Kick-Ass Director Matthew Vaughn in Talks to Direct X-Men: First Class
Posted 05.01.10 by BrentJS
Originally, Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn was signed on to direct The Last Stand, but he
dropped out at the last minute, opening the door for Brett Ratner (who is unpopular with fans) to step in and take the helm. After seeing how Vaughn managed to put a new spin on superheroes with Kick-Ass, many wonder how Vaughn might have been able to contribute to the X-Men franchise. If a recent scoop turns out to be true, we may yet have the opportunity to find out the answer to that "what if?" scenario.
According to EW's HollywoodInsider, Vaughn is currently in talks to direct the most recent incarnation of "Marvel's Merry Mutants" in X-Men: First Class, a teen-oriented prequel to the X-Men franchise that features the formative years of such popular mutants as Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, and others. Originally, Bryan Singer — who directed X-Men and X2: X-Men United but jumped ship to direct Superman Returns — was announced as the director of First Class. However, when Fox decided to put a rush on the project, Singer was forced to step down as director because of a prior commitment to direct Warner's Jack the Giant Killer. Though other directors are also being considered for the job, Vaughn seems like the ideal candidate considering his flirtation with the X-Men and his realistic, yet fun, portrayal of teen drama in Kick-Ass. Plus, having the support of the "comic book nerds" who thoroughly enjoyed Kick-Ass would make a good foundation on which Fox could begin to build its press campaign for the movie.
Though he will not be directing, Singer remains on the project as a producer alongside Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg. He also created the story that screenwriter Jamie Moss turned into the First Class screenplay. Ironically, the strength of Moss' script was what prompted Fox to fast-track the project, ultimately preventing Singer from directing.