There’s a certain point in the Star Wars rumor cycle where excitement turns into mild existential confusion, and I think we may have crossed it again. A new report suggests that a major legacy character could return in an upcoming Star Wars trilogy set after The Rise of Skywalker, but not in the way fans might expect. I’m not opposed to revisiting familiar faces in a galaxy far, far away, but this particular rumor raises more questions than it answers.

According to a recent report from Comic Book Movie, a familiar hero is expected to play a “huge role” in a planned Star Wars trilogy being developed by Simon Kinberg — but won’t actually serve as the lead. The scoop, which traces back to Daniel Richtman via SFFGazette, claims that Rey Skywalker, portrayed by Daisy Ridley, will appear prominently... even as the story itself centers on a new group of protagonists.

Rey Is Back But Not the Focus

That setup sounds reasonable enough on paper. Lucasfilm has been stuck in a holding pattern since The Rise of Skywalker closed out the entire Skywalker Saga in 2019, and moving the timeline forward has long felt like the cleanest path ahead. With the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu arriving on the 2026 movie schedule and other projects orbiting the post-Episode IX era, it’s clear the studio wants to establish a new status quo without completely severing ties to what came before.

Still, this specific framing is… odd.

Rey was positioned as the emotional and thematic anchor of the sequel trilogy. Bringing her back in a supporting capacity — “front and center,” but not the protagonist — feels like a hedge. Lucasfilm appears to want the comfort of familiarity without fully committing to the baggage that comes with it. Rey is important, but not "too" important. Present, but not driving the story.

Where This Rumor Leaves The Rey Solo Movie

Part of the confusion comes from how this rumored trilogy overlaps with other announced plans. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is still attached to a standalone Rey-focused movie set roughly 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker, though that project has gone through multiple writers and long stretches of silence.

If Kinberg’s upcoming Star Wars films also feature Rey in a major capacity, it’s hard not to wonder whether these projects are meant to complement one another — or quietly replace each other. Is the solo film a bridge into the trilogy? Or is the trilogy the real priority, with the solo movie slowly drifting into limbo?

The powers that be have not clarified, and that silence only adds to the uncertainty.

The Fan Reaction Problem

There’s also the audience response to consider. Rey remains one of the most polarizing characters in modern Star Wars — not because of Ridley’s performance, but because of how unevenly her arc was handled across three films with three different creative visions.

Reintroducing her without a clearly defined purpose risks reopening old debates rather than charting a confident new direction. If she’s back, fans are going to want to know why — and what she represents now.

Kinberg does have a Star Wars pedigree thanks to his work on Rebels (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) and Lucasfilm leadership has suggested this trilogy could be a long-term cornerstone stretching well into the 2030s. If Rey’s role is meant to bridge generations — mentor rather than messiah — that could work, in theory.

For now, though, this remains firmly in rumor territory. No casting confirmations, no official announcements, and no concrete release dates. Just another intriguing, slightly baffling piece of the ever-shifting Star Wars puzzle.

Whether this ends up being a thoughtful evolution or another attempt to play it safe remains to be seen. But if Rey Skywalker is coming back without truly leading the charge, I’m less excited than I am… confused.

A new Star Trek movie is on the way, and it has a familiar producer joining what already sounds like a wild project. Simon Kinberg, known for many projects including overseeing much of the X-Men franchise when it was with Fox, will be a producer on a new movie that will serve as a prequel story to Trek's prime timeline. The recent news has given me major concerns without even getting into the fact that First Contact is already the definitive prequel story.

As the resident Star Trek fan who recently reiterated I have zero interest in seeing Quentin Tarantino's movie brought to life, I'm now sharing my concerns for Simon Kinberg entering this franchise too. At the risk of sounding like an over-protective parent who thinks the new person dating their child is "bad news," here are some of the red flags I have with the news about this latest Trek movie arriving sometime in 2025.

Simon Kinberg Has Had Zero Involvement With The New Era Of Star Trek Television

The biggest detail about this new project is that according to Variety, it takes place in the main timeline shortly after First Contact. The "main timeline," otherwise known as the "prime timeline," hasn't been touched by the major Star Trek feature films for many years. Instead, the "Kelvin timeline" was created, providing a clear and distinct separation between the movie and television divisions of Star Trek.

Now it seems like Paramount is interested in once again bringing the Prime timeline to theaters, and yet it's not doing it by featuring Star Trek: Section 31 with Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh on the big screen. Instead, we're getting Simon Kinberg and a director from Andor on this new movie, neither of whom have been involved with the work on television since 2017.

When CinemaBlend spoke to Jonathan Frakes, he mentioned the separation between the Star Trek movie and television divisions. When they take place within separate universes, it's not really a big deal. However, when the canon is beholden to whatever this movie is about for upcoming Star Trek shows going forward, I'd like to know that Alex Kurtzman and others have some say in what's going on. Thus far, I haven't seen anything that states that, so I do have some fears based on that fact alone. The idea of someone potentially undoing the hard work of many with a wild movie that has to be acknowledged is very scary as a fan.

Simon Kinberg Produced Much Of X-Men's Movie Era, Which Struggled With Keeping Its Canon Consistent

There's no denying that were some great X-Men movies that Simon Kinberg played a part in, but there are also some others that weren't that great as well. Yes, he was the Days Of Future Past writer, but he also wrote The Last Stand, Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix. In the eyes of critics, he's behind a lot more misses for the X-Men than hits. This Trek movie is being written Toby Haynes, so one would reckon he won't have total control over the overall script as a producer.

