The first trailer for X-Men: Dark Phoenix has been released - let's break it down. The next (and likely final) Fox X-Men film has been a questionable prospect for a while now following a release date delay to accommodate third-act reshoots, but after much erroneous speculation of its status and a lot of anticipation, we finally have a proper look at Simon Kinberg's movie.
Dark Phoenix adapts seminal comic arc The Dark Phoenix Saga, telling the tale of telekinetic Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) gaining near-ultimate power and becoming a cosmic supervillain. The movie take (actually the second after the misfire of X-Men: The Last Stand) will place the action in the 1990s, taking the First Class and Apocalypse generations of the X-Men and pitting them against one of their own - and potentially an alien threat.
Related: Why Dark Phoenix Has Dropped "X-Men" From Its Title
That much we already knew. However, the Dark Phoenix trailer brings a lot more. Here's everything we've learned, from a retooled origin for Jean Grey, the mutant haven of Genosha, and some bad news for Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence).
47. Jean Arrives At The X-Mansion
The Dark Phoenix trailer opens with a young Jean Grey being brought to the X-Mansion. The film is undoubtedly her story, following the seemingly normal X-Men as she becomes - in Magneto's words - "evil" so it makes sense for it to go deep into her troubled (and hidden) past. It's a smart move for the trailer too, establishing this as a character-driven story.
46. Jean Wants To Be Fixed
"You think you can fix me?"
"Jean, you are not broken."
Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) welcomes Jean Grey to his school with a promise he's likely made to many children: their mutations are not a disease and nothing to be afraid of. However, at this point he's unaware that something darker lurks within Jean: the Phoenix Force. As we'll see throughout the trailer, Professor X's attempts to "fix" his new student are exactly what creates the conflict of Dark Phoenix. This, along with Jean, looks to be the emotional core of the movie.
45. Trailer Song: The End
At this point, the Dark Phoenix trailer music starts up. It's a cover of The Doors' "The End", repeating the central "this is the end, my only friend, the end." It's an immediately evocative choice, telegraphing the film as darker and more final than its predecessors, while on a meta level somewhat acknowledging that this will be Fox's final main X-Men movie before the character rights revert back to Marvel.
44. Professor X's Fear Makes Him A Villain
"The mind is a fragile thing. Takes on the slightest tap to send it in the wrong direction," Professor X says in voiceover. It's not stated explicitly who he's actually talking about, but the trailer makes clear how this applies to Jean and her extreme power. This is going to be Charles' defining motivation in Dark Phoenix, trying to stop Jean's fragile mind from allowing Phoenix in, something that is more powerful than him and thus out of his control. While there's likely some justification to that fear, with his kneejerk reaction he's essentailly as fearful of her as humans are of him: he's become what he always hated.
43. Professor X Is Hiding Phoenix From Jean (Again)
"Charles, what did you do?"
"I had to keep her stable. I protected her."
"From the truth."
The Dark Phoenix trailer then jumps to the modern day, with everybody concerned over that hidden power in Jean coming to the surface. Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult) is examining her in his lab while Charles and Mystique debate what's been done in the past.
In X-Men: The Last Stand, the Phoenix Force was also something that lay dormant in Jean Grey from a child, hidden deep by Charles Xavier before awakening upon her sacrifice at the end of X-Men 2. This was a change from the comics where the force was something external, and based on X-Men: Apocalypse, which had Jean use the powers to defeat En Sabah Nur, the same is true of the new timeline. We can see some parts of this narrative being brought over to the "remake".
42. The Car Crash
Next in the Dark Phoenix trailer is a car crash involving Jean and her parents. We see her powers activate outside of her control, sending the car spinning and presumably killing her mother and father. This is the emergence of her mutant abilities, starting her on the path to Xavier's school. Crucially, you can see a slight orange glow coming from her in one shot, hinting at the Phoenix's part in all this.
Read More: What Is The Song In The Dark Phoenix Trailer?
This is a twist on a key part of Jean's backstory from the comics. There, Jean was the witness to the death of a close friend in a car accident, the trauma from which awakened her abilities. The movie has put her and those powers at the center of the accident, shifting her from suffering survivor to unwilling attacker, and leaving scars ready to be uncovered.
