Deadpool: Why Professor Xavier's School For X-Men Looks Familiar To DC Fans
One of the most famous locales in the X-Men's corner of the Marvel Universe is the X-Mansion, or Professor Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Thus, it's no surprise that it has appeared in numerous "X-Men" movies over the years, serving as the team of heroic mutants' base of operations. It has also popped up in the "Deadpool" duology as the strangely empty-looking home of X-Men Colossus (Stefan Kapičić) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand). Surprisingly, the massive, ornate mansion seen in all of these productions isn't a work of CGI.
The X-Mansion scenes in several of the "X-Men" movies and the two "Deadpool" films were shot at Hatley Castle in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It's a breathtaking piece of architecture that works perfectly as a real-life X-Mansion, and it has even fit into some DC Comics-based productions. In addition to becoming home of the live-action X-Men, Hatley Castle has also appeared on the CW productions "Smallville" as Lex Luthor's (Michael Rosenbaum) mansion and the shared universe-launching "Arrow" as the mansion of the Queen family.
Away from the world of comic books, Hatley Castle has hosted a few other notable productions.
Hatley Castle has popped up all over the film and television world
Constructed in 1908, the 40-room Hatley Castle was designed by architect Samuel Maclure for British Columbia's lieutenant governor, James Dunsmuir. Since its construction, it has taken on many forms, going from a home to a naval college before becoming the site of Royal Roads University. As established, Hatley Castle has become a favorite filming location for comic book movies in recent years, though its appearances on screens big and small aren't limited to Marvel and DC projects alone. Many other TV shows and movies have used it for various reasons.
Aside from the aforementioned "X-Men" films and DC TV shows, Hatley Castle's next most high-profile use came in 2014 as the set of Auradon Prep in the Disney Channel movie, "Descendants." As one of the most important settings within it, the castle makes more appearances throughout the "Descendants" franchise. It also becomes a school, specifically Shady Glen School, in the 1997 feature, "Masterminds." Other productions that stopped by Hatley Castle for a spell to film some scenes include "Poltergeist: The Legacy," "Seven Days," "Big Time Movie," and "The Killing."
Though green screen and back projection can take us to incredible fictional worlds and breathtaking real-world settings with ease, there's something extra special about on-location shooting. Given its beauty and versatility, it stands to reason Hatley Castle will appear at the movies and on TV for many years to come.