Anna Paquin has been cut from X-Men: Days of Future Past , director Bryan Singer revealed.
Singer told Entertainment Weekly that a rescue sequence shot early in the film’s production has been cut from the final film . Unfortunately, the scene was the only time Paquin’s character, Rogue, appeared in the movie.
“Through the editing process, the sequence became extraneous. It’s a really good sequence and it will probably end up on the DVD so people can see it. But like many things in the editing process, it was an embarrassment of riches and it was just one of the things that had to go,” Singer said.
“Unfortunately, it was the one and only sequence Anna Paquin was in, the Rogue character was in. Even though she’s in the materials and part of the process of making the film, she won’t appear in it.”
Bryan Singer said that Paquin’s scene being cut from the film was nothing personal against the Oscar winner.
“She did a fantastic job. She was awesome in the sequence. She’s a brilliant actress. I would work with her in a heartbeat,” Singer said. He also said he already told the 31-year-old that she wouldn’t appear in the film.
“She completely understood,” he said. “It’s very disappointing, but she’s very professional and she knows that stuff happens, particularly with material you shoot early on in production. Films evolve.”
Anna Paquin isn’t the only cast member from the original X-Men trilogy who won’t appear in Days of Future Past . James Marsden, who played Cyclops, won’t make an appearance in the sequel .
“If this next film really works, Bryan has said he wants to fix a few things, so hopefully [Cyclops] is one of them,” Marsden said. “I always liked Cyclops, but they have a lot of characters that they have to parcel out, spend time with each one, make sure everyone feels like they’ve been given their due, introduce them appropriately.”
X-Men: Days of Future Past is scheduled to be released on May 23, 2014. Earlier this month, Bryan Singer announced that the next film in the franchise, X-Men: Apocalypse , will be a direct sequel to Days of Future Past, and is scheduled to be released May 27, 2016.
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