Director Brett Ratner has blasted fans who criticized his 2006 film X-Men: The Last Stand.

A large number of supporters of the Marvel franchise were skeptical when Ratner was chosen to replace Bryan Singer at the franchise’s helm and they were equally critical of his movie upon release.

Ratner said:

“You can’t make these people happy. I’m kind of the anti-Christ to these comic book geeks. Every single person that wrote s**t went to see that movie multiple times because a movie doesn’t gross $200 something million unless people go to see it more than once.

“Every single person who said, ‘I’m never seeing that movie’, they were the first ones there. What are they concerned about? It’s out of the filmmaker’s hands. A film is a collaborative effort. How’s a person sitting at home going to worry about how a movie is going to turn out to be?”

Ratner also insisted that he helped to revive the series and ultimately made it more popular than ever, adding:

“The most ridiculous statement I’ve read is – and of course I looked at the internet after the movie came out – that I buried the franchise.

“If I buried the franchise how the f**k did they make a Wolverine? I mean, that’s ridiculous. And they’re making three other f**king X-Men movies. Mine kept the franchise alive!”