Page 2: Magneto's New Home, Jessica Chastain's Villain & More Dark Phoenix Secrets
41. Mystique, The Hero
Mystique has had something of a reinvention over the First Class movies, going from villainous right-hand woman in the original trilogy to conflicted center of a friendship triangle between Charles and Erik. We left her at the end of X-Men: Apocalypse as the leader of a new generation of X-Men, a role that she appears to be continuing here - as well as a critical muse to Charles, calling out his treatment of Jean.
40. Genosha
One of the key locations in the trailer is the island of Genosha, a haven for mutants ruled by Magneto. Here we see it in a wide shot, and later the homegrown nature of the community can be seen. This isn't the first time Erik's hidden himself away from the world - in X-Men: Apocalypse he had an unfortunate wife and child - but this time he's using that isolation for good.
In Marvel comics, Genosha is an island on Madagascar, first an Apartheid allegory, then the subject of a long-running war, and finally a safe place for mutants under the rule of Magneto (and later Professor X). It appears the latter stage is what Dark Phoenix will adapt, using the benevolent Erik built up over the X-Men prequels as a savior figure. Of course, in print he still had dominating plans...
39. Jean Goes To Magneto For Answers
After leaving the X-Mansion (and, as we'll see, an unfortunate run-in with the pursuing team), Jean travels to Genosha to talk to Magneto. The pair previously met in X-Men: Apocalypse and were both instrumental in bringing down the sub-titular villain. Given that Erik was, at that point, tapping into powers well beyond his original expectations, it makes sense she'd reach out to him. He's taken by surprise by her arrival, but seems more than welcoming.
38. Jessica Chastain's Character
One of the longest-standing mysteries of Dark Phoenix has been Jessica Chastain's character. We know she's the villain of the film, a shapeshifter, and will attempt to manipulate Jean's force for her own ends, while set photos have hinted that won't end well. Her true identity, however, is unknown. It's been theorized she's a key Skrull from the comics given their rumored involvement in the story, but who has been out of reach (not helped by confusing Fox/Marvel ownership of the species). Further, there's said to be multiple comic influences to the character, which interchangeably suggests she either wants to control or destroy Phoenix.
Read More: What We Know About Jessica Chastain & The Skrulls
The trailer doesn't reveal much more (nothing in terms of the alien race), instead having her a menacing background presence trying to tempt Jean away from her friends. Whether this means her role is secondary or just indicative of the trailer wanting to focus on Jean is unclear, but the setup has her as an opposite to Xavier; she claims that it's OK to not belong because others simply cannot comprehend. The meeting appears to take place in a church, where Chastain approaches Grey.
37. Chastain Follows Phoenix
In the shot prior, we see Chastain walking in the rain towards a police cordon. This appears to be the aftermath of a fight between Jean and the X-Men (which we'll look at shortly). This further suggests she'll be following Jean, surveying from afar. If she is indeed a Skrull, it's likely she'll want to use Phoenix for her own ends.
Also note her lackey, who is seen both here and in the church, meaning that, whoever she is, she hasn't come alone.
Page 3: The Returning X-Men & More Dark Phoenix Secrets
36. Cyclops
Tye Sheridan's Cyclops was introduced in X-Men: Apocalypse, which established his burgeoning relationship with Jean Grey in anticipation of Dark Phoenix. He's set to be a key emotional touchstone in this film, essentially Jean's connection to her own humanity. Here he's seen running around the X-Mansion - and we'll see him at the center of a lot of action in the rest of the trailer.
35. Quicksilver Looks After Students
The standout of X-Men: Days of Future Past, Evan Peters' Quicksilver has been gradually increased in importance over the films until now where he's a fully-fledged member of the X-Men. As we can see here, he's a little different - in Peters' words, "older" - acting as a carer figure for some of the younger students. Given that he's meant to be in his late-30s by now, that's not too surprising.
Related: Why The X-Men Movies' Poor Continuity Is A Good Thing
34. Storm
After spending most of Apocalypse as one of En Sabah Nur's four horsemen, in Dark Phoenix, Alexandra Shipp's Storm will finally get to come into her own as a member of the X-Men. She's seen in most of the key sequences, although very little in the way of her powers are shown (possibly due to unfinished effects).
