X-Men: Dark Phoenix Dvd

Dark Phoenix (also marketed and later released on home media as X-Men: Dark Phoenix) is a 2019 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics X-Men characters. It is a sequel to 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse, the seventh and final mainline installment in the X-Men film series, and the twelfth installment overall. The film was written, co-produced, and directed by Simon Kinberg (in his feature directorial debut) and stars an ensemble cast featuring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, and Jessica Chastain. In Dark Phoenix, the X-Men are forced to face the full power of the Phoenix after a mission in space goes wrong.

After X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) erased the events of X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) from the series’ timeline, Kinberg expressed interest in a new adaptation of Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s “The Dark Phoenix Saga” in a future film that would be more faithful than his previous attempt with The Last Stand, which was met with a mixed reception, with even Kinberg and co-writer Zak Penn ultimately unimpressed with the final product. The new adaptation was confirmed as a follow-up to Apocalypse in 2016. Kinberg signed on as director in June 2017, with the majority of the cast was set to return from Apocalypse. Filming began later that month in Montreal and was completed in October 2017; the entire third act was later reshot in late 2018, following poor test screenings. The film was dedicated to the memory of X-Men co-creator Stan Lee, who died in 2018.

Dark Phoenix was theatrically released in the United States on June 7, 2019, produced, and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It was the lowest-grossing installment in the series, grossing $252 million worldwide on a $200 million budget. Due to high marketing and distribution costs, it lost upwards of $133 million for the studio, becoming the biggest box office bomb of 2019, according to Deadline Hollywood. The film received generally negative reviews from critics; many viewed it as a disappointing and anticlimactic conclusion to Fox’s X-Men series, although the performances of the cast and Hans Zimmer’s score were praised.

Plot

In 1975, eight-year-old Jean Grey and her parents are involved in a car accident, ostensibly leaving her an orphan. Professor Charles Xavier takes her to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, where he promises to teach Jean how to use her gifts for good.

In 1992, the X-Men respond to a distress signal from the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which has been critically damaged by solar flare-like energy. While saving the astronauts, Jean is struck by the energy, which she absorbs, saving her team’s aircraft from destruction. As a result, her psychic powers are greatly amplified, but they become uncontrollable, and she accidentally unleashes her power on mutants celebrating the victory at Xavier’s school. Xavier had placed mental blocks in Jean’s mind as a girl to keep her from retaining her childhood trauma; these are destroyed by Jean’s enhanced power, and the trauma slowly returns, resulting in her being full of rage and pain. She travels to her childhood hometown after finding out that her father is alive and had abandoned her out of fear of her abilities. Jean recovers her complete memory of the car accident and realizes she had rendered her mother unconscious at the wheel with her telepathy. The belief she is responsible for her mother’s death causes her to develop post-traumatic stress disorder. The X-Men arrive and attempt to take Jean home, but she lashes out against Peter Maximoff and Raven Darkholme, injuring the former and killing the latter, before fleeing.

Jean travels to the mutant refugee island of Genosha to seek assistance from Erik Lehnsherr in controlling her rage, but he turns her away after she engages in combat with U.S. military forces tasked with her arrest. Jean meets Vuk, the leader of a shape-shifting alien race known as the D’Bari. She explains to Jean that she has bonded with a cosmic force that wiped out the D’Bari home planet after Jean left Genosha. The power had consumed all those it came across until it was drawn to Jean.

Hank McCoy, mad with grief over Raven’s death, allies with Erik and his allies in an attempt to kill Jean in New York City. Upon learning of Erik’s plan, the X-Men try to stop him and his faction of mutants. As they battle, Erik manages to enter the building and confront Jean, only to succumb to her amplified powers. Xavier then enters the building with Kurt Wagner. Jean attacks them until Xavier convinces her to read his memories – allowing her personality to resurface. Feeling remorseful, Jean offers to let Vuk take the force from her; however, it is revealed that doing so would kill Jean, and that Vuk intends to use the force to conquer Earth. Scott Summers is able to prevent Vuk from fully absorbing the force from Jean by blasting her with his optic beam, though Jean loses consciousness from the ordeal. U.S. government troops, using stun weapons and power-inhibiting collars, attack and subdue both mutant factions, who are placed on a train headed towards a containment facility.

