The X-Men franchise has been going strong since back in 2000, back before cinematic universes and superhero movies became commonplace. And while 20th Century Fox found new success with Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool movies, the main franchise is in a state of flux. Gambit, The New Mutants, and X-Men: Dark Phoenix have all been delayed multiple times, with fans nervous about the state of those three projects. Just a day before the delay was announced, the first Dark Phoenix trailer arrived-- teasing the dark narrative ahead for Sophie Turner's Jean Grey. Most of the movie's contents are a mystery, but director/producer Simon Kinberg recently teased what was in store for Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique and James McAvoy's Professor X. As he tells it,
Raven is a part of the X-Men, but she's critical of some of Charles' methodologies, in terms of him feeling as though they can just dress up in those costumes and be considered the same as the rest of humanity. So there is a schism forming between her and Charles. That struggle has been present in every movie, and we do it in a hopefully slightly more subtle way in this film. She toggles back and forth between Raven and Mystique, and there is meaning to that as there has always been in the previous three X-Men movies.
Now this is interesting. The relationship between Charles and Raven has been one of the most emotional and fascinating aspects of the First Class era of the X-Men franchise, and it's one that is continuing to evolve in Dark Phoenix. But we'll have to keep waiting for answers, as the latest delay is pretty substantial.
Simon Kinberg's comments to Empire are sure to excited all the Jennifer Lawrence fans out there. When she joined the X-Men franchise in First Class, the filmmakers made a bold departure from the comics by making Mystique and Charles Xavier adopted siblings. Raven's path to villainy was set up through her experience as a blue mutant, although the events of Days of Future Past stopped her from becoming a killer, therefore allowing Jennifer Lawrence to remain a member of the X-Men. She and Charles didn't have much beef in Apocalypse, but now it appears that their relationship will take another turn when Dark Phoenix eventually arrives in theaters.
When we catch up with the X-Men in Dark Phoenix, they have finally ascended to bonafide superheroes. After saving the world in Apocalypse, they're celebrated-- despite their inherent differences from the rest of society. But it looks like this status change doesn't vibe with Mystique, and it just may send her back to the dark side. We'll just have to see.
After its latest reschedule, X-Men: Dark Phoenix will finally arrive in theaters on June 7, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