33. Beast Alone (And Angry)
We also get a proper look at Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy, out alone on a day-for-night walk. He's evidently conflicted, and we see throughout the trailer the reasons behind his anger with Charles and the X-Men. It appears that Beast will go on a journey of his own from everything we've seen so far (clue: it involves a big loss).
32. Jean Is Changing
"She's changing."
"Into what?"
In what likely comes in the scene of her being examined by Hank, Professor X and Mystique both show shock at Jean transforming into something else - obviously Phoenix - which is a great trailer beat drop but also suggests something interesting about the movie's story: Charles wasn't fully aware of what power exactly resided in Jean, instead choosing to suppress at the first sign of trouble. This will likely lead to his explanation to Raven seen earlier, spurring on the narrative.
31. Magneto Meets Phoenix
The Dark Phoenix trailer then cuts back to Magneto and Jean, with the former finally coming face-to-face with the Phoenix Force inside. He sees the form emerge and realizes, "you didn't come here for answers... you came here looking for permission". The meeting of two great X-Men villains - albeit not in their full forms - is definitely intriguing (and will become more important later) but it's Erik's realization of himself as some sort of power-giver that's so interesting. Is this his legacy as a villain being unavoidable despite repeated attempts at redemption?
Page 4: Jean Fights X-Men and Helicopters & More Dark Phoenix Reveals
30. The X-Men Confront Jean In Red Hook
What follows is presented as being linked to the Genosha sequence, but from the cars and buildings is actually Red Hook in Brooklyn - quite likely Jean's childhood home (another parallel to The Last Stand, where she visited and later killed Professor X there). Given there's a complete team and we're in a location not far from the school, this likely takes place just after the Phoenix Force is discovered but before Jean travels to Genosha.
As for what happens, the X-Men - including Quicksilver, Nightcrawler, Beast, Professor X, Cyclops, Storm and Mystique - have tracked Jean down and confront her. This is clearly intended as a peaceful mission, with Charles and Scott, in particular, trying to talk her down, but it won't go smoothly.
29. The X-Men Costumes
As already teased by set photos and theater merchandise, in Dark Phoenix the X-Men will get yellow costumes! These yellow-and-black suits are much more in line with the black leather that's populated the majority of the big screen X-Men films (barring First Class), nodding towards Grant Morrison's New X-Men run from the early 2000s. Unfortunately, this likely means the new costumes from the end of X-Men: Apocalypse haven't made it to the 1990s.
Read More: Confirmed Dark Phoenix Costumes Honor One of the Best X-Men Eras
28. Jean Attacks Police Cars
Police cars being flipped is an oddly specific X-Men movie trick, and here it's Jean's turn. These patrol cruisers reveal the Red Hook location, and give a taste of how the situation will escalate, with an X-Men confrontation spilling out into humanity.
What's noteworthy is that we don't get any shots of Jean in action, even using her powers lightly, which may just be smart editing but could indicate a more firey look for Turner that effects haven't been finished for yet.
27. Military Invades The X-Mansion
After Jean's outburst, the human military steps in. There are several shots in the trailer from various sequences of soliders gearing up to take on the mutant threat, with the most interesting being group stalking through what appears to be the X-Mansion. Could this be another attack on the school, with it once again deemed a threat after it failed to contain immense power? That would explain why the team teleports away so quickly later on.
26. Jean Takes Down A Helicopter
The military will definitely follow Jean to Genosha, putting Magneto's peaceful community in danger. Once there, she doesn't hold back, bringing down a helicopter with little more than her mind. Another awesome show of power, this will do nothing to help Charles or Erik's cause. In fact, it's likely this attack that will see Magneto return to the fold in a very bad way.
25. Jean Feels Remorse
Jumping back earlier in the film, the Dark Phoenix trailer next shows Jean alone and crying in an alleyway as rain pours and Charles says in voiceover "Rage, pain, it's all coming out at once". The rain is important for placing the scene - we know from the shot of Chastain and her umbrella that it rains after the Red Hook fight, so it likely comes right after then. Jean's obviously not able to control Phoenix yet, and all signs indicate she's actually killed one of the X-Men. This would definitely send her seeking Magneto's help.