What's worse is that the franchise as a whole during the Fox era had a lot of trouble keeping its continuity straight, which is what I fear most about Simon Kinberg making a movie set in Star Trek's prime timeline. Pretty much all of the positive things going on for this franchise at the moment exist in the prime timeline. Now we have this movie on the way that is set to detail the time after First Contact, which is one of the biggest cornerstones of the Star Trek lore.

Granted, I would think that there are some people in the know at Paramount who recognize this and have measures in place to ensure the movie doesn't go too far off the rails in any one direction. After all, who wants to make a movie that is so bad it potentially jeopardizes the shows as well? Obviously that's a bit of an alarmist take on my end, and it's a bit unfair to not even give this movie a fair shake with little information to go on. Still, there's no harm in being cautious, especially with a movie that has so much power.

The Next Major Star Trek Movie Needs To Be A Hit

When Star Trek hits at the box office, great things can happen. It was J.J. Abrams' 2009 Kelvin timeline movie that injected life into the stagnant franchise, which was struggling to find legs after Enterprise's cancellation. Now, it feels like we've entered a situation in which it's the opposite way around, and the success of the shows has encouraged the film division to try and draw on the popularity of the prime timeline.

This movie must be a hit, especially for those who want to see Star Trek continue to have a future in Hollywood. Sure, the franchise has survived box office bombs and poor reviews from critics in past releases, but there hasn't been a movie on screens in eight years. It's officially the longest gap between Trek movies, and that gap could be even longer if this new movie ends up being a poorly-reviewed flop at the box office.

All of this is to say that if the plan is for Paramount to bring in Simon Kinberg to oversee the future of Star Trek movies, I do hope that it ends up being something that truly gets this franchise up and rolling again in theaters. I also hope that this movie draws on some of the talent that has made the prime timeline such a success, but of course, only the biggest names put butts in seats when it comes to major motion pictures. I guess we'll see what the plan is as we get closer to the movie's arrival in 2025.

CinemaBlend will continue to track the development of the next Star Trek movie to hit theaters, as well as keep our fingers crossed that it is only destined for success. Continue to check in for more updates in the meantime, and fire up that Paramount+ subscription to see what all is going on in this new era of the franchise if you haven't already.

For over a decade now, the MCU has been bringing content to audiences, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. While characters like Deadpool and the X-Men had been noticeably missing, Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox and its properties finally opened the door for them to join the shared universe. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is Deadpool & Wolverine, which will see Ryan Reynolds' make his entrance into the MCU. X-Men director Simon Kinberg reacted to Hugh Jackman's return, and the movie being set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

What we know about Deadpool 3 is limited, but fans are hyped to see what surprise Shawn Levy and company are bringing to the project. The cast of Deadpool & Wolverine includes (obviously) Jackman's clawed mutant, to the joy of fans. Kinberg wrote and directed for the X-Men franchise for years, and spoke to ComicBook about the highly anticipated blockbuster, offering: 

There you have it. It sounds like Kinberg is hyped to see Wolverine finally join the MCU, especially opposite Deadpool. Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds' faux feud will no doubt be explosive onscreen, especially once their characters start trading blows. Is it July yet? 

Simon Kiberg's comments in many ways echo the sentiment from moviegoers who are not-so-patiently waiting for Deadpool 3's release. Fans are eager to see what sort of wild twists and turns will occur throughout the movie's mysterious runtime. 

Hugh Jackman played Wolverine for 17 years ahead of Logan's emotional ending, which saw the character die. But he never got to be apart of a shared universe before, or interact with other Marvel characters. But that'll change with Deapdool 3, which officially in the MCU. And there's no telling which characters might pop up throughout the film.

The trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine teased that there's a multiversal story at play, with Loki's TVA showing up at his door. As such, there are countless rumors about what characters might show up during the movie, including familiar faces from the X-Men franchise. Some of these rumored characters include Halle Berry's Storm, Famke Janssen's Jean Grey, Patrick Stewart's Professor X, and Jennifer Garner's Elektra. We'll just have to see how many of them actually show up.

Deadpool & Wolverine will hit theaters on July 26th. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates.

Although aspects of the 20th Century Fox’s X-Men era will be revisited soon through Deadpool 3 (as evidenced by its cast list), this property will be rebooted at some point within the main Marvel Cinematic Universe. When and how will this happen? That’s one of Marvel Studios’ most tightly-guarded secrets at the moment, though the MCU has already brought mutants into the fold through projects like Ms. Marvel and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. But when it comes specifically to the main X-Men team, filmmaker Simon Kinberg has offered advice on how to introduce these characters to the MCU.

Kinberg goes way back with the X-Men, having first co-written X-Men: The Last Stand, then reprised his writing duties on X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix, with the latter also marking his directorial debut. Additionally, he produced those last three movies, as well as X-Men: First Class, Deadpool, Logan, Deadpool 2 and The New Mutants, and the TV shows The Gifted and Legion. While Kinberg’s mutant days are behind him, he did have the following to say when Slashfilm asked him what advice he has for the filmmaker to ends up handling the MCU’s version of the X-Men:

There’s certainly no question that X-Men is one of Marvel’s most popular properties, with these characters having already enjoyed plenty of attention outside of the comics even before they made their theatrical debut in 2000. Fox covered a lot of X-Men ground across the 13 main movies and spinoffs released over the course of two decades, so naturally the MCU has its work cut out with figuring out a way to put a fresh spin on these superheroes. While Simon Kinberg acknowledged that story and spectacle will remain essential for whatever the next cinematic X-Men adventure is, he also wants to be sure whoever ends up putting this reboot together doesn’t forget that the most important thing is to make these starring characters stand out.

