X-Men: Dark Phoenix continues the story of the younger mutants introduced in X-Men: First Class. Familiar characters like Michael Fassbender's Magneto and Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique are set to return alongside even younger characters introduced in X-Men: Apocalypse, like Sophie Turner's Jean Grey.
The film promises to focus on Jean and her Dark Phoenix storyline, hinted at by Jean's incredible display of power at the end of X-Men: Apocalypse. It is also supposed to rectify the Dark Phoenix arc from X-Men: The Last Stand that left a bitter taste in fans' mouths. Dark Phoenix takes place in the 1990's about a decade after X-Men: Apocalypse. For the first time in the film franchise, the mutants will venture into space where an incident causes Jean to become the Phoenix. Among many familiar faces, Jessica Chastain plays a new and mysterious alien shapeshifter determined to manipulate Jean and her powers.
After a lukewarm reaction to X-Men: Apocalypse, fans are hopeful that Dark Phoenix will be a much stronger entry in the mutant universe. Rumors are already piling up, especially given promises that the film will feature a major twist. Many of the rumors focus not only on Jean, but on what the twist entails, the identity of Jessica Chastain's mysterious antagonist, and tying up loose ends from X-Men: Apocalypse.
Here are the 8 Rumors About X-Men: Dark Phoenix We Hope Are True (And 7 We Hope Are False).
15. Want: Jean Is Responsible For Magneto's Capture
Empire Magazine's exclusive photo teases something that looks like Magneto being captured. The collar around his neck is likely being used to nullify his powers. There's a good chance that Jean Grey is the one indirectly responsible for his capture.
Magneto is confirmed to be leading the secret island nation of Genosha, a safe haven for mutants. After the incident in space that makes Jean the Phoenix, she will seek out Magneto for help. The rise of her cataclysmic powers and the devastation that she will cause will likely not only effect the X-Men, but also attract government forces.
This will essentially expose Magneto and Genosha. While Jean can escape using her extensive powers, Magneto and the other mutants living there might not be so lucky.
14. Don't Want: Daniel Cudmore Reprises His Role As Colossus
Daniel Cudmore is one of many actors confirmed to appear in X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Fans will recognize him from playing Colossus in X-2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. But there's already another Colossus in this cinematic universe that has prominent roles in Deadpool and the upcoming Deadpool 2.
The films following everyone's favorite Merc with a Mouth may be loosely connected to the rest of the universe, but they're still intertwined. Having two different versions of Colossus running around is going to get confusing.
To avoid this issue, Cudmore should play a different character in Dark Phoenix. There's certainly no shortage of mutants to choose from, and it would be cool to see Cudmore tackling a different role.
13. Want: Jean Kills A Major Character
X-Men: Apocalypse received a lot of criticism for being predictable and failing to raise the stakes in a convincing way. Dark Phoenix already promises to fix this with a suspected major twist that many fans think revolves around the death of a major character at the hands of Jean Grey.
Entertainment Weekly's exclusive photo of a funeral rules out the death of a few characters, including Professor Charles Xavier, guaranteeing Jean won't kill him like she did in X-Men: The Last Stand. If Dark Phoenix remains consistent with the continuity established at the end of X-Men: Days of Future Past, most of the main characters are safe since the majority are seen at Professor X's school in the year 2023.
However, neither Magneto nor Mystique are seen in that 2023 scene nor are they in the funeral picture. It would be devastating to lose characters as complex and intriguing as Magneto and Mystique. Their deaths certainly wouldn't be predictable and would raise the stakes of the entire franchise, solidifying Jean's Phoenix powers as a formidable threat.
12. Don't Want: Jessica Chastain's Character Is A Skrull
Jessica Chastain is confirmed to play an alien shapeshifter that is also the antagonist of the film. A few pictures, such as this exclusive photo from Entertainment Weekly, have revealed the character, but her exact identity and name are still being kept under wraps.
Many fans think that Chastain's alien shapeshifter is specifically a Skrull. The Skrulls are already confirmed to be playing a large, antagonistic role in the 2019 MCU film Captain Marvel. Even though the Disney-Fox deal can allow the X-Men to become part of the MCU, Dark Phoenix is not the right place to introduce the Skrulls.
