Before Dark Phoenix ended up as the conclusion of the X-Men franchise due to the Disney/Fox deal, the studio was planning numerous spinoff movies (see: Kitty Pryde, X-23, Multiple Man and Gambit). One we didn’t previously know about though was a solo film for Nicholas Hoult’s Beast. And it even had a full script completed.
While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, longtime composer and editor of the franchise John Ottman revealed some juicy details about the nixed project. He explained that his then assistant and budding screenwriter Byron Burton pitched him the idea of a standalone adventure for Hank McCoy. Ottman wasn’t won over at that point, but gave Burton the go-ahead when he said he could complete the script in two weeks.
“I said, ‘Knock yourself out, but just know there’s a 95 percent chance no one is ever going to make this.’”
Once he had the script in his hand, Ottman became excited about the concept and even considered directing. However, the supposed spinoff ended as quickly as it’d begun when X-Men architect Simon Kinberg shot down the pitch, even refusing to read the screenplay. This is because he was developing Dark Phoenix at the time and didn’t want to be influenced by Burton’s ideas.
So, what would the Beast movie have been like? Titled X-Men: Fear the Beast, it would’ve taken Hank to an Inuit village that was under threat. In the end, none other than Mister Sinister was unveiled as the big bad, teasing a bigger role for him to come in the franchise. Even more thrilling is that Wolverine would’ve shown up, with Professor X telepathically sending him to help out Beast.
If this has you intrigued, the good news is that the full script is available to read online. Alternatively, you can catch Hoult’s last appearance as Beast in the X-Men franchise in Dark Phoenix, playing in cinemas now.