It was reported in late September that Marvel Studios would be setting up meetings for X-Men reboot pitches, though it’s “more than likely” that a writer won’t be selected until 2024. Whoever ends up getting the job, it couldn’t hurt for them to pick Simon Kinberg’s brain on these characters. Yes, Dark Phoenix was critically panned and brought Fox’s main X-Men film series to an underwhelming end, but his years of experience is still a worthy well to tap into. 

He’s also not the only X-Men veteran to give advice on what the MCU should do with these characters. Last year, screenwriter Michael Dougherty suggesting that this franchise should depict humans “naturally start to evolve into mutants as a survival mechanism.” While it’ll surely be a while until we learn which X-Men characters will be put front and center in the MCU, Nate Moore, who’s produced six of this franchise’s movies, mentioned Storm and Bishop as characters he “could pitch you ideas all day of.”

As soon as concrete information concerning what the MCU has planned for the X-Men comes in, we’ll pass those details along. In the meantime, keep track of what’s on the way with out guides of upcoming Marvel movies and upcoming Marvel TV shows. Those interested in more of Simon Kinberg’s work can watch his TV show Invasion with an Apple TV+ subscription.

There are popular movie franchises, and then there’s Star Wars. Entire generations grew up with the galaxy far, far away, resulting in a strong (and vocal) fanbase. While Lucasfilm recently announced three new Star Wars titles, a number of other projects were scrapped in the midst of the development process. That includes a movie all about everyone’s favorite bounty hunter Boba Fett. Writer Simon Kinberg recently compared that scrapped Boba Fett movie to a beloved superhero flick, and my FOMO is through the roof.

Considering how beloved Boba Fett is, it’s almost surprising that a movie surrounding that character never came to fruition. The Book of Boba Fett series is available for those with a Disney+ subscription, but there are still questions about his cancelled solo flick. X-Men writer/director Simon Kinberg recently spoke to Polygon, revealing that he was the one tasked with writing the dropped blockbuster. He revealed what that movie could have been like, saying:

Well, now I’m extra bummed. It would have been great to see Boba Fett finally get his own story on the big screen, but it’s especially depressing to know that its tone would have been akin to James Mangold’s Oscar nominated film Logan. Is it too late to get Lucasfilm to change its mind?

Logan was released in 2017, and is widely considered the strongest entry in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise. The movie stripped away the frills of the property, and instead focused on a human story and small cast. Logan’s emotional ending was acclaimed, and I have to wonder what would have happened to Boba Fett in Kinberg’s scrapped movie.  

The development of the Boba Fett movie came as the Star Wars franchise was experimenting with the concept of standalone films. Rogue One was the first of these projects, and was a critical and box office success. But when Solo: A Star Wars Story became the franchise’s first box office disappointment, the studio seemingly abandoned the concept of these solo movies. That includes the Boba Fett flick, as well as one about Jabba the Hutt.

In the end, Boba Fett would take center stage in the shows The Mandalorian as well as The Book of Boba Fett. It’s unclear what comes next for the character, or if he’ll pop up in Dave Filoni’s developing Star Wars movie.

Boba Fett’s tenure in the Star Wars franchise (both TV and film) is currently streaming on Disney+. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

In 2014, Channing Tatum was attached to play the card-wielding mutant Remy LeBeau, better known as Gambit, in the Fox-produced X-Men series of movies. However, the project was "on again, off again" for nearly a decade until the rights to the entire roster of mutants finally returned to the House of Mouse. After completing the historic Disney purchase of 21st Century Fox, the company officially put the Gambit project on ice. Well, the Magic Mike star is now attached to a movie helmed by long-time X-Men writer, producer, and director, Simon Kinberg. The new spy thriller Red Shirt could get fans speculating on whether or not Tatum will finally suit up as the kinetic-powered mutant. 

According to a report by Deadline, Channing Tatum is attached to star in an upcoming spy-thriller titled Red Shirt, based on an original pitch by Simon Kinberg, and with Bullet Train helmer David Leitch set to direct. This would be a re-teaming for Leitch and Tatum, seeing as how the 21 Jump Street star had a cheeky cameo in Bullet Train. The movie is described as a spin on James Bond with franchise potential, and Leitch, Tatum, and Kinberg are all set to produce the flick. Red Shirt is currently being shopped to studios and could sell as early as before the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Kinberg isn’t the only Red Shirt filmmaker with a history with the Fox X-Men franchise. Before directing one of the best comedy action movies in recent years, David Leitch directed Deadpool 2. So how likely could Tatum’s attachment to the spy-thriller signal a return to the character of Gambit--or any of the upcoming Marvel movies? Considering Leitch and Kinberg have no official affiliation with Disney or the MCU, I would say it’s somewhat unlikely. But it's not impossible.

If the cameos in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness have taught us anything about the MCU, anything is possible if fans are vocal enough. Fans have wanted John Krasinski to be cast as Fantastic Four leader Reed Richards for years, and through online memes and speculation, it eventually became a reality. Sure, for only a tiny cameo, and we don’t know the future of Krasinski in the MCU. Still, if fans (and his wife Emily Blunt) have their way about it, then the Jack Ryan actor may become the official Richards for the Marvel series of films moving forward. So, if you want Channing Tatum to play Gambit, I would say your best bet is to let the star and the studio know. Start making those Gambit memes!