Page 4: Mutants Go To Space, The X-Men Fall Apart & More Dark Phoenix Secrets
24. The X-Men Go Into Space
It only took 18 years and 11 movies, but the X-Men are finally going to space! And good thing too - it's hard to tell a proper Dark Phoenix story without it. The more offbeat side of the X-Men has typically been ignored on the big screen, with even Egyptian conquerer Apocalypse rather grounded, but with the next movie we're actually going outside of Earth... sort of.
From the synopsis, Jean's immense power is awoken when some cosmic rays blast her during a mission in the X-Jet into the outer atmosphere, which is what we're seeing here. It's not much - in the comics, the Phoenix Force takes over Jean in deep space, sees her travel to far off planets and destroy a galaxy - but at least shows some understanding of the source.
23. The X-Men's Space Mission
Inside the X-Jet, you can see the assembled team - complete with new costumes - including Mystique, Quicksilver, Cyclops, Nightcrawler and Jean Grey. It would appear a standard set of X-Men has been formed by the time Dark Phoenix begins, with this being just another one of their missions. It must come near the very start of the film as it's key in Jean becoming Phoenix. As for what they're doing, the official synopsis described a "rescue mission", while the EW photos from late last year showed a space shuttle; clearly, a NASA mission has gone wrong.
22. Jean Destroys Her Childhood Home?
Going back to the Red Hook sequence, we see a house exploding as Jean grabs her head in panic. The implication, obviously, is that she's destroyed it, an act that worsens things for the X-Men and brings the police. If this sequence is indeed taking cues from X-Men: The Last Stand, it could be her parents' house; she's attempting to understand her past, only for it to fail violently.
21. Scott Defends Jean At The Funeral
"Jean lost control, but she's still our friend." In the first of many shots of a funeral (likely for Mystique) in the Dark Phoenix trailer, Scott attempts to console his fellow mutants and defend Jean's actions (as established, she probably played a part in the death). This conflict of faith, friendship and fear is at the heart of the teaser, and given everything we've seen of the key players is sure to be a central theme in the finished movie. The question, of course, is which side each character chooses.
20. Beast's Crisis Of Faith
If the X-Men aren't going to blame Jean, then they're likely going to blame her teacher. Also at the funeral is a fraught confrontation between Hank and Charles, with the former blaming the later (again, probably for Mystique's death). You can immediately see the impact of Professor X's actions and the effect they have on those around him.
19. The Phoenix Force Emerges
Continuing on the space mission, we get a look at Jean outside becoming consumed by the Phoenix Force. The Dark Phoenix synopsis said that Jean was "hit by a mysterious cosmic force", which we're clearly seeing happen in violent fashion here.
This would be a merging of the comic and previous movie version of the story: there is latent power inside Jean Grey, but it's supressed along with all her emotion and only brought out fully when she comes into contact with something decidedly alien. How this explains the power use in X-Men: Apocalypse is unclear.
Page 6: Magneto Goes Bad, A Tease Of The Finale & More Dark Phoenix Reveals
18. Charles Consumed By Fire
It may be one of his most useful tools, but more often that not, when Charles goes into Cerebro it doesn't end well. In First Class he can barely control it, in Days of Future Past he refuses to, and it's where En Sabah Nur takes control of him in Apocalypse. And now, in Dark Phoenix, he's engulfed by fire?!
The obvious suggestion is that Jean is attacking him after Phoenix Force has taken control, either directly or through the telepathic reach of Cerebro (likely the latter), but the trailer editing suggests it's the actual impact of the flare that awakens Jean in the first place. Whatever the case, it once again puts Professor X in the firing line.
17. Cyclops Amidst The Destruction Of The U.N.
In a shot totally unrelated to most of what's seen in the rest of the trailer, there's Scott standing in the aftermath of some mass destruction. It's a very realistic presentation, all grey dust floating around twisted metal, that shows an attempt by Kinberg to convey the tangible impact of Jean's attacks. It's hard to tell what exactly is being shown, but later shots showing military personnel huddling from an explosion are presumably connected to this: going by set leaks from late 2017, this may be the Skrull's attack on the United Nations.
16. Professor X Is Sorry
The Dark Phoenix trailer then enters a clearly made-in-the-edit conversation between Charles and Erik, but while that's misleading it still gives some important dialogue. "I'm sorry I didn't stop it sooner," says Charles. While that line actually appears to be from two separate scenes (note the clip before "I didn't"), it still shows Professor X feeling remorse for how he handled the Jean situation, asking for forgiveness.
