If you haven't seen "The Wolverine" and are still planning to, this is where you'll want to stop reading.
After "The Wolverine" story ends, there is a mid-credits scene that teases the next X-Men adventure, "X-Men: Days of Future Past." Since you're only supposed to be reading this if you've seen "The Wolverine," there's no need to spoil the details of that scene, except to say that a couple of old friends from the past X-Men movies show up.
There's been some speculation that Bryan Singer (who is directing "Days of Future Past") directed the mid-credits scene -- actually, as he confirms here, it was "The Wolverine" director James Mangold. (We resisted the tantalizing headline "Movie Director Directs Scene In The Movie He Directed.") Though, Mangold did travel to Montreal (where "Days of Future Past" is being filmed) to film the extra scene and, here, discusses how it came about and how it ties together "The Wolverine" and "X-Men: Days of Future Past."
Did you direct the mid-credits scene?
Yes.
I didn't know how that worked, since Bryan Singer is currently shooting with those guys.
I went to Montreal. I just went up to Montreal because he had everyone up there. So, I shot on a weekend when they were off from shooting when I could get the actors.
How recently did you shoot it?
About two and a half months ago.
As "Days of Future Past" was in the middle of filming?
Yes. I mean, obviously, I know Hugh. And I've met the other guys before.
Did filming that scene give you an appetite at all to do a full X-Men movie?
I mean, Patrick and Ian are such great actors and it's obviously it's just a day's work. But, it was a lot of fun. And they're a lot of fun. And it was kind of fun doing this kind of little mini thing.
It got a great reaction at the screening that I attended.
I think what's sweet is because, also, our film -- and this was completely unintended -- because I didn't know, honestly, what "Future Past" was, or is, or anything about it until I was well halfway through shooting. And I don't think Bryan was on it until I was well into shooting the movie. Because of the arc in "The Wolverine," it actually kind of sets it up really nicely -- kind of bringing these folks back in that tag. Because you feel the ache in him to have some connection to his past -- and the support systems that he had in the past. Even the enemies he had in the past.
And I have to credit the studio for actually letting us plan something and not kind of winging it -- doing a wing ding. Because my feeling about those things is that -- and it's partly about me -- I love humor and I love comedic films and I love comedic moments. But I don't like a button that is kind of at the expense ... it isn't "The Carol Burnett Show," you know? Outtakes and silly things to making a gag out of it? If I just put a lot of effort into making a dramatic story, I don't want to kind of undercut it at the end with something silly. So, that's just my own sensibility that it's bad showmanship.
Mike Ryan is senior writer for Huffington Post Entertainment. You can contact him directly on Twitter.