Another obstacle potentially in the way of Channing Tatum taking up the role of Gambit is the star himself. The actor said that losing the Marvel role was traumatizing because he was a fan of the character and was ready to play him. He said he hasn’t been able to watch any Marvel superhero movies since the Gambit project was officially shelved. So who knows if the actor would even be up for returning to the character?

Only time can tell whether Red Shirt signals a potential Channing Tatum-helmed Gambit project. If we hear any news regarding the return of the Ragin’ Cajun, you better believe we will let you know. For all your movie-going plans, stay tuned to CinemaBlend and check out our list of upcoming movie releases. 

There’s a popular phrase some of us use when discussing an extremely talented actor. We’ll say, “I’d watch that person read the phone book.” It assumes that no matter how bland, flavorless, or predictable the material this gifted performer is handed, they’ll find a way to make it sing – to vibrate off of the screen and make the movie or TV program with which they are involved be, at the very least, watchable. 

I’m going to have to rethink that statement. Under normal circumstances, I absolutely would apply that sentiment to Jessica Chastain, Penelope Cruz, Lupita Nyong’o and, to a lesser extent, Sebastian Stan. They’re all actors I gladly would have handed a phone book before eagerly anticipated their interpretation. But they couldn’t save Simon Kinberg's The 355 from being a rote, paint-by-numbers spy thriller, and if they couldn’t salvage this movie, who on this planet could? 

There’s too much talent in The 355 for it to be this generic.

There are two factors helping The 355 stand out from its spy thriller counterparts. To begin with, it utilizes an ensemble of international agents working together to complete a mission that has vexed each of them individually. The spy genre tends to be populated with solo acts, whether it be James Bond or Jason Bourne. It also, in the past, has largely been male-dominated – though standout features like Atomic Blonde, The Old Guard and Gunpowder Milkshake are doing their part in recent years to start balancing the scales and showcase more kick-ass women. 

As was the case with Atomic Blonde and Gunpowder Milkshake, the women cast as The 355’s leads are extraordinarily gifted and versatile actors who have held down outstanding dramas, comic-book action thrillers, and international crowd-pleasers. But their combined skills can’t elevate a razor-thin script that offers more cliches than surprises.

Naturally, there is a device (there’s always a device) that the villains want, and the spies need to retrieve it. This one can launch World War III, or some such silliness, but the threat is vague, and there isn’t even a juicy bad guy for audiences to invest in. The women of The 355 merely mow down faceless adversaries without breaking much of a sweat, dancing through tired action sequences you’ve seen before far too many times. 

Simon Kinberg’s a better producer than he is a director.

You might not know Simon Kinberg by name, but you definitely have seen movies he has either written or produced. One of his earliest screenwriting credits was the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie vehicle Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and he was the producing muscle behind Logan, and Deadpool (the best X-Men movies), and Ridley Scott’s The Martian. He’s an excellent producer, but an average director. His adequate X-Men: Dark Phoenix got a pass due to perceived behind-the-scenes strife associated with Disney purchasing Fox, and not wanting to extend the X-Men franchise in any form. But The 355 furthers the notion that Kinberg’s approach to action and his sense of pacing isn’t going to ruin a film, but it’s also not going to upgrade it. 

That’s the unfortunate truth about The 355. It’s not awful, but it deserved to be better. The potential of these women teaming up, sharing scenes, trading war stories, and taking down bad guys should be enough to get people in the door, but The 355 doesn’t offer its audience anything extraordinary, or even theater-worthy. Features like this are readily available on both streamers like Netflix and B-grade cable networks. 

Here’s the main lesson learned after watching The 355: Invite as many A-listers to your party as you can – but make sure they have something more substantial to eat than American cheese sandwiches served on Wonder bread with extra mayonnaise. 

Although Battlestar Galactica has never truly gone away thanks to the enduring popularity of the original series and its 2000s reboot, the sci-fi franchise is definitely getting ready to turn a new chapter. In addition to a new series being developed for Peacock by Mr. Robot showrunner Sam Esmail, the Battlestar Galactica movie that’s been in the works since 2009 is slowly making progress. As it turns out though, these two Battlestar projects are closely connected rather than being separate takes on the same mythology.

This information comes from producer Simon Kinberg, who’s producing and co-writing the Battlestar Galactica movie with Dylan Clark. In an interview with Collider, Kinberg said with the second draft of the script finished, the search is underway for a director to helm the feature, with shooting expected to begin either towards the end of this year or in early 2023. Kinberg also said the following about the movie’s ties with Peacock’s forthcoming Battlestar Galactica series:

It would have been easy enough to develop these two Battlestar Galactica projects on independent tracks, but now we know Simon Kinberg and Sam Esmail have been collaborating on them. Kinberg didn’t elaborate on how tightly these Battlestar narratives will be weaved together, though I imagine they’ll be standalone enough that if someone decides to just watch the TV show or movie, it’ll still be easy to follow along with what’s going on. 

It’s also worth remembering that rather than being a straightforward reboot, Peacock’s Battlestar Galactica series was previously revealed to exist in the same continuity as the 2000s series. So by Simon Kinberg mentioning a “shared universe,” evidently that also applies to the Battlestar Galactica movie. Here’s what Kinberg had to say about that:

So just like with Peacock’s Battlestar Galactica series, don’t expect the Battlestar Galactica movie to simply retell the core story of the remnants of humanity fleeing from the Cylons. Following the conclusion of the 2000s Battlestar Galactica series, a prequel called Caprica aired for one season, and the web series Blood & Chrome was intended to launch a TV series, but it wasn’t picked up. With both of these new projects still in the early developmental stages, it’ll likely be a while until we learn just how they specifically fit into the Battlestar Galactica tapestry.