This will allow their introduction in Captain Marvel to be truly unique and to make a lasting impact. There are plenty of other alien shapeshifter species to draw on from the comics.
11. Want: Magneto And Quicksilver Reunion
In X-Men: Apocalypse, Quicksilver revealed to Mystique that he knows that Magneto is his father. While this influenced Quicksilver's decisions in the film, the truth is unknown to Magneto. Quicksilver doesn't end up dropping the bombshell on Magneto, teasing a reveal in future films.
With Magneto and Quicksilver both returning for Dark Phoenix, the perfect opportunity for a reunion presents itself. It's time for Quicksilver to tell Magneto the truth. It'll be fascinating to see how Magneto handles the news, especially after losing his wife and daughter in the first act of X-Men: Apocalypse.
Given the difference in their personalities, the nature of a Magneto-Quicksilver relationship could be quite amusing. However, seeing as they're both outsiders even within the world of mutants, they could form a genuine bond that influences the film in meaningful ways.
10. Don't Want: A New Rogue
The newer X-Men films have provided younger, different versions of characters previously established in the original X-Men trilogy. When given time to properly develop, the newer versions of these characters have been handled well. This is especially true of the core characters like Professor X, Magneto, Mystique, and Beast in X-Men: First Class.
X-Men: Apocalypse didn't do as well with the younger characters due to their overall lack of development. This is why rumors of a new Rogue is worrisome. With so much focus on Jean, Jessica Chastain's character, and the many returning X-Men, it doesn't seem like there's much room left for Rogue and the focus her character deserves.
It would also be neat to preserve her origin story, seeing as it is so closely linked to Wolverine's story in the original X-Men film.
9. Want: Return of Psylocke
X-Men: Apocalypse created a delightful comic book aesthetic for Psylocke. But within an overcrowded film of old and new characters, Psylocke was sadly underdeveloped.Unlike her fellow horsemen Magneto and Storm, Psylocke doesn't help the X-Men defeat Apocalypse.
She does manage to survive and escapes to fight another day. She can be a real wild card if she returns in Dark Phoenix. It's highly unlikely she's joined the X-Men and they're probably not too keen on her given their history. She may have even found refuge on Genosha, unless she holds a grudge against Magneto for his betrayal of Apocalypse.
Regardless, given her anger and sense of isolation following Apocalypse's defeat, Psylocke can become a desperately needed ally of Jean's as she navigates the dark path of the Phoenix.
8. Don't Want: Hellfire Club
Casting call descriptions for Dark Phoenix have led many to believe that the Hellfire Club will appear in the movie. A version of the Hellfire Club already appeared in X-Men: First Class but they're pretty much gone now. While a new version would be fun to see, the story already contains enough antagonistic forces.
Jessica Chastain's character will receive plenty of focus. It seems like Jean won't be portrayed as villainous this time around compared to her Dark Phoenix turn in X-Men: The Last Stand, but the Phoenix powers will still be a force of evil. Then there are still the ambiguous characters like Magneto and Mystique, who could fall on either side as they have in the past.
In order for all these characters to reach their potential in this film, each of their arcs need to balance with each other. There simply isn't room for the Hellfire Club to do them justice.
7. Want: Shi'ar Empire
Dark Phoenix is already confirmed to be heading into space. This is where Jean first becomes the Phoenix, but there's a lot to explore in space beyond just providing Jean's transformation. The Shi'ar Empire is an alien empire that plays a prominent role in the Dark Phoenix storyline in the comics.
They don't need to play an extensive role in the film, but since they're already going to space, it seems like a natural time to introduce them. This could also set up their place in future X-Men films. If the franchise is headed into space, they need to take advantage of all it has to offer.
Many fans thought Jessica Chastain would be playing the Shi'ar Empire's Queen Lilandra, but Chastain has said otherwise. Regardless, it would be wasted potential to not involve the Shi'ar Empire in some way.