15. Magneto Has Had Enough Of Professor X's Speeches
Charles better not be asking for a pardon from Erik, however. "You're always sorry, Charles. And there's always a speech... and nobody cares," he directs at his long-standing frenemy. Based on the shot of Fassbender actually saying the lines, this comes after the Genosha attack - there's wreckage from the helicopter in the background - and Magneto seeing Jean's Phoenix powers first-hand. He's clearly shaken by the experience, and not willing to forgive his friend for creating what he later describes as "evil".
Of course, the quote is also a meta nod to the repetitive nature of the X-Men films. Professor X's mistakes (especially the McAvoy vintage) are many, and while he always apologizes, this time it's gone too far.
14. Magneto Puts On The Mask
And here's the impact of everything we've seen from Magneto in the trailer so far. The attempt at building a mutant community, meeting Phoenix, seeing her full strength, and rejecting Charles has led him to return to the man he once was. We see him putting on his iconic helmet, stolen from Sebastian Shaw in First Class and worn again in both sequels. Bringing it out of storage symbolically sees him returning to the fight, and marking himself out against Charles; it's a way to block Professor X's telepathy. Clearly, while producer Lauren Shuler Donner did promise this movie wouldn't be as focused on Charles/Erik as those prior, their relationship is still a key part.
It's also worth noting that, despite his move into being a benevolent ruler, Magneto still kept the helmet, a sign this is the man he always was.
Related: Marvel is Finally Done Trying to Make Magneto a Hero
13. Scott Tries To Save Jean
A quick pair of shots show Scott and Jean together, emotions and tensions high. While it's a pretty non-descript moment between the two, it likely comes near the end of Dark Phoenix: Turner's costume is new, while the location matches with set photos that showed a final confrontation between Jean and Chastain (with Scott in the background). If so, then this moment is likely the culmination of the pair's relationship, the test of Scott's faith and Jean's final chance.
Page 7: The Brotherhood of Mutants, [SPOILER]'s Funeral & More Dark Phoenix Secrets
12. The Brotherhood of Mutants Rises
Magneto's new arc looks to have him once again forming a version of the Brotherhood of Mutants, his opposing team of militants (what their goal is this time isn't really teased). He stands opposite a begging Charles wearing his mask and flanked by several acolytes: Beast, surely siding more against Charles than with Erik, and two new mutants, Red Lotus (Andrew Stehlin) and Selene (Kota Eberhardt). Little is known about these additions, who are both based on obscure comics characters, but they're probably Genosha survivors who follow their leader.
Read More: Magneto Has A New Brotherhood In Dark Phoenix
This is a much smaller Brotherhood than the hundreds seen in X-Men: The Last Stand, although Magneto is also dealing with considerably fewer X-Men...
11. The Surviving X-Men?
Opposing the Brotherhood are... just four mutants. Professor X is joined by Cyclops, Nightcrawler and Storm (Mystique is long dead at this point, while Quicksilver is unaccounted for), logical but incredibly slim numbers. Are these the main X-Men going into the final fight, with the odds truly stacked against the good guys? It may just be those in attendance, but there aren't many more who could join. This is rather fitting given the personal nature of the fight to save Jean, although does hint at a smaller scale conflict.
10. Cyclops And A Nighttime Attack
We then get Cyclops at another mysterious location, this time at night hued orange. Accompanied by shots of soldiers jumping out of jeeps, this may be linked to the suspected attack on the X-Mansion, with the lighting suggesting it will be destroyed (again) or at least damaged. However, it could also be connected to the previous Cyclops aftermath scene, just taking place the night before. What this really makes clear is that there's a lot of Dark Phoenix that isn't in this trailer.
9. Professor X In The Field
There are a few disconnected shots in the Dark Phoenix trailer extending from the sequence involving the divided X-Men/the Brotherhood. This one shows Professor X in the middle of a road, reaching out to use his powers while also noticing something in the distance. There's also an accompanying shot of Beast.
It's really unclear what's going on here, but it would make sense that this setpiece is more than just Magneto stating his intent and him making some sort of move.