Rest assured though, CinemaBlend will keep you apprised on major updates about the Battlestar Galactica movie and the companion Peacock series. For now, you can see Simon Kinberg’s latest movie, The 355, in theaters starting tomorrow, January 7. 

Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is in full swing and, as a result, the massive, interconnected franchise is continuing to expand at a rapid pace. In the past year alone, MCU devotees have met fresh faces like Yelena Belova, Shang-Chi and Kate Bishop. There are, however, plenty of other heroes that many are still waiting to see, and the X-Men are certainly at the top of the list. Though Marvel Studios has yet to reveal how the famous characters will be brought into the fold, a number of high-profile creatives (like Deapool’s creator) have commented on their eventual introductions. Longtime producer Simon Kinberg is the latest to chime in, and he seems to have a very good attitude about Marvel gaining control of the mutants. 

For years, Charles Xavier and his group of crusaders dwelled at Fox alongside other comic book properties like Fantastic Four. But both franchises would finally make their way to Marvel Studios following Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019. During the summer of that same year, Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige alluded to plans for the mutants. Like fans, Simon Kinberg isn’t privy to any specific details, but he does have plenty of faith in Feige: 

It’s hard to argue with Simon Kinberg’s comments on Marvel’s CCO, as he’s definitely helped to put the MCU on the map. Since 2008, the man Stan Lee once referred to as “Fearless Feige” has overseen the releases of 27 films and five television shows, which have predominantly been well received by the public. He’s also shown that he’s a capable storyteller who makes shrewd decisions.

Simon Kinberg has also had his fair share of success with the X-Men franchise. Though a number of later installments didn’t quite connect with fans, films like X2, Days of Future Past and Logan are still held in high regard. Through his work, Kinberg was also able to collaborate with a great cast, consisting of stars like Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry and Patrick Stewart. The producer has nothing but love for the actors, but how would he feel about them reprising their roles for the new film series? Well, in the same interview with IGN, he shared his thoughts:

Fans seem to be somewhat mixed on whether they’d like to see the OG actors brought back. Likewise, the stars themselves have provided a variety of responses on the possibility of returning. Franchise veteran Halle Berry, for instance, is open to reprising her role as Storm, while Kelsey Grammer is also enthusiastic about possibly playing Beast again. But Hugh Jackman has been adamant that his time as Wolverine is over, regardless of the multiverse or Ryan Reynolds’ jokey appeals. On that note, X-Men: First Class director, Matthew Vaughn has suggested a few actors who could don the adamantium claws next.

It’ll probably be a little while before Marvel Studios officially announces its plans for the iconic characters. Though the wait may be difficult for some, it's good to see that the company is taking its time in laying things out. In the meantime, fans can keep speculating about the mutants’ eventual role and check out their past cinematic exploits by streaming the X-Men films on Disney+.

The Battlestar Galactica franchise is chiefly known for its television offerings, but for more than a decade now, there have been numerous attempts to bring the Cylon-filled mythology to the big screen. It’s been a couple years since we last heard any major updates concerning the Battlestar Galactica movie, but today bring work that longtime X-Men franchise contributor Simon Kinberg has been brought aboard the project.

According to THR, Simon Kinberg will write and produce the Battlestar Galactica movie, and rather than work off a preexisting script, he’ll be tackling the story “from the ground up.” Kinberg will work alongside producer Dylan Clark, who has been attached to the Battlestar Galactica movie for many years. Here’s what Kinberg had to say about joining the project in a statement:

In the world of franchise filmmaking, Simon Kinberg is best known for his work on the X-Men movies, which started when he boarded 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand as a co-writer. Kinberg would go on to co-write X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse, as well as produce those movies and various other mutant-centric tales, and he made his directorial debut with last year’s Dark Phoenix.

Now that the X-Men are over at Marvel Studios thanks to Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, Simon Kinberg’s time with the mutants is over. However, he’s been keeping busy since then with the spy film The 355, which comes out next January, and he’s also attached to produce the film adaptation of Any Weir’s novel Artemis, which is fitting since Kinberg was also a producer on the movie version of The Martian, Weir’s first novel.

The original Battlestar Galactica TV series only aired for one season in the late 1970s, but it became a cult favorite, and in the 2000s, the then-Sci-Fi Channel launched a re-imagined series that was met with critical acclaim. There are a lot of differences between the two Battlestar Galactica shows (namely with the first being more lighthearted and the second being incredibly dark), but they both share the core premise of following the survivors of human colonies that were wiped out by the Cylons, with those still alive now venturing to find Earth, with the eponymous ship leading the journey. So expect the movie to retain those basic beats.

Almost two full years ago, it was reported The Girl in the Spider’s Web’s Jay Basu had been hired to rewrite the Battlestar Galactica movie, but Universal Pictures now feels it’s in better hands with Simon Kinberg holding the creative reins. That said, it’s interesting that the movie is still happening considering that Battlestar Galactica is gearing up to return to the small screen.

Mr. Robot showrunner Sam Esmail is executive producing a Battlestar Galactica series for Peacock. It’s been implied that this new show will be inspired by the 2000s series, although whether it will have any direct ties to its predecessor remains unclear. So with two new, separate takes on Battlestar Galactica on the way, fingers crossed the movie is able to do enough to stand out from what’s heading to streaming.

