UPDATE: Did Mark Millar Turn Down Writing X-Men 4?

UPDATE: Did Mark Millar Turn Down Writing X-Men 4? UPDATE: Did Mark Millar Turn Down Writing X-Men 4?

Mark Millar says he has turned down writing responsibilities for the upcoming X-Men 4, but Fox denies the writer's claim!

By Hawksblueyes - Mar 31, 2010 12:03 AM EST
Filed Under: X-Men
Source: Millarworld



UPDATE: Fox responds to Mark Millar's claim -

According to BleedingCool.com, Fox says that while they did have a high level discussion with Millar about the future of the X universe on screen, they never offered him a position with X-Men 4. In fact there is no work being done on X-Men 4 at this time. Jamie Moss is lined up to write X-Men: First Class.

Fox did say that they would like to work with Millar in the future.



Thanks to /Film I just found an extremely interesting post from Mark Millar on Millarworld message boards. This from the man who brought us Wanted and Kick Ass.......

FOX JUST OFFERED ME X-MEN 4 THE TOUGHEST DECISION OF MY CAREER SO FAR...


...but I turned it down.

Why? I love the X-Men movies. The exec at Fox also seemed like a really smart guy who knows exactly what worked and didn't work about the earlier trilogy. He has an abiding love for the comics and knew my work better than I did. I have no doubt he's going to put together an amazing movie here because the people he's talking about behind the camera are all friends and heroes of mine. He also offered me massive scope with the story and I have an idea I really like, something that takes the franchise in a really fresh direction.

But you know what?

I'm having so much fun creating my own characters and enjoying the control this gives you over the comic-books and the movies that handling an established franchise eems odd to me now. It's tempting, SO tempting for a guy who's been a fanboy as long as he can remember, but I need to stick to my guns. I want to create the NEXT generation of superheroes over the next few years and going back would, I think, be a mistake.

Vaughn is being offered everything you can imagine too in the wake of Kick-Ass, but we both agreed that keeping complete control is what made Kick-Ass such an amazing experience for both of us. Six big producers have now come forward for Nemesis (I've always said I'm holding off until April 17th before I let CAA take this out) and Vaughn and I already have our next movie planned out, based on a book I'm doing with Leinil Francis Yu in September.

But it's still the friggin' X-Men, guys. Have I gone mad? Was it nuts to turn this down?

MM



I don't understand why he would feel like he should share this with the world given the secrecy surrounding most CBM's these days.


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tazmaniak
tazmaniak - 3/28/2010, 6:24 PM
Sucks that he turned it down.It is about time studios started actually getting comic book writers to write comic book movies.
P862010
P862010 - 3/28/2010, 6:31 PM
good he is not a good writer anyways

Matthew Vaughn or Singer should do X4
InTylerWeTrust
InTylerWeTrust - 3/28/2010, 6:44 PM
As long as Zak Penn doesn't write X4 :)
tazmaniak
tazmaniak - 3/28/2010, 7:09 PM
If anyone doesn't think Millar is a good writer, they may want to check out The Authority, The Ultimates 1-2, Superman: Red Son, Civil War and Wolverine: Old Man Logan.

I think he would have written an excellent film.If not X-Men, I wish he were involved with The Avengers movie.Whenever a comic book film is being made, I think the studios should get the writer who had the most successful run on the title to write, or at least be involved with the script.
joob234
joob234 - 3/28/2010, 7:21 PM
no offense, but I WANT A REBOOT!!!! lol, just cuz they screwed over iceman, my favorite xmen over by not making him a main part of the team in x1
P862010
P862010 - 3/28/2010, 7:23 PM
X4 can still work the way ratner killed off some characters were so offended that you can bring all of them back

phoenix can still always come back

scott was an off screen kill

xavier as seen in after credits scene is still alive

magneto got his powers back at the end so the serum did'nt work so every mutant who took it will be a mutant again
Hawksblueyes
Hawksblueyes - 3/28/2010, 7:28 PM
kenny38606: I wouldn't say Millar had the most successful run on The Avengers. Their hayday was late 70's throught early 80's with some very good writers.
InTylerWeTrust
InTylerWeTrust - 3/28/2010, 7:30 PM
I just don't want another Magneto love fest yet again. Give me Sentinels, Mr. Sinister, even Apocalypse (though he should be built up for X5 or 6). Bring Cyke back and don't make him an annoying doucher.