6. Don't Want: MCU Crossover
The prospect of the X-Men fighting alongside The Avengers is arguably the most exciting thing to come out of the Disney-Fox deal. However, the crossover is something that needs to be carefully constructed. It should not be rushed for Dark Phoenix.
This movie needs to do the character of Jean Grey justice, while continuing the stories of the younger X-Men audiences have grown to care about. The MCU should also complete the story that began with Iron Man and will end with the final Avengers film before the crossover occurs.
The crossover should happen with newer characters so that the connectivity is established from the beginning of their stories and not thrown in toward the end. Just because a crossover can happen, doesn't mean it should happen.
5. Want: Mystique Revealed As Nightcrawler's Mother
Mystique is Nightcrawler's mother in the comics and there were seeds for their relationship to grow that were planted in X-Men: Apocalypse. While saving exploited mutants, Mystique made a particular effort to save Nightcrawler. In fact, she chose to save him over Angel.
She is already an iconic figure in Nightcrawler's eyes before saving him, and only becomes more so through the bravery and leadership she demonstrates in the film. Mystique being a mother would be fascinating to explore, especially given her often harsh personality.
If Mystique is the major character killed by Jean, her death could also be the catalyst for Nightcrawler's arc in Dark Phoenix. Nightcrawler was a pretty friendly and even innocent individual in Apocalypse, but the death of his hero and mother could transform him into a much darker character.
4. Don't Want: New Mutants Crossover
Just because a crossover can happen doesn't mean it should happen. New Mutants is part of the mutant universe, but it's going to be completely different. As emphasized in the trailer, this will be a horror movie.
However, both Dark Phoenix and New Mutants have their own stories to tell. It would kind of be like if Jessica Jones and Daredevil appeared on Asgard during Thor: Ragnarok. It just wouldn't feel right. These characters don't need to interact just because they exist in the same universe, especially when the tone of their stories is so drastically different.
The time periods of both films also conflict as New Mutants takes place in the present day and Dark Phoenix takes place in the '90s.
3. Want: Halston Sage Cast As Dazzler
Dazzler not only has a variety powers involving light, but is also a pop star. Her character is both fun and unique, which will allow her to stand out in what's already a large ensemble of mutants. A smaller role that establishes the character into the universe would be perfect.
There are multiple sources that point to Halston Sage taking on the role of Dazzler. Sage currently stars on Seth MacFarlane's sci-fi comedy The Orville. She is a talented actress and deserves much better.
If done well, appearing in Dark Phoenix and possibly starring in future X-Men films would be fantastic for Sage and for the character of Dazzler. Dark Phoenix is going to be a heavy movie and the inclusion of Dazzler could provide a refreshing break to the narrative.
2. Don't Want: End Of The X-men
X-Men: Apocalypse conveyed to many that the status quo needs to change. There are fans who think that the death of one major character can accomplish this and others who think that may not be enough. Perhaps the X-Men need to end.
They could all die or the school could end as a result of Jean's powers, since the cinematic universe is shifting toward films like Deadpool and The New Mutants. Dark Phoenix needs to shake things up, but not in this way. The development and relationships of all these characters shouldn't be tossed out the window.
All of their deaths and the destruction of the school would also make no sense, as it would discredit the 2023 scene at the end of X-Men: Days of Future Past. This universe's continuity c an't afford to get even more convoluted.
1. Want: A Better Jean Grey-Scott Summers Relationship
Dark Phoenix promises to improve on fans' many grievances with X-Men: The Last Stand. A major one of those grievances was the terrible Jean Grey and Scott Summers relationship. Seconds after reuniting, Jean accidentally obliterates Scott with her new powers.
The characters in the comics have a much more compelling relationship, as Scott refuses to give up on Jean even in her darkest moments as the Phoenix. A better relationship not only means a far more prominent role for Scott this time around, but it could also mean Jean will not be as far gone as in The Last Stand.
If there is someone to help support and ground her along the way, she could retain the humanity she almost lost in The Last Stand. Both characters could also use better development than what they were given in X-Men: Apocalypse and a strong relationship could provide exactly that.
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Are there any more rumors surrounding X-Men: Dark Phoenix that we missed?