We here at CinemaBlend will keep you updated on how Simon Kinberg’s Battlestar Galactica movie is coming along, but for now, be sure to scan through our 2021 release schedule.

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It's been a wild time for the film world, especially regarding comic book movies. Because after years of fan campaigning and crowdfunding, the Snyder Cut of DC's Justice League will finally become a reality on HBO Max. The Snyder Cut was a pipe dream when calls for its re-release began years ago, and that victory has already inspired fans to call for other director's cuts, like David Ayer's Suicide Squad. But Dark Phoenix director Simon Kinberg doesn't expect the same thing to happen with his ill-fated X-Men movie.

Simon Kinberg had a long history with 20th Century Fox's X-Men franchise. He's first joined as a producer on The Last Stand, and eventually got in the director's chair for Dark Phoenix. That sequel failed to perform both critically and financially, although there were some epic moments throughout its 114-minute runtime. Kinberg recently spoke to the Snyder Cut and why Marvel fans shouldn't expect the same treatment for his mutant-centric blockbuster. As he put it,

Well, that's pretty cut and dry. Don't expect Dark Phoenix to get a director's cut, mostly because Simon Kinberg believes his vision was honored in the theatrical cut. There were obviously some scenes that ended up on the cutting room floor, but it's not like the studio our outside voices got in the way of Kinberg's work as director.

Simon Kinberg's comments to IGN are refreshingly honest, and proves that the X-Men franchise as we know it has officially come to an end. Because while The New Mutants is still set to arrive in August, the property's main story came to a close with Dark Phoenix. Kinberg explained that the movie was indeed his vision, and therefore there isn't any necessity for a director's cut.

Dark Phoenix is currently streaming on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the new streaming service.

Dark Phoenix was noticeably scaled down when compared to massive blockbusters like X-Men: Days of Future Past or Apocalypse. The movie's budget was smaller, although he did let the mutants' powers loose during the fight sequences. Unfortunately, the movie was a flop, with the main X-Men franchise coming to a close in the process. Although the spinoff The New Mutants has yet to be released after myriad delays.

The New Mutants is currently set to arrive in theaters on August 28th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Ever since Disney acquired Fox last year, the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises have covertly joined the MCU. Marvel Studios Chief Kevin Feige has also teased the introduction of mutants to his expansive big-screen universe, but how and when we will see the X-Men again has not yet been revealed. Dark Phoenix writer/director Simon Kinberg is excited about the future of the property and has offered his take on how it could join forces with the MCU. Here’s what he said:

Even though Dark Phoenix’s box office performance closed out Fox’s franchise on a low note, the producer has been a staple in bringing the X-Men to life on the big screen as the writer for three other films in the series, such as X-Men: Days of Future Past, and served as a producer on Logan and the Deadpool movies.

Simon Kinberg told IGN he’d be interested in bringing his experience to the MCU’s X-Men “in a fresh way.” One aspect of the MCU that he thinks the reintroduction of the mutants should include is taking the characters beyond Earth for more adventures. The producer loves the science-fiction elements of X-Men, even though much of the franchise was often grounded in reality. Wolverine in space? Yes, please.

Although the Fox's X-Men franchise is nearly over, Simon Kinberg is still getting questions about his latest film. With the recent announcement of the Snyder Cut of Justice League, Simon Kinberg has been asked if a director’s cut of his own Dark Phoenix might see the light of day. But Kinberg states that the film we saw was indeed his original vision. However, the writer/director had intended the conclusion to the 20-year franchise to be two films until the studio changed things around. There were lots of changes and reshoots as a result, and Dark Phoenix marked a series low both financially and critically.

Despite this, Fox's superhero franchise would end on a completely dour note. Ryan Reynolds is reportedly working on Deadpool 3 under Disney’s Marvel Studios label, and Fox’s era of X-Men films will officially end this summer with The New Mutants. Josh Boone’s horror-infused mutant flick has been undergoing release delays since 2017, most recently with theater closures pushing it from its April date to August 28.

Simon Kinberg is on to something here with his recent comments. Fox has already explored, in great detail, what it’s like to live on Earth as a mutant – the MCU could take this opportunity to venture out to new corners of the X-Men comics moving forward. There are a ton of storylines already written that Marvel Studios could tackle between "The Brood Saga" and "The Dark Phoenix Saga" alone.

Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more updates on the future of X-Men in the MCU.

The X-Men are some of Marvel Comics' most popular character. The team of mutants made it to the big screen before superhero movies became commonplace, and had a long tenure in theaters. In fact, the X-Men franchise went so long that the iconic Dark Phoenix plot line was adapted for two different blockbusters, mostly recently in Simon Kinberg's appropriately titled Dark Phoenix. And now the director/producer has explained how that comic book arc could properly be adapted with OG Jean Grey actress Famke Janssen.

The X-Men franchise began with Bryan Singer's original 2000 blockbuster, which also featured Fame Janssen's debut as Jean Grey. She'd go on to play the role in all three installments of the original trilogy, as well as The Wolverine and a brief cameo in Days of Future Past. The role eventually was handed down to Game of Thrones alum Sophie Turner, but Simon Kinberg has an idea to flesh out the Dark Phoenix story and bring back Janssen in the process. As he put it,

Well, that's definitely a big plan for the Dark Phoenix story. And despite two prior attempts at bringing Jean Grey's most iconic comic book plot line to the big screen, it looks like the third time could be the charm. And fans would no doubt be thrilled to see Famke Janssen return as the beloved mutant.

