Let’s be honest for a second. The newest ‘X-Men’ film, and likely last of this current iteration before Disney reboots the franchise, “Dark Phoenix” has about zero buzz going into its upcoming June release. That is not a measure of the quality of the film itself, but instead, just shows that the industry has moved on from when the Fox superhero series was one of the crown jewels of the genre.
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And in a new video, which aims to celebrate the Fox-created “X-Men Day,” the studio presents a new trailer for the upcoming “Dark Phoenix,” which leans heavily on the idea that this is the culmination of 20 years’ worth of films. You know, basically saying that “Dark Phoenix” is this franchise’s “Avengers: Endgame,” but without your favorite actors coming back to reprise their roles.
After watching the video, the opposite effect happens. Instead of getting hyped for “Dark Phoenix” (again, it may be great…), the footage makes me long for the days of “X-Men,” “X2: X-Men United,” and yes, even “X-Men: The Last Stand.” Granted, that latter film is quite terrible, but at least it featured the actors we fell in love with in the roles that originated in the first two films.
With “Dark Phoenix,” we’re looking at the end of an era that has turned the beloved franchise into an afterthought. Sure, “X-Men: First Class” is a fun film, which introduces younger versions of our favorite mutants, but the subsequent films (yes, I include ‘Days of the Future Past’ in this) have failed to ignite a love of this prequel series. We’re at a point now where the X-films aren’t the box office blockbusters they used to be and fans are just anxious for Marvel Studios to wipe the slate clean. It’s sad, really.
That being said, it’s pretty remarkable that 20 years ago, before Sony’s “Spider-Man,” Fox was on the forefront of superhero world-building with “X-Men.” And it’s bittersweet to see that decades-long franchise come to an end with a whimper and not the bang it deserves.
“Dark Phoenix” arrives in theaters on June 7.