The real-life storyline surrounding the upcoming “X-Men” film “Dark Phoenix” is most likely a first for a franchise. The film’s marketing is trying to show how “Dark Phoenix” is the biggest and best story the series has ever seen, but also, the reality is that the film is effectively meaningless, long-term at least, as the franchise is headed for its inevitable reboot courtesy of Disney. And that information isn’t lost on the film’s director Simon Kinberg.
Speaking to Empire Magazine (via CBM), Kinberg talked about the unique place in history that “Dark Phoenix” occupies, as he tries to promote an ‘X-Men’ film at the same time that fans around the world are anxiously awaiting Marvel Studios’ eventual reboot.
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“I think we’ve all made our peace with the idea that we may have had our time with these characters,” he said. “If this is our last, make it count.”
Kinberg added, “I approached [‘Dark Phoenix’] in a way as the culmination of this cycle. It’s the ultimate X-Men story. I didn’t approach it the way I approached some of the other ‘X-Men’ movies, thinking, ‘What’s left to tell after this?’ I left it all on the field.”
When you watch the recent marketing videos and hear Kinberg speak about “Dark Phoenix,” it’s clear that the talking points surrounding this film are similar to the recently released “Avengers: Endgame.” That is to say, the new ‘X-Men’ film marks the end of an era. As Kinberg says, it’s the “culmination.”
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However, unlike ‘Endgame,’ which has shattered records and received near universal acclaim from critics and fans, many are already anticipating being let down by “Dark Phoenix,” as the previous film in the franchise, ‘Apocalypse,’ was a complete disaster and this new film is attempting to retell a story that was already butchered by “X-Men: The Last Stand.”
That being said, with the creative freedom that Kinberg found on “Dark Phoenix,” perhaps he’s created a film that is surprising and satisfying, reminding fans that “X-Men” is the franchise that really kickstarted this superhero renaissance 20 years ago.
“Dark Phoenix” hits theaters on June 7.