Simon Kinberg's comments come from a recent watch party for X-Men: Days of Future Past over on IGN. Kinberg has a long history with the X-Men franchise, working as a producer on every single installment in the franchise starting with The Last Stand aka the first time the Dark Phoenix story was attempted in movie form. He's worked with every cast of the X-Men throughout the years, and obviously nows the property well.

The Dark Phoenix Saga from the comics is a long and complicated one, involving outer space as well as mutant threats on Earth. Both X-Men The Last Stand and Dark Phoenix attempted to simplify this story, which Simon Kinberg seems to believe was a misstep. Instead, he thinks the story should be split into two movies, both starring Famke Jenssen. This would allow the Hellfire Club to be fleshed out, as well as Lilandra and the Phoenix Force.

Producing a pair of movies to properly adapt the Dark Phoenix story into film makes a great deal of sense, its just a shame that this approach wasn't taken while the X-Men franchise and 20th Century Fox were still independent. Disney's acquisition of Fox seemingly ended the X-Men movies, and there's no indication as to if/when the team will eventually join the MCU.

The final installment in the X-Men franchise as know it is The New Mutants, which is currently set to arrive in theaters on August 28th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Actress Reese Witherspoon and producer Simon Kinberg have a new sci-fi movie coming, but not how you might think. Coming off the second season of HBO’s Big Little Lies, Reese Witherspoon joins Simon Kinberg, who recently made his directorial debut with Dark Phoenix, for a science fiction film that’s headed not to theaters, but to Netflix.

Alongside producer Simon Kinberg, Reese Witherspoon will produce and star in Pyros, an adaptation of the science fiction short story Tardy Man by author Thomas Pierce. Multiple studios, including Sony Pictures, were interested in this attractive package of talent and material, according to Deadline. So this feature could have been a theatrical release, but ultimately Netflix won out and Pyros is headed for the streaming service.

Thomas Pierce will write the script for the film based on his own short story, which appeared in The New Yorker last year. Tardy Man follows a group of people who wear indestructible, fire-retardant ‘Tardy suits’ that are connected to their spine and allow them to endure dangerous conditions. The Tardy Men work for an insurance corporation to salvage the belongings of rich people during fires and other natural disasters.

The Tardy Men are not allowed to divert from their mission of object recovery to help people in need. The launching point for the story is when a Tardy Man disobeys this strictly enforced rule in order to save someone. On the surface, it sounds somewhat Fahrenheit 451-esque, but if you read the short story, it also has some interesting parallels to last year’s Sorry to Bother You.

Like lots of great sci-fi, Tardy Man seems to be using science fiction to tell a story that says something about the real world, and since the short story is well, very short, Pyros will be able to really expand on the concept and mythology for a feature film. It’s also cool that Thomas Pierce, whose other short story Chairman Spaceman is being developed by Fox Searchlight, will be adapting his own story for the Netflix film Pyros.

As of yet there is no director or other cast attached for Pyros, nor is there a release date. Reese Witherspoon and Simon Kinberg certainly both have plenty on their plates in addition to this sci-fi film. Simon Kinberg is shooting his second feature film 355, a spy thriller starring Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger, Sebastian Stan, Penélope Cruz, Lupita Nyong’o and Bingbing Fan.

Reese Witherspoon isn’t just headed to Netflix for Pyros. The Oscar-winning actress also has the mini-series Little Fires Everywhere headed to Hulu and the series The Morning Show, which will also star Steve Carell and Jennifer Aniston, headed to Apple’s upcoming service,

Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of everything headed to theaters this year and for all the latest movie news, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

While the X-Men series has mostly been two straightforward arcs combining Professor Xavier and various popular mutants from the Marvel Comics franchise, there has always been a flavor of experimentation when it comes to individual spin-offs. It’s what gave us Hugh Jackman’s standalone Wolverine movies, which represented both the good and the bad of the X-Men franchise.

But there’s also a history of separate X-Men adventures that were proposed, but never got off the ground. And the latest one to join the museum of unused ideas is an adventure that would have focused on Nicholas Hoult’s Hank McCoy, better known as the mutant Beast.

During a recent interview, longtime X-Men series editor and composer John Ottman revealed that his former assistant, Byron Burton, had pitched that, in two weeks, he could write a script for Beast’s solo adventure. Hard at work finalizing X-Men: Apocalypse, Ottman was curious enough to tell his assistant to go ahead and work his script out.

What John Ottman hadn’t counted on, though, was Byron Burton’s script actually intriguing him enough to want to pursue its production. Set in the same ‘80s period as X-Men: Apocalypse, this film would have pitted Hank McCoy against the science of his mutation, and another mutant with a similar affliction, who just happened to be terrorizing an Inuit village. Alas, even a polish pass by Ottman, and a connection to previously theorized big bad Mr. Sinister, couldn’t save the film from its ultimate demise.

As The Hollywood Reporter’s discussion with John Ottman laid out, Dark Phoenix writer/director Simon Kinberg would have had to approve this film for the final go-ahead, as he was the current mastermind in charge of the X-Men property. And ultimately, he respectfully declined to even read the script because of one character’s inclusion: Wolverine. Kinberg was thinking of his own version of reviving Wolverine in the X-Men universe, and a conflicting vision set to the tune of $90 million wouldn’t have helped things along at all.

