The interview is a long un. So I'm only covering a few highlights. But be sure to check it out by hitting the link below as Claremont talks about past X movies, his plans for future comic arcs and much more.
On fans judging comic book adaptations too harshly:
Claremont says that he is constantly hearing fans rail against the way certain characters/plots are handled in CBMs. But says he, as a creator of some of those characters, he should be in a better position to judge what is being done "right" and "wrong".
"Film is a different medium altogether. The director and screenwriters have different creative impulses. For instance, take Wolverine and Storm, their heights in the films were totally switched from the comics [where Wolverine is 5ft 3in and Storm 5ft 11in, as opposed to Jackman's 6ft 2in and Berry's 5ft 6in].
"But who the heck cares? The characters work, the relationships work, therefore you accept the different, 'what if' reality of film as an entity in itself. You go for the essence. And that's what they did."
Claremont has also visited the set of Matthew Vaughn's
First Class prequel...
"Making these films is an incredible challenge, coordinating all the people involved is breathtaking. I was on set watching. With me, it's a matter of sitting at a computer screen and creating whatever is in my imagination just by hitting the keys on my keyboard; with them it's a matter of coordinating a small army.
"I have no idea what the end result is going to look like, I have not read the script or viewed any of the dailies [raw, unedited footage], I was there on a tourist's visit."
"What I saw them doing was really, really good. The only criticism I have is having to wait until next June to see it!"
When asked what he would like to see in future X-Men movies:
"I have to say I would like to see the Shi'ar [alien empire], and Xavier with Lilandra in the romance from the comics, and if Marvel's Thor is a success, which it looks like it could be, one day we might even see the X-Men go to Asgard. One day it might happen. We could see it one day. You never know."
With so many characters spread over Marvel, Fox, and Sony it's an unlikely scenario, but you gotta love his optimism! We indeed, never know. Sounds like Claremont would like to see some
Asgardian Wars up on the big screen. Wouldn't that be a sight to behold?!
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.