office in its opening weekend, the film’s four-day total of $79.8 million fell below expectations. This is a marked decrease from the $110 million four-day haul taken in by Days Of Future Past two years prior. With Hugh Jackman set to retire his claws after 2017’s Wolverine 3, the creative minds behind the X-Men universe could be looking for ways to expand their cinematic footprint beyond the traditional ensemble action fest.
Lawrence’s participation in a possible Mystique spin-off is currently unclear. The Oscar-winner’s three-picture contract ended with the release of Apocalypse and her comments on the issue of returning for more have been vague.
“[Michael] Fassbender and [James] McAvoy and I were all talking,” she said, “Like, ‘Will you come back?’ ‘I dunno.’ ‘I’ll come back, if you come back.’ Fox should be terrified because the deal we made was like if one of us doesn’t come back, none of us are,” said Lawrence.
In a broader sense, Singer’s remarks reflect a movement towards the creation of more female driven superhero films. Kevin Feige recently confirmed interest in developing a Black Widow standalone, while Warner Bros. has announced plans for a Harley Quinn spinoff starring Margot Robbie. The Captain Marvel feature is also moving forward as producers are reportedly in talks with Brie Larson to play the eponymous hero. On the television front, Supergirl recently got renewed after switching to the friendlier climes of The CW, while Marvel’s Jessica Jones became one of Netflix’s most popular and best reviewed original series. These projects come at a time when fans are clamoring for more diverse fare and demonstrating their support in viewing numbers and box office receipts. The next few years could see films led by superpowered heroines become mainstays at movie theaters worldwide.
Let us know which heroine you’d be most excited to see lead her own feature in our reader poll:
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— Tracking Board (@MyTrackingBoard) June 4, 2016
John Drain | Staff Writer
Check out our X-Men: Apocalypse review from Dino-Ray Ramos!
