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It's been a wild time for the film world, especially regarding comic book movies. Because after years of fan campaigning and crowdfunding, the Snyder Cut of DC's Justice League will finally become a reality on HBO Max. The Snyder Cut was a pipe dream when calls for its re-release began years ago, and that victory has already inspired fans to call for other director's cuts, like David Ayer's Suicide Squad. But Dark Phoenix director Simon Kinberg doesn't expect the same thing to happen with his ill-fated X-Men movie.
Simon Kinberg had a long history with 20th Century Fox's X-Men franchise. He's first joined as a producer on The Last Stand, and eventually got in the director's chair for Dark Phoenix. That sequel failed to perform both critically and financially, although there were some epic moments throughout its 114-minute runtime. Kinberg recently spoke to the Snyder Cut and why Marvel fans shouldn't expect the same treatment for his mutant-centric blockbuster. As he put it,
The movie they released was ultimately my vision for the film. That vision did change over the span of making the movie. There are other scenes that we shot, just as there are a lot of other scenes in [Days of Future Past] that we shot and didn't end up using. There were scenes we shot for that film and an ending that was quite different than the ending that was in the theatrical release. To release [a Kinberg Cut], it wouldn't be just be like we splice those scenes back in, because those scenes were never completed because of visual effects and sound - all of the technical aspects that go into completing films of this scale. It would take a whole lot of work, but I appreciate the support.
Well, that's pretty cut and dry. Don't expect Dark Phoenix to get a director's cut, mostly because Simon Kinberg believes his vision was honored in the theatrical cut. There were obviously some scenes that ended up on the cutting room floor, but it's not like the studio our outside voices got in the way of Kinberg's work as director.
Simon Kinberg's comments to IGN are refreshingly honest, and proves that the X-Men franchise as we know it has officially come to an end. Because while The New Mutants is still set to arrive in August, the property's main story came to a close with Dark Phoenix. Kinberg explained that the movie was indeed his vision, and therefore there isn't any necessity for a director's cut.
Dark Phoenix is currently streaming on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the new streaming service.
Dark Phoenix was noticeably scaled down when compared to massive blockbusters like X-Men: Days of Future Past or Apocalypse. The movie's budget was smaller, although he did let the mutants' powers loose during the fight sequences. Unfortunately, the movie was a flop, with the main X-Men franchise coming to a close in the process. Although the spinoff The New Mutants has yet to be released after myriad delays.
The New Mutants is currently set to arrive in theaters on August 28th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
