Dark Phoenix (film)

Dark Phoenix

Title

Dark Phoenix

Aliases

Teen Spirit (working title)
X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Release Date(s)

June 5, 2019
June 7, 2019 (USA)

Film Details

Musicians

Hans Zimmer

Cinematographers

Mauro Fiore

Editors

Lee Smith

Distributors

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Production Companies

20th Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment, TSG Entertainment, The Donners' Company

Running Time

114 minutes

Rating

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action including some gunplay, disturbing images, and brief strong language

Budget

$200 million

Previous and Next Films
Previous	Next
X-Men: Apocalypse (May 18, 2016)	—

Appearances

Featured Characters:

X-Men (Last appearance)
- 🢐 Professor X (Charles Xavier) 🢒 (Last appearance)
- 🢐 Mystique (Raven Darkhölme) (Death)
- 🢐 Beast (Hank McCoy) 🢒 (Leaves and rejoins team) (Last appearance)
- 🢐 Jean Grey 🢒 (Leaves group) (Last appearance)
- 🢐 Cyclops (Scott Summers) 🢒 (Last appearance)
- 🢐 Storm (Ororo Munroe) 🢒 (Last appearance)
- 🢐 Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner) (Last appearance)
- 🢐 Quicksilver (Peter Maximoff) (Last appearance)

Supporting Characters:

🢐 Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr) (Last appearance)
Selene (First and only known appearance; dies)
Ariki (First and only known appearance; dies)

Antagonists:

Phoenix (First and only known appearance)
Vuk (First and only known appearance; dies) (Impersonates Margaret)
Jones (First and only known appearance; dies)
Numerous unnamed D'bari (First and only known appearance)

Other Characters:

Dr. John Grey (First and only known appearance; dies) (Main story and flashback)
Elaine Grey (First and only known appearance; dies) (Only in flashback)
Margaret (First and only known appearance; dies)
Dazzler (First and only known appearance) (Cameo)
Match (First and only known appearance) (Cameo)

Races and Species:

Humans (Main story and flashback)
Mutants (Main story and flashback)
D'bari

Locations:

Earth-TRN414 (Main story and flashback)
- Milky Way (Main story and flashback)
  - Sol System (Main story and flashback)
    - Earth (Main story and flashback)
      - United States of America (Main story and flashback)
        New York (Main story and flashback)
        Westchester County (Main story and flashback)
        North Salem (Main story and flashback)
        Salem Center (Main story and flashback)
        Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters (Main story and flashback)
        
        Dutchess County
        Annandale-on-Hudson
        
        New York City
        Manhattan
        Central Park
        
        Fifth Avenue
      - Genosha
      - France
        Paris
      - Earth Orbit
- Shi'ar Galaxy (First appearance) (Only in flashback)
  - D'bari System (Only appearance; destruction in flashback)

Items:

Vehicles:

X-Jet

Plot

Jean Grey is nearly killed during a rescue mission in space when she is hit by a mysterious cosmic force. Upon returning home, this force makes Jean much more powerful and much more unstable. Jean, losing control over her own powers, begins to unravel the very fabric that keeps the X-Men together. With the X-Men falling apart, they must find a way to unite to save Jean's soul and our planet from the aliens who wish to use this force to rule the galaxy.^[1]

Cast

James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier
Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto
Jennifer Lawrence as Raven Darkhölme / Mystique
Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy / Beast
Sophie Turner as Jean Grey / Phoenix
- Summer Fontana portrays eight-year old Jean
Tye Sheridan as Scott Summers / Cyclops
Alexandra Shipp as Ororo Munroe / Storm
Evan Peters as Peter Maximoff / Quicksilver
Kodi Smit-McPhee as Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler
Jessica Chastain as Vuk

Additionally, Scott Shepherd and Hannah Anderson appear as John and Elaine Grey. Ato Essandoh portrays Jones. Brian d'Arcy James makes an appearance as the President of the United States. Halston Sage and Lamar Johnson cameo as Dazzler and Match, respectively. Chris Claremont cameos as a White House guest. Kota Eberhardt and Andrew Stehlin appear as Selene Gallio and Ariki, respectively.

Notes

20th Century Fox announced the original November 2, 2018 release date for this film in April 2017, alongside dates for the films Deadpool 2 and The New Mutants,^[2] but later pushed back the date for this film to February 14, 2019.^[3] This film was later pushed back again to its final release date June 7, 2019, taking the one of the then planned film Gambit.^[4]
On October 14th, 2017, it was announced that this film along with Deadpool 2, had both wrapped filming.^[5]

Trivia

The film's climax was originally set in space. The movie underwent lengthy re-shoots to give the finale a more grounded feel,^[6] and to avoid parallels with the endings of the films Captain America: Civil War and Captain Marvel, the latter of which was also in production at the same time as this film. According to writer and director Simon Kinberg, the original ending didn't have the entirety of the X-Men assembled together, and the movie's use of characters was similar to Civil War, in the sense that it had a big action action set piece where everyone is involved occurred at the end of the second act, whereas the third act involved fewer characters and a more intimate exploration of their emotions. Kinberg also admitted Jean's sequences in space displaying her full power were reminiscent of some of the visuals in Captain Marvel.^[7]
According to studio insiders, the film's second premiere date delay from February to June 2019 was made to placate star director James Cameron, who felt concern for the competition his film Alita: Battle Angel would face, which premiered on January 2019.^[8]
While this is technically the last titled X-Men film made by 20th Century Fox, and therefore also the final entry in the main series of X-Men films, this is also technically the first in the X-Men film property to be distributed by Disney, after its acquisition of Fox in March 2019 (now 20th Century Studios).^[9]
According to writer and director Simon Kinberg, after it was settled on just being one film,^[10] this was originally planned to be the first in a new trilogy of X-Men films.^[11] After Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox in March 2019,^[9] said plans were scrapped, in favor of rebooting the franchise and integrating it into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.^[12]^{[[#cite_note-White,_Peter'"`UNIQ--nowiki-0000000D-QINU`"' Hayes,_Dade (14_December_2017). [http//deadline.com/2017/12/disney-fox-deal-bob-iger-digital-future-hulu-and-2b-cost-savings-1202226884/_Disney-Fox_Deal_Bob_Iger_Discusses_Digital_Future,_James_Murdoch,_Hulu_and_$2B_Cost_Savings]. ''Deadline''. Retrieved_on_26_December_2017.-13|[13]]]}
Prior to the re-shoots when they settled on using the D'bari, this film originally planned to have the Skrulls as its main antagonists.^[14]^[15]
During pre-production, this film was initially planned to be a two-parter, before they settled on making it just one film.^[16]^[10]
Before the role was re-written to be Vuk, Jessica Chastain was originally reported to be in talks to portray Lilandra.^[17]
Before they settled on the Skrulls, and later the D'bari, early concept art showed that the Hellfire Club were originally planned to be this film's antagonists.^[18]
One of this film's planned sequels was to be a crossover with the film property of The New Mutants, which would've adapted the Inferno storyline.^[19] After Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox in March 2019,^[9] any scenes that were setting it up got cut during post-production.^[20]