Matthew Vaughn Talks More About Why He Didn't Helm X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
It came as a shock to everyone when Matthew Vaughn departed X-Men: First Class sequel X-Men: Days of Future Past, and he talks more here about how and why Kingsman: The Secret Service played a big part in that decision. "Kingsman's more me anyway..."
X-Men: First Class is viewed by many as the best X-Men movie to date despite some major changes to the source material. Michael Fassbender's performance, a version of the classic yellow and blue costumes, and the compelling story really help it stand out from past instalments, so the news that Matthew Vaughn wouldn't be back to helm X-Men: Days of Future Past was obviously met with a great deal of disappointment from moviegoers and fans alike. Of course, Bryan Singer would return and gave us an equally good outing for the X-Men, but why did Vaughn decide not to come back for the "inbetweenquel" by instead deciding to focus on Kingsman: The Secret Service?
"It started in a pub with Mark, and we were drunk," Vaughn revealed in an interview with IGN Movies, referring to The Secret Service's comic book writer, Mark Millar (who created the series alongside Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons). "We sort of were complaining about how spy movies had become really quite serious. We said, ‘Let's do a fun [one].’ … Mark went off and wrote a version, and I read it. I was like, ‘F#@k, maybe we should do this for real.’ Then he went ahead, finished the comic off. Then I was working on Days of Future Past, and I'd finished the treatment. Then the [Kingsman] script fell out of me -- just one of those things. I remember Fox going, ‘What are you talking about?’ because the two scripts came in at the same time. I was like, ‘Aw, s#!t.’ It was a really tough decision whether to do Days of Future Past or do this. But then I was like, ‘F#@k, somebody else is going to wake up and do a fun spy movie. Then I will have written a bloody screenplay that no one will want to make.’ So I probably made the craziest decision of my life to turn down an $800 million gorilla to do Kingsman. But Kingsman's more me anyway."
It doesn't sound like he was too upset to leave the X-Men behind then, and with Kingsman: The Secret Service receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews, it's hard to imagine him regretting that choice! Of course, it would be nice to see him tackle another Marvel/DC Comics propery in future...