Exclusive: Bryan Singer comments on his future with X-Men and talks Deadpool

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Earlier this week I had the chance to talk to the cast and crew of X-MEN: APOCALYPSE, including director Bryan Singer, who shared some interesting stuff about his attachment to the X-Men franchise and his current involvement with it post-Apocalypse, as well as his comments on Simon Kinberg revealing to me that the next X-film will be set in the 90's era. In addition, Singer told me what he thought of DEADPOOL and how that character fits into the overall X-Men universe. Check it out.

Singer on the next X-Men film being set in the '90's era:

“I’ve always said when I originally set the trend of jumping decade to decade with FIRST CLASS, which I produced and wrote the story for and then DAYS OF FUTURE PAST in the 70’s, you know jumping decade, decade, and now this in the ‘80’s so it’s a natural progression to go to the ‘90’s, so that’s something, you know, he and I have talked about. “

Singer on his future with the X-Men franchise and what he's doing next:

"I always like to do something in between, whether it’s in television or movies, so I’m not just simply making X-Men movies my whole life and so there’s a movie I hope to make next, 20,000 Leagues at Fox, actually, and we’ll see how X-Men evolves, but I can’t see myself abandoning the franchise and I’m happy to see it progress in that manner. I think we’ve opened up the door to all kinds of timelines. We’re producing a television series, Simon [Kinberg] and I, with Lauren Schuler Donner, called Legion, which is sort of an alternate space from the X-Men universe. There’s lots of different places you can go, especially now that we’ve set it up that way.”

Singer's reaction to seeing DEADPOOL:

"I found the humor, Ryan Reynolds was just so funny, so talented, and all the meta humor, particularly the jokes about my own films, so wonderful and, in a way, comedically flattering."

Singer's thoughts on how DEADPOOL fits into the X-Men universe and crossover potential:

"I do feel he fits into the entire X-Men universe because they’re not just funny irreverent meta moments in that movie, there’s some genuinely  deep, serious, and emotional moments in that movie. And, Deadpool represents the ultimate themes of X-Men, the outsider, hiding in the shadows. Will he be accepted, won’t he, how does he react to that? He just happens to do it in a heightened meta comedic and at times ultraviolent way. X-Men in a different way, so he fits magnificently and I hope to see a day when he crosses paths with my X-Men."

Singer's involvement in the X-franchise has been mostly consistent for the past sixteen years and although some would rather see someone else step into the captain's chair for it, the director has been quite clear about his intentions of sticking with it. To what capacity is anyone's guess, but his commitment to it is strong. That said, it appears 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA is definitely where he's headed next. Look for my full video interview with Singer here during week of release for X-MEN: APOCALYPSE.

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE hits theaters on May 27th.