One of the producers behind X-Men explained why they chose not to include the team’s comic-accurate outfits across the franchise.
While it’s no question that Fox’s X-Men series helped revitalize the superhero genre for the 21st century, one of the biggest complaints many fans had was the absence of the team’s classic yellow and blue costumes. There’s been much debate over the need for comic-accurate designs in comic book movies, and it’s something the Marvel Cinematic Universe has seemingly mastered. But back in the early 2000s, the colorful costumes weren’t as welcomed for the semi-realistic interpretation of mutants.
During an interview with SYFY WIRE, producer Ralph Winter explained the reasons behind choosing black leather jumpsuits rather than the yellow and blue color scheme that long-time X-Men fans were expecting for the film. He pointed out that at the time the aim was to appeal to both comic book readers and the average audience that would turn up to see X-Men. He even noted that the “yellow spandex” joke in the film was an attempt to appease the fans disappointed by the absence of the costumes, instead of making fun of them.
“At that time, we did feel like we did a good job. We limited the amount of time in the wardrobe. Of course, there’s a joke in the movie about yellow spandex, which was directed at the fans. It wasn’t to irritate them but to say, ‘Hey, we hear you. We understand what you want. We understand you don’t like the idea of Wolverine being taller than 5’4. We understand you’d rather have everybody in the traditional garb. But we also have to make a movie that reaches a wide audience to justify the budget.’The trick is always to bullseye the hardcore Marvel/X-Men fan, but do it in a way that doesn’t alienate an average moviegoer that might enjoy, or start to enjoy, these types of stories,”
Do you think the team should’ve donned the comic-accurate X-Men costumes? Sound-off in the comments below!
Here is the official synopsis for the latest film in the franchise, X-Men: Dark Phoenix:
This is the story of one of the X-Men’s most beloved characters, Jean Grey, as she evolves into the iconic DARK PHOENIX. During a life-threatening rescue mission in space, Jean is hit by a cosmic force that transforms her into one of the most powerful mutants of all. Wrestling with this increasingly unstable power as well as her own personal demons, Jean spirals out of control, tearing the X-Men family apart and threatening to destroy the very fabric of our planet. The film is the most intense and emotional X-Men movie ever made. It is the culmination of 20 years of X-Men movies, as the family of mutants that we’ve come to know and love must face their most devastating enemy yet — one of their own.
Written and directed by Simon Kinberg, X-Men: Dark Phoenix stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Evan Peters, and Jessica Chastain.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix is now available on Digital HD, 4k Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD. Stay tuned for all the latest news on the future of the X-Men franchise and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more video content!
Source: SYFY Wire
