X-Men: 5 big talking points from the 'Dark Phoenix' trailer

The trailer for X-Men Episode VII (aka Dark Phoenix) dropped first thing this morning, and it’s already set the internet alight – like it was infused with the phoenix force itself.

We’ve gathered together the biggest talking points, because our mutant power is the ability to look at Twitter.

Before we dive in, here’s another chance to watch the trailer.

The End

Following Disney’s purchase of Fox, it’s only a matter of time before the X-Men are rebooted in the MCU. That means that Dark Phoenix is probably the final film in this version of the franchise, a point that’s driven home by the use of The Doors’ ‘The End’ on the trailer soundtrack.

Fans got the message and are already mourning the loss of a franchise that’s been going since 2000, before soft-rebooting in 2011, unrebooting in 2014, then sort-of rebooting again in 2016. Look, it’s a complicated series, okay?

It looks like Phoenix will bring the human drama back to the forefront of the series, after Apocalypse’s large-scale threat. As far as we’re concerned, more focus on character over explosions can only be a good thing.

Storm umbrella

Fans seem to agree that if there’s one thing Storm shouldn’t have in her weapons cabinet, and that’s an umbrella.

Mainly because if Storm doesn’t want to be rained on, she can just… Stop the rain from raining on her? It’s literally her main skill.

It might seem like a small detail, but details matter in franchises like this – we were kind of hoping that this iteration of the X-Men could finally get Storm right (but at least it won’t give her any dialogue about toads being struck by lightning).

Jessica Chastain’s villain

Despite the fact we only get the merest of glimpses at Jessica Chastain’s unnamed villain, fans seem to be so happy she’s involved it doesn’t matter that we don’t really know anything about her.

She’s been described as a shapeshifter by Fox, which has led some fans to theorise (hope?) that she’s a Skrull. We’d say there’s a 99.9% chance that’s not true, but anything that gets us closer to bringing the X-Men into the MCU, we’re totally fine with.

Why’s this Professor X’s story?

So, here’s an excellent point from Empire’s Helen O’Hara.

The Dark Phoenix trailer seems to frame Jean Grey’s shift to supervillain as basically being directly Professor X’s fault. In the comics, the Phoenix force operates as a metaphor for sexual awakening, with the baddies using historical precedent as a tool to justify abuses of power.

So, yeah, if they’re doing a faithful adaptation, it should be the ultimate comic-book movie for our age. While the men argue amongst themselves, Jean’s transformation from girl-next-door to power-hungry-God is fascinating. But it definitely, definitely doesn’t have much to do with Professor X, who’s very much a peripheral character.

Mystique the hero?

Our very own Hanna Flint made the fairly excellent observation that the modern X-franchise’s obsession with turning Mystique into a hero is pretty weird.

It’s like Doctor Doom suddenly strolling into the Fantastic Four’s headquarters saying ‘Hello my fellow dudes, I am certainly glad that we are broskis.’

Mystique is a villain, and while First Class looked like it might be sending her on that journey, with Days Of Future Past developing it, it looks like that film’s third-act cop-out is going to be this franchise’s lasting legacy on the character.

She’s basically back to where she started – part of the X-Men, in costume, arguing with Charles about stuff. Yaaaay.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix will be in cinemas on 14 February, 2019.

Read more
Dark Phoenix trailer gives fans first glimpse
‘X-Men: Dark Phoenix’ spoilers tease major death
Jessica Chastain proves Dark Phoenix hasn’t been cancelled