8. A Funeral (Almost Definitely Mystique's)
Dark Phoenix's funeral scene - attended by Professor X, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Storm and Beast - was first teased in EW's cover story in late 2017, and returns here in an even more prominent position. Now, though, we have a good idea of whose it is: Mystique's.
We've discussed a lot of the evidence already in this breakdown, but as a recap: after the Phoenix Force emerges from Jean, she goes on the run to her family home in Red Hook. The X-Men intervene, but much to everyone - including Jean's - horror, Mystique is killed. This sends the X-Men into chaos, splitting allegiances and specifically sending Beast on a dark journey.
Read More: X-Men: Dark Phoenix Teases The Death of Mystique
7. Jean Embraces Her Power (Possibly)
"They right to fear me," Jean declares. In the positioning in the trailer, it definitely implies she's embracing the Phoenix Force within her, although when in Dark Phoenix itself the statement is made suggests something more conflicted: from location and clothing, this is during her conversation with Magneto. Likely with a push from Chastain, she's attempting to come to terms with her powers and what she did to Mystique, with this an attempt to convince herself to let the Phoenix in. Whether she means it or not, though, she most certainly will succumb.
Page 8: Phoenix Origins, Magneto Fights & More Dark Phoenix Trailer Reveals
6. Magneto Fights Jean
A shot of Michael Fassbender screaming is a guarantee in an X-Men trailer, but this one may reveal more than Magneto strife. It clearly takes place on Genosha, and while he shows anguish, it also seems to be Erik using his powers to an extreme degree. It could be against the military invaders, but the mental strain and our knowledge of the plot thus far make it considerably more likely he's taking on Jean Grey in a bid to save his new land. Considering we know the helmet is coming out of storage, this won't end well.
5. The X-Men Teleport
In X-Men: Apocalypse, Nightcrawler was just beginning to stretch his teleportation capabilities. In Dark Phoenix, he's able to carry three people with him at once. The group - Kurt, Scott, Storm and Charles - is the same we saw standing opposite the Brotherhood (and they're in the same clothes); they're quite possibly jumping from a lab in the X-Mansion to confront Magneto and Beast.
4. Mystique's Death?
A pretty massive spoiler for a trailer, this shot definitely appears to be Mystique's death. We've already looked at why she's the likely one to go, and here we see an upset Beast resting his head on her's.
It's incredibly hard to tell whether Fox is attempting to hide this Dark Phoenix shocker or not. On the one hand, the trailer doesn't show it explicitly, but on the other, it's hinted at throughout and will be an early event that powers most of the plot. From this vantage point, it wouldn't be surprising if later trailers make clear that Jennifer Lawrence won't be making it to the end credits.
3. Magneto Emerges As A Villain
Completing Magneto's fall across the Dark Phoenix trailer, the last time we see him is leaning forward and looking out through his helmet, an angry look on his face. It's difficult to discern location or story placement, but this does definitely hint at Erik embracing his darker side. Could he be addressing an assembled Brotherhood of Mutants or similar gearing up for attack? The four X-Men better watch out.
2. Jean Grey Gets Consumed By Phoenix
In what is surely the most spectacular shot of the Dark Phoenix trailer, the firey Phoenix Force swarms into Jean Grey; she curls up in seeming panic as it flares into her, looking just like the bird form in the comics. While this looks like a massive moment, it probably comes early on - this is surely when Jean first comes into contact with the cosmic force - which means that throughout the entire first trailer, we don't actually get to see any of Phoenix in action. That's surely an VFX decision (further impacted by reshoots to many scenes involving it), but makes a bold statement about the film's attempts to be grounded.
Read More: X-Men: Dark Phoenix Reshoots: What's Really Going On
1. "Evil"
Finally, the Dark Phoenix trailer ends on its striking final line: "I've seen evil, I'm looking at it now," says Magneto as the Phoenix Force begins to push out of Jean, showing as cracks in her skin and flares in her eyes. To the villain who thinks he's good, this is something truly bad. Perhaps Charles' fears, while leading to brash actions, truly were warranted. Or, perhaps Magneto is seeing in Phoenix what he wants.
What we see is that there's still a clear human beneath all that power, again reminding that Dark Phoenix is the story of Jean Grey as much as it is a sci-fi spectacle.