The train is attacked by Vuk and her D’Bari forces. When the soldiers are overpowered by the shape-shifters, the mutants are freed from their restraints to combat the threat. Xavier and the X-Men convince Hank, Magneto, and his allies that Jean is still inherently good and not beyond help. Now united to protect Jean, the mutants deal with most of the D’Bari attackers, but Vuk arrives and heads for Jean, defeating each mutant who attempts to stop her. Xavier confers with Jean within his mind, allowing Jean to regain control. Jean forgives Xavier for his mistakes, understanding that he did what he did out of love and that the X-Men have become her true family. Jean awakens and breaks free of her restraints, saving the mutants from Vuk’s attack and the ensuing train wreck before proceeding to disintegrate the remaining D’Bari as they attack her. Vuk once again attempts to drain Jean of the force, but Jean takes Vuk into outer space, unleashing all of her power, and kills her like she did to Apocalypse. Jean then disappears in a burst of energy in the form of a phoenix.

In the aftermath of the incident, Xavier’s school is renamed the “Jean Grey School for Gifted Youngsters”, and Hank becomes their new dean with Xavier having retired. While settling himself in Paris, Xavier is reunited with Erik and agrees to play a game of chess with him. As they begin to play, a flaming phoenix appears in the sky. Jean provides closing narration in which she confirms that this is not the end for her, nor for the X-Men.

Cast

The cast of Dark Phoenix promoting the film at the 2019 WonderCon. From top to bottom: Hoult, Turner, Sheridan, Shipp, Smit-McPhee, and Peters.
James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier: A mutant pacifist, he founded Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. Many of the characters in the film turn against Xavier as some of his decisions regarding Jean Grey’s abilities are revealed. Director Simon Kinberg felt that the character always acts out of concern for the “greater good,” though he may make some “misguided” choices at times. Kinberg hoped that each character would come across as having “a valid point of view” in the film.
Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto: Quicksilver’s father and a powerful mutant who can control magnetic fields and manipulate metal, he is Xavier’s former best friend and often rival. Magneto has formed a community of mutant refugees on the island of Genosha, which Kinberg compared to Israel in it being a homeland where mutants can be safe.
Jennifer Lawrence as Raven / Mystique: A shape-shifting mutant and Xavier’s adopted sister. Lawrence described her role in the film as more maternal than before, as she leads the younger X-Men. The film continues growing the schism between Mystique and Xavier, with Mystique not approving of some of Xavier’s methods, though Kinberg hoped that this would be more subtle in Dark Phoenix than in previous X-Men films. The film also sees the character change between appearing as Raven and Mystique more than previously, with each change having a specific meaning to the character and story. She continues to have feelings for Beast.
Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy / Beast: A mutant with a beastly appearance and superhuman physical abilities. He is a teacher at Xavier’s School and helps lead the younger X-Men. He continues to have feelings for Mystique.
Sophie Turner as Jean Grey / Phoenix: An extremely powerful mutant with telepathic and telekinetic powers who is one of Xavier’s most prized students. The Phoenix entity is unleashed in the film, leading to a fight between the two personalities for control. Turner studied dissociative identity disorder and schizophrenia for the role, particularly for scenes where she has to change from the vulnerable Jean to the confident Phoenix. Kinberg said Turner has the lead role in the film, a first for the actress. Summer Fontana portrays a young Jean Grey.
Tye Sheridan as Scott Summers / Cyclops: A mutant who fires concussive optic beams. The film develops his relationship with Jean Grey, which Kinberg called “a huge part of the emotional core of the movie.” This forces the character to become a leader in the film, as he is the most prominent character who holds on to hope as Jean grows more unstable.
Alexandra Shipp as Ororo Munroe / Storm: An African mutant who can control the weather.
Evan Peters as Peter Maximoff / Quicksilver: Magneto’s mutant son who can move at superhuman speed. Peters described the character as more mature and subdued in the film, being focused on using his abilities for good as a member of the X-Men.
Kodi Smit-McPhee as Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler: A German mutant who can teleport.
Jessica Chastain as Vuk: The leader of a shape-shifting alien race known as the D’Bari who manipulates the Phoenix. Kinberg described her as “the devil on Jean’s shoulder,” while Chastain called her character “clinical.” Chastain also plays Margaret Smith, the woman Vuk impersonates.
Scott Shepherd as John Grey: Jean’s father.
Ato Essandoh as Jones: Vuk’s second in command.
Brian d’Arcy James as the President of the United States
Additionally, Kota Eberhardt portrays telepath Selene Gallio, while Andrew Stehlin portrays Ariki, a mutant who can utilize his hair braids as a weapon; the character that was initially reported as Red Lotus. Halston Sage briefly appears as Dazzler in the character’s first cinematic appearance, Hannah Anderson appears as Jean’s mother Elaine, and Lamar Johnson appears as Match. Veteran X-Men writer Chris Claremont makes a cameo appearance as a White House guest during the scene when Xavier accepts his award for rescuing the crew of the space shuttle Endeavour. Daniel Cudmore, who previously portrayed Colossus in the franchise, was announced to have a role, but did not appear.