Warning: Potential SPOILERS for Dark Phoenix
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A major character is going to die in Dark Phoenix and the evidence is already mounting that its Mystique. When Fox did a soft reboot of the X-Men franchise, they brought young stars on board to play some major characters. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender became the new Charles Xavier (a.k.a. Professor X) and Erik Lehnsherr (a.k.a. Magneto), while Jennifer Lawrence joined as a young Raven (a.k.a. Mystique) and Nicholas Hoult played the younger Hank McCoy (a.k.a. Beast). These characters have been central to the recent trilogy, but X-Men: Apocalypse introduced another generation of young mutants who are now taking the spotlight.
Apocalypse brought Sophie Turner in as the new Jean Grey, Tye Sheridan as Scott Summers/Cyclops, Kodi Smit-McPhee as Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler, and Alexandra Shipp as Ororo Munroe/Storm. Turner takes on the leading role for Dark Phoenix, which is the studio's second attempt to get The Dark Phoenix Saga comic story right. Director Simon Kinberg first attempted this as a writer with X-Men: The Last Stand, and there are already several parallels between his two adaptions emerging. One of these parallels is the death of a major character.
Related: Dark Phoenix Trailer Breakdown - 47 Reveals You Missed
Although this will surely be a major plot point for Dark Phoenix, it's not exactly a well-kept secret. Thanks to the trailer footage and the story beats it sets up, it isn't too difficult to figure out who is destined to die.
- This Page: Mystique's Funeral & Death Scene
- Page 2: Beast and Magneto's Reactions
The Funeral Attendees
The funeral scene from the trailer immediately tells us who's not going to die. A rain-soaked Beast is the most noticeable, as he's not only visible in the group shot but also gets a close up of his own to capture the grief. We can also clearly see Professor X's wheelchair in the overhead shot and he gets a solo shot too, so he is safe. A quick side shot also confirms that Nightcrawler and Storm are alive and attending the funeral. That leaves one umbrella unaccounted for and only a small handful of people who are likely to be under it.
Cyclops, Quicksilver (Evan Peters), and Mystique are the only other X-Men members that could be buried in this grave. Cyclops is featured prominently throughout the trailer with the other confirmed surviving members of the X-Men team. There's even a shot of him in funeral attire with Nightcrawler and Storm, and since the Jean/Cyclops relationship is key to the story, he definitely isn't dying early on. Quicksilver is a bit of a wildcard as he isn't shown much in the trailer and thus could be the casualty. However, while Quicksilver is certainly a scene-stealer, his death wouldn't carry as much weight as Mystique's.
Related: Dark Phoenix Trailer Teases a Major Death
The most obvious scenario is that this is Mytique's grave. Hank has full control of when he takes on his Beast look, and it was Mystique who previously was all about being "mutant and proud," so this could be his sign of respect or affection for his fellow X-Men leader. Mystique's death would also explain why she isn't present throughout the rest of the trailer.
Jean's Upset - Because She Killed Mystique
If Mystique is dying in Dark Phoenix, then several questions are raised: Where does she die, who kills her, and how does it happen? Based on the story points highlighted in the trailer, the location of Mystique's final moments appear to be when Jean visits her home town of Red Hook. This is where the entire X-Men team in their new suits go to track her down, and where Jean shows off her powers by flipping the police cars that arrive on the scene. This showdown is likely coming at the end of the first act - after the team journeys to space, Jean encounters the Phoenix Force, and she begins to lose control.
If Red Hook is where Mystique dies, then it appears to be the X-Men's attempt to stop Jean that results in their loss. It is unlikely that Jean would outright murder Mystique, but her death being the result of her uncontrollable powers makes sense. Mystique turns around in slow motion at one point in the trailer while Cyclops says, "Jean lost control but she's still our friend." There's also a shot of Beast cradling Mystique in their uniforms (presumably still at Red Hook). This scene, coupled with the fact that Mystique is completely absent from all the events that are believed to follow Red Hook, makes it almost certain that Mystique is the one to go and that Jean is somehow responsible.
Page 2: Beast & Magneto Go Crazy
Beast & Magneto Go Crazy
Mystique being the one to die would also explain why both Beast and Magneto are shown looking pretty unstable. The trailer highlights Beast's arc more than Magneto's, but both fit with a movie where Mystique dies and the other characters have to try and cope with her death. The scenes that come after the funeral appear to be pretty clear: Hank and Charles' conversation in the kitchen looks to take place right after, and Hank is incredibly angry. He blames Charles for the fallen X-Men and smacks away the drinks Charles is attempting to pour. Hank isn't very close to most of the team, but he's always had a connection to Mystique. Her death is the only one that makes sense of his outburst and his later actions.
Just like Hank, Erik has always been close to Raven. There's been a romantic connection between the two in the past and she ultimately went with him at the end of First Class instead of staying with Charles. That dynamic has been flipped by the time Dark Phoenix begins, as Mystique is now a school teacher and in a position of leadership with the X-Men. Deep down, Erik cares about Raven more than just about anyone, so Jean being responsible for Mystique's death instantly gives him reason to go after her - and not alone.
Related: Dark Phoenix Theory: The Reshoots Are Making It a Proper End to The X-Men
Hank is shown walking up a hill midway through the trailer to what very well may be where Mystique's grave is. He looks down at the ground with anger, and the next time we see him he's standing alongside Magneto and Magneto's new Brotherhood.. Hank and Erik have rarely seen eye to eye on anything in these new movies, so the death of Mystique could bring them to the same side - and also against Charles. If Charles' tampering with Jean's mind is in any way responsible for Mystique's death and he still wants to try and save her, then that is a recipe for conflict. All of this points to a division between the characters who want to try and save Jean, and those who want to stop her by any means necessary.
Jennifer Lawrence Wanted Out
The final nail in the literal coffin is Jennifer Lawrence's overall interest in continuing to play this role and stay in the franchise. She was still a rising star when she first joined X-Men: First Class, but her stardom quickly grew and now she's am Academy Award nominee who is highly in demand. Mystique's mutant look requires a heavy amount of makeup that Lawrence is notably not a fan of - hence Raven using her human disguise so much.
Lawrence is also on the record saying she only returned for Dark Phoenix for the fans and to do the character justice. Many felt that she phoned in her performance in Apocalypse because she didn't want to be in the franchise anymore, but if Simon Kinberg came to her and sold her on a small role that wraps up Mystique's arc with a meaningful death, that would surely be enough to get Lawrence back onboard. She collects another big paycheck, ends the franchise on her terms, and gets to move on.
Because of the latest release date change, which has pushed Dark Phoenix back from a February to a June release in 2019, we'll now have to wait a little longer to see if we're right about this theory. Based on the evidence we have so far, however, it's definitely looking like we're about to lose Mystique.
