OMG!
I really hate all this Singer bashing.
I know we're all entitled to our own opinions, but sometimes I really feel that the people who think that Singer didn't accuratley portray these characters, or didn't do them justice, or "screwed them", don't know anything about the X-Men outside of the animated series.
AND THIS IS COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO GREW UP ON THE ANIMATED SERIES AND DIDN'T START SERIOUSLY COLLECTING X-MEN COMICS UNTIL AFTER THE 1ST MOVIE CAME OUT!!!
Singer did not "screw" Cyclops.
In X-Men, Cyclops is portrayed, very promenantly, as the leader. He's portrayed as Xavier's non-biological son. And except for Wolverine, who is OBVIOUSLY going to be the main focus (as he is an outsider, and through his eyes, we are introduced to their world, and um... I dunno, only the MOST RECOGNIZABLE AND KNOWN X-MEN CHARACTER IN THE FREAKING UNIVERSE!), and Rogue who plays a major part in the story due to Magneto's plot, Cyclops probably has the most prominent role amongst the X-Men.
Tell me:
-Who is sent on assignment to find Wolverine and bring him back?
-Who is sent on assignment to find Rogue after she leaves the mansion?
-Who has the one on one talks with Professor Xavier, talking about Wolverine, and potential plans that Magneto might have for him?
-Who is the one discussing the state of the team with Xavier ("He's not going with us? I'm sorry, he'll endanger the mission!")?
-Who is the one who discovers what Magneto's plan for Rogue is?
-Who is the one who lays out the plan to the rest of the team?
-Who is the one that flies them in the Blackbird to Liberty Island?
-Who is the one who leads them, and finds out where Magneto's machine is hidden?
-Who is the one who takes out Magneto, allowing Wolverine to destroy the machine?
If you answered "Cyclops" to any of these, Bryan Singer just might have done Cyclops justice.
Now let's look at X2:
-Who is the one who's dropping ideas on who's behind the Presidential assassination attempt (even if he was wrong about it, he was the only one giving out any ideas)
-Who is the one that escorted Xavier to Magneto's prison?
-Who was the one, that after being captured, mind controlled, and forced to fight his own team, when he finally re-joined the team, who was the one who IMMEDIATLEY TOOK OVER, barking out orders, and trying to get to the bottom of the situation ("Who is this guy?!" referring to Nightcrawler)?
-Who is the one who takes the main pilot's position on the Blackbird when they are trying to leave Alkali Lake?
-Who was the one barking out orders to the team to get the jet working so they could get out of there safely?
-Who was the one trying to rush out of the jet to get to Jean?
-Who was the one to tried to talk Jean out of doing what she was doing?
-Who was the one who reacted the most to Jean's death (hint: it wasn't Wolverine)
If you answered "Cyclops" to any of these, Bryan Singer just might have done Cyclops justice.
And oh yea, regarding "God Loves, Man Kills", who was the character who did more in the movie adaptation of "God Loves, Man Kills" than his character did in the comic books?
If you answered "Cyclops" to any of these, Bryan Singer just might have done Cyclops justice.
No, the ones shafting Cyclops are Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn. That's it. Not Marsden. Not Singer. Not Jackman. Not Berry.
Kinberg, and Penn. And Vaughn might have had a hand in it as well.
That's just for the character of Cyclops. Don't get me started on Rogue...