I'd explode in my pants to see an epic Sentinel fight especially.
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 3/28/2010, 7:32 PM
Amazing find HAWKS! My God, this would have actually made me feel really excited for X-Men 4 had Fox hired Miller! Still, as amazing as I'm sure it would have been, I'm kind of glad that Miller will be sticking to his own creations for a while - Wanted was fun, Kick-Ass was excellent while the first issue of Nemesis was superb!

If only he were writing The Avengers instead of Zak Penn! :P
joob234
joob234 - 3/28/2010, 7:37 PM
everytime i frigging think about cyclops nowadays, or hear something about him, i cant stop picturing him getting shot in the head on senate hill! lol, its pissing me off, they screwed the xmen in the ultimate universe.
InTylerWeTrust
InTylerWeTrust - 3/28/2010, 7:45 PM
Someone's actually defending Raturd? Oh wait, it's SuperKal who got devoured after I warned Big G of his trollish presence. Bring on the insults, SK, I'm waiting :)
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 3/28/2010, 7:51 PM
Guys, check out my STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED Fan Cast!!! Just click the link!!! :)
cyclopstb
cyclopstb - 3/28/2010, 7:52 PM
We need an X4. Because they don't, the cast will be too old for it. I wanted Spider-Man 4, but those stupid people from Sony and Columbia decided to reboot at the wrong time.
THEHAWK
THEHAWK - 3/28/2010, 8:13 PM
I hate this guy...

Don't get me wrong, he is a talented writer but he is so damn full of himself.

He thinks he is creating the next gen of comics, but honestly he has yet to create a charater with as much lasting presense as Spiderman or fricking Batman. i mean I seriously doubt if anyone will remember Kick Ass in 10 years.

His best work is when he is reimagining already established characters, like Ultimates and Old Man Logan.

But as far as original creations go, his characters aren't as...enjoyable or relatable as the ones Jack Kirby and Stan Lee created. I enjoy Millar's work, but honestly the characters he creates seem like reimagings of other established characters, like Watchmen was, except Watchmen was rewritten till the characters were completely unrecognizable.

I know, I'm going to get some hate from this, but oh well.
THEHAWK
THEHAWK - 3/28/2010, 8:25 PM
I would like CLaremont, but I really wish they'd go with something like what I have written...
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 3/28/2010, 8:29 PM
I love Miller's work and I think he's creating some brilliant and iconic characters...however, I cant help but wish he'd go back to doing more for Marvel because his 12 part run on Marvel Knights: Spider-Man was amazing as has been everything else he's done for them! Still, Nemesis is shaping up to be something really special and with Kick-Ass 2 on the horizon, I'm still getting plenty from the guy, I personally consider, to be the best comic book writer out there today. :)
IvanKW
IvanKW - 3/28/2010, 8:43 PM
He already knew the X-Men Franchise is dead. They messed it up with X3 and Wolverine. Trying to write something to fix the problem wouldn't help at all because the whole story line is messed up already.
Deadpool813
Deadpool813 - 3/28/2010, 8:48 PM
He turned it down cuz he's afraid that FOX is going to [frick] up everything even his career!
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 3/28/2010, 8:48 PM
ANIL: Well, I dont read DC so I'll have to take your word for it on Johns, lol! As for JMS, he's definitely one of the best but as he no longer writes for Marvel it's hard for me to judge his current stuff! My top 5 (current) writers?

1. Mark Millar
2. Dan Slott
3. Matt Fraction
4. Ed Brubaker
5. Brian Bendis

Although Mark Waid and Fred Van Lente are very close to that #5 spot! You didnt like Nemesis? I was a little disappointed with McNiven's art but I thought it was brilliant! And what a final page..!
THEHAWK
THEHAWK - 3/28/2010, 9:14 PM
Hey everyone! Check out my new short story:
Batman Stranger Days

It features Batman and the Phantom Stranger

HAWK out
NERO
NERO - 3/28/2010, 9:24 PM
I hate trolls
InTylerWeTrust
InTylerWeTrust - 3/28/2010, 9:29 PM
Who called it? Me. Insults I expected, but I didn't expect them to come in the form of pre-school spelling and grammar. Oh wait, yes I did :)
NERO
NERO - 3/28/2010, 9:33 PM
Vaughn may have planned out a bad X3, but it took Ratner to make it soulless and without artistic merit.
Suffertree
Suffertree - 3/28/2010, 10:02 PM
A Millar-X4 would've been better than what we have now...No X4 at all...

