This weekend, the final film in Fox’s long-running X-Men franchise, Dark Phoenix, will hit theaters. The film stars Sophie Turner in as Jean Grey, who transforms into the eponymous villain. This is not the first X-Men film to tackle the infamous comic book storyline, however. Back in 2006, X-Men: The Last Stand touched on its influence, back when actress Famke Janssen played the superpowered mutant.
In an interview with Variety ahead of the Dark Phoenix premiere, Janssen said, “I’m just happy that Dark Phoenix got her own movie because she deserves it. It’s a really powerful and very important story in the comics, that in The Last Stand we just touched upon the tiniest part of. It was something that needed to be told as a full-blown film and now that’s happening. And it’s wonderful.“
When asked if she’d consider returning to the X-Men films, in whatever capacity they take now that Disney controls the rights to the characters, she said simply “If someone asks me, I might consider it.”
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In Dark Phoenix, the X-Men face their most formidable and powerful foe: one of their own, Jean Grey. During a rescue mission in space, Jean is nearly killed when she is hit by a mysterious cosmic force. Once she returns home, this force not only makes her infinitely more powerful but far more unstable. Wrestling with this entity inside her, Jean unleashes her powers in ways she can neither comprehend nor contain. With Jean spiraling out of control and hurting the ones she loves most, she begins to unravel the very fabric that holds the X-Men together. Now, with this family falling apart, they must find a way to unite — not only to save Jean’s soul, but to save our very planet from aliens who wish to weaponize this force and rule the galaxy.
Dark Phoenix will bring back much of the cast of the new films including Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), Nicholas Hoult (Beast), Alexandra Shipp (Storm), Tye Sheridan (Cyclops), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Nightcrawler), Sophie Turner (Jean Grey), and Evan Peters (Quicksilver).
Simon Kinberg wrote and directed the film, marking his directorial debut. He will also produce alongside Lauren Shuler Donner and Hutch Parker.
The last installment to Fox’s X-Men film franchise opens in theaters June 7.
