Cameron and Bigelow Nearly Brought X‑Men to the Screen

James Cameron once tried to assemble an X‑Men movie in the 1980s and ’90s, a stalled project that resurfaced in a 2012 panel by long‑time X‑Men writer Chris Claremont. Cameron was attached as a producer with then‑wife Kathryn Bigelow set to direct; Claremont described Bob Hoskins as his pick for Wolverine and Angela Bassett as his Storm, roles later associated with Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry.

After launching Lightstorm Entertainment, Cameron met with Stan Lee to discuss adaptations, a meeting that shifted when Lee interrupted saying, "I hear you like Spider‑Man," sparking interest in that property. Bigelow had prepared a treatment reflecting Near Dark’s themes of marginalized non‑humans, but Claremont said executives "ate" the treatment while studios chased Spider‑Man instead.

The wider scramble for comic rights—Marvel, facing bankruptcy in the ’90s, sold characters to multiple companies including Universal, Carolco (which had ties to Cameron), and ultimately 20th Century Studios—made deals difficult to finalize.

james cameron, kathryn bigelow, x-men, chris claremont, bob hoskins, angela bassett, wolverine, storm, spider-man, marvel