If you're a fan of superhero movies, you probably remember X-Men: The Last Stand, the 2006 blockbuster that brought together a powerhouse cast, including Halle Berry as Storm, alongside Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellen. Despite raking in a whopping $459 million at the global box office, the film has been haunted by whispers of behind-the-scenes drama—and recently, Halle Berry herself pulled back the curtain on some of the controversy.
In a recent clip posted on social media, Berry, who portrayed the weather-controlling mutant Storm, revealed shocking details about the film's development process. During New York Comic Con, Matthew Vaughn, the original director attached to X-Men: The Last Stand, disclosed the surprising reason he quit the project. According to Vaughn, a “fake” script was crafted by studio executives to manipulate Berry into signing on for the film. The fake script included a scene where Storm used her powers to save children in Africa, a plotline specifically designed to appeal to the actress.
Vaughn was so appalled by the deception that he left the project, remarking, “If you're going to do that to an Oscar-winning actress, I'm out of here.” Halle Berry, clearly shocked, responded to the clip with a post of her own, saying, “Ya just never know the shady s**t going on behind ya back!”
Fans were quick to react, with many expressing disappointment that the fake scene wasn't included in the final cut, believing it could have added much-needed depth to the film. Others praised Vaughn for standing up to the studio executives. Vaughn eventually moved on, and Brett Ratner took over directorial duties, but X-Men: The Last Stand never fully escaped the cloud of production drama.
Berry and Vaughn would reunite years later on the set of Kingsman: The Golden Circle in 2014, but this revelation serves as a reminder of the cutthroat nature of Hollywood, where even established stars aren't immune to manipulation.
What do you think? Would X-Men 3 have been better with Storm's heroic moment intact, or was the final product a missed opportunity?
