X-Men (2000) and X2: X-Men United (2003) were directed by Bryan Singer — who, at the time, was best known for directing the Oscar-winning cult classic The Usual Suspects (1995).
For X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), the producers took a step down the quality ladder and turned to Brett Ratner — a hack best known for directing the Rush Hour movies (1998-2007).
And now, the upcoming spin-off Wolverine seems poised to take a step back up the quality ladder — at least where the talent behind the camera is concerned. Variety says the producers have tapped Gavin Hood, the South African director of Tsotsi (2005), which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film early last year:
Using several resources that include the Marvel Comics lore, along with the more recent Weapon X graphic novels by Frank Miller, “Wolverine” mixes action with an origin story about how Logan emerged from a barbaric experiment as an indestructible mutant with retractable razor-sharp claws.
I have no idea what to expect from this film on a story level. In the meantime, though, I wonder if Brian Cox will reprise his role as Colonel William Stryker, who seemed to have some knowledge of Wolverine’s origins when we met him in X2: X-Men United.
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