And speaking of best writers, Geoff Johns is on an entirely different level than everyone else. That guy puts out so much material, week after week after week, it's amazing. He, almost by himself, is running the entire DC Universe right about now, and it's going to stay that way for a looong time.
Orphix
Orphix - 3/29/2010, 4:01 AM
Just because you can write a great comic doesn't mean you can write a good film script.

Completely different medium.

Not saying it can't be done - but doesn't mean if is an automatically great choice. Just look at all the amazing playwrights who couldn't write a film script to save their lives.

Different discipline.
Mixbreed
Mixbreed - 3/29/2010, 6:31 AM
Bring Xavier, Scott and Jean back, stop the B.S'ing and do the Sentinel Saga or something to that nature. I'd say Apocolypse but only if singer comes back or someone who knows what they're doing and not like X3. No Reboots-just fix the issues-finish the story where it left off-give some explanations-and keep it moving. no kiddie prequel X-men crap. keep Hugh as wolverine, possibly re-cast Phoenix, give Rogue more power with a cameo from Ms. Marvel (maybe)-For the love of GOD NO Juggernaut-Bring back Nightcrawler somehow and No F-UPS lol!
Jackwagon
Jackwagon - 3/29/2010, 6:59 AM
He can't write it. He's still finishing up War Heroes #4, which should take roughly one more generation to do.....
ATOMbomb
ATOMbomb - 3/29/2010, 7:00 AM
Finally, they are offering comic book writers films. I think it is strange that they are doing an X4 and an X-Men first class. Its like telling the beginning of a story while continuing to tell the story. On that note, here are my ideas. Make X4 better than all the other films. Longing fight scenes and developing the characters more. Like Iceman and Nightcrawler. Bring on a another great recognizable villain, Apocalypse. Played by Micheal Clark Duncan and let Wolverine go crazy. Show the animal from the comic books.
ATOMbomb
ATOMbomb - 3/29/2010, 7:05 AM
I thought Juggernaut was cool but it seemed like he was in the film for like ten minutes. The fight scene between him and Logan should have been a lot more. I think Kelsey Grammer should back as Beast he did a great job.
Shaman
Shaman - 3/29/2010, 7:13 AM
No, i'm COMPLETELY with HAWK on this. Create the next gen of comics, my ass!!! The guy has talent but it took decades for these characters to become ICONIC! This guy luvs the attention doesn't he? But he's just full of shit! Oh what, Superman was good enough for you but the X-Men aren't? The guy's a sackless attention whore, he'd obviously do or say anything to pull the spotlight towards his "creator owned" stuff. If you're so good Millar, than man up to the job and make the best CBM Fox has yet to conceive. Who said it's either X-Men or bust? What, you can't do both? It wouldn't be selling out, a job is a job! It would actually give you some credibility to go along with all your yappin'! On the other hand... nah, go ahead and stick to your "creations". But for Christ's sake, just shut the [frick] up about it!!!

Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 3/29/2010, 9:04 AM
Shaman, I agree! And nice poll there, I can't seem to make a decision.

Millar doesn't want to take a crack at writing a movie for a big budget, well established franchise because he knows that if he fails he will have to shut up for at least a couple of months. I highly doubt he was fully offered the job anyways. Someone probably just asked him if he might do it.
Shaman
Shaman - 3/29/2010, 9:16 AM
Ryguy88- My thoughts EXACTLY!!! LOL Thanks ;)

BmanHall- Honestly, he "might" have had the chance and talent to totally change the game here. But he let it go. Why? That's what i wanna know. His reasonning... and not the bullshit excuse he gives us here. The truth!
Mixbreed
Mixbreed - 3/29/2010, 11:05 AM
they need to fix/explain/manipulate from what happened in X3 to make X4 decent. God only knows how they'll be able to pull it off...
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 3/29/2010, 11:18 AM
X4 - Sinister is the villain. he has the real Jean Grey and Cyclops (we never see him die) and he's running tests on them because he knows their DNA would create one of the most powerful mutants in the world. The jean that died in X3 was Madelyne Prior.

the x-men discover they are alive and save them. the end shows Jean and Cyke have a kid and send him to the future due to his disease.

X5 - The return of Cable from the future.

but who am i kidding?? they'll never do that...
Shaman
Shaman - 3/29/2010, 11:41 AM
CDB- Those are exactly how Hawk's stories go down LOL. I think they're brilliant and Fox would be smart to use them ;)
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