X-MEN: THE LAST STAND | E-Posts | Q&A

NEW DIRECTIONS

From: Luke J.

Q: While a large part of me is happy to see Mr. Singer's career going so well (I have high hopes for Superman, now), the selfish part of me is more than saddened by his departure. Assuming you are still contractually obligated to play Magneto, do you feel any sort of concern over how the story might be treated, now that Bryan has left the X-Men family?

A: I am not contracted to play Magneto again , although I hope to be involved in the forthcoming X-Men3 which will film later in the year in Vancouver. Our loss is Superman's gain but there is now an opening for another director to make his mark on what I continue to believe is the most important of all the superhero franchises.

ONCE AND FUTURE KING v. LORD OF THE RINGS

From: Adrienne

Q: One of the things that struck me when I saw "X-Men 2" was the inclusion of TH White's Once and Future King as a prop. The Once and Future King has been one of my favorite books for a long time, and I was delighted to find that it seemed to encapsulate the positions and philosophies of Magneto and Xavier in its explorations of the characters of Mordred and Arthur. Whose idea was it to put Once and Future King into the movie?

A: It was I'm almost certain Bryan Singer's idea that Magneto should be reading one of Bryan's favourite books, for the reasons you give. I wanted Magneto to be reading one of my favourite books Lord of the Rings but that was thought to be a joke too far.

MY OLD FRIEND

From: sylvia

Q: Ian, I found it quite funny that Magneto/Eric had said to Professor Xavier something about "My old friend" in the first X-MEN movie, almost exactly that same way you said it to Bilbo Baggins! I'm not sure if anyone had also noticed, but right when you said it, my mind flashed right to the scene in LOTR!!

A: I hadn't noticed the similarity till you pointed it out. But there are old friends all over the place and have been from Middle-earth onwards.

CONCENTRATION CAMPS

From: Greg Wdowiak

Q: What in the world did you mean by a "Polish concentration camp" ? Anyone who knows the basics of the European history does know about the German/Nazi concetration camps, and yes, some of them were located on the territory of the occupied Poland.  I strongly object to the use of the term "Polish concentration camp" that is misleadin and reflects lack of basic historical knowledge. For your information, these camps were place of suffering of — mostly — the Jews, but the victims also included many Poles and other nationals, many of them imprisoned for helping the Jews.

A: "Polish concentration camps" can mean (as I intended) "camps that are in Poland" as opposed to "camps being run by Poland" but you have a point. So do I, when I correct the impression you give that Jews are separate from Poles. What about Polish Jews?

MAGNETO JEWISH?

From: Jessie

Q: After seeing you in the X-men and now X-men2 my mother asks if you are Jewish? I told her I did not think you were, but she keeps asking me to ask you. You see some of my famly is Jewish, and some are not. My mother is. She wants to know what you draw on for Magneto's belief system?

A: It is pretty clear that Magneto's family are Jewish and I think there may even be the confirming glimpse of a yellow star on his father's arm in the first scene of X-Men. But nothing was made of Magneto's religion or race in the subsequent story, so I didn't have to think myself into that territory.