It’s not the first time a promising X-Men spin-off has seen its fortunes scuppered by the misadventures of Wolverine, as Magneto was originally set to get the full "Origins" treatment around the same time X-Men Origins: Wolverine was in production. But, of course, as that film’s failure was a pretty big sting to the X-Men saga, that film was cancelled and later repurposed for part of the storyline to X-Men: First Class.

Both cases of cancelled spin-off stories could have shown some promise, as they would have taken two of the most morally and personally complex characters in the X-Men series, and turned them into dramatic leads. More importantly, the film franchise would have had further avenues of development that could have kept the series alive, even if this month’s Dark Phoenix still ended the series proper as it did in the current state of affairs.

History doesn’t work like that, though, and just as we missed out on a full movie of Magneto hunting Nazis in the name of revenge, we’ve also missed out on a film where Hank McCoy’s Beast solved a murder mystery that just happened to have him fighting alongside Wolverine in the finale. But hey, at least we’ve got Logan to fall back on whenever the need for serious X-Men action comes calling.

Perhaps there will be more room for X-Men spinoffs once the Marvel Cinematic Universe reboots Professor X and his school of gifted youngsters. At the moment though, Dark Phoenix is currently in theaters, marking the end of the mutant adventures as we know them.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last week, you know that the X-Men film series has ended on a down note. Not only was Dark Phoenix met with mostly negative reviews, but it opened to a dismal $33 million and has thus far only made $146.5 million worldwide off a reported $200 million budget.

While he acknowledged that there were a variety of factors that led to Dark Phoenix bombing at the box office, including the extensive reshoots, it being delayed several times and Fox being bought by Disney, director and writer Simon Kinberg ultimately takes responsibility for the movie flopping, saying:

Dark Phoenix’s failure is an even bigger deal when you consider that Simon Kinberg also wrote X-Men: The Last Stand, the first cinematic adaptation of The Dark Phoenix Saga which was also received negatively by fans. So twice now Kinberg has had a hand in adapting this storyline, and the second try, which also served as his directorial debut, was an even bigger bomb.

However, don’t think that means that means Simon Kinberg didn’t enjoy his Dark Phoenix experience, as he also said during his interview with KCRW's The Business that he likes the movie and had an “amazing time” making it. Nevertheless, clearly most moviegoers didn’t feel the same way, so he’s willing to take the blame for the final product.

As for whether or not Dark Phoenix might have been more financially successful had it been able to keep on of its earlier release dates or if it had been marketed better once Fox was under the Disney banner, here’s what Simon Kinberg said on the matter:

Simon Kinberg also mentioned that he received an empathetic email from Deadpool director Tim Miller that said that people will come to look at Dark Phoenix differently as time passes. Another thing helping Kinberg get through this period is a conversation he had with director Ridley Scott, who informed him that of all the movies on his filmography, his favorite is G.I. Jane, which isn’t considered one of Ridley’s more well-regarded stories, but he nonetheless appreciated because it was “just a great process.”

Although The New Mutants is still scheduled to come out next year, Dark Phoenix marked the final chapter in the stories centered around Professor X, Magneto, Cyclops, Jean Grey and all the other main X-Men characters. There’s been no official announcement yet on what Marvel Studios intends to do with the property, but the expectation is that it will be rebooted years from now to fit within the Marvel Cinematic Universe continuity.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for any updates on what’s in store for the X-Men on film, but for now, you can look through our 2019 release schedule to plan your trips to the theater accordingly.

Before superhero movies and shared universes became commonplace, there was the X-Men franchise. The mutant-centric property debuted back in 2000, and recently debuted its final outing for the property with Dark Phoenix. Directed by longtime producer Simon Kinberg, the often delayed movie is full of high stakes and a decidedly toned down approach when compared to its predecessor Apocalypse.

Simon Kinberg made his directorial debut with Dark Phoenix, attempting to shake up the franchise, and give an interesting finale for the long-running series of blockbusters. And it turns out that he was influenced by another set of superhero movies: Christopher Nolan's acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy. Kinberg recently explained taking inspiration from within the genre, saying:

Well, this is interesting. The X-Men franchise is typically one for major spectacle, especially in the most recent installments like Days of Future Past and Apocalypse. But Simon Kinberg most took inspiration from installments in the genre that are more toned down and character-driven.

Simon Kinberg has been open about his hopes to pull the franchise back with Dark Phoenix, and give the iconic comic plot line enough room to breathe. This included cutting certain characters, so that Sophie Turner's title character and her internal struggles could be fleshed out on screen. As such, it stands to reason that Logan and The Dark Knight might have helped shape the story Kinberg was trying to tell.

Related: Apparently Sophie Turner’s Dark Phoenix Performance Was So Emotional Because They Confiscated Her Vape

In his same conversation with io9, the Dark Phoenix director went in to explain how Christopher Nolan's trilogy of superhero movies influenced the new blockbuster, saying:

Once again, Simon Kinberg makes a solid point. While the Dark Knight trilogy eventually saw Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne transform into the Batman we know and love, it was a slow and steady journey. And in Batman Begins, there is a long origin story before the title character ever suits up to face a villain in Gotham City.

Dark Phoenix was certainly set up for some lofty goals, especially in ending the X-Men franchise as we know it. With 20th Century Fox's merger with Disney official, the House of Mouse has the rights over the mutant-centric Marvel property moving forward. And it seems like Marvel Studios may give it a few years to breathe before bringing the X-Men into the larger cinematic universe.

Unfortunately, Simon Kinberg's directorial debut is having some trouble in the box office, and is poised to lose up to $100 million as a result. It's an unfortunate state of events, especially with so many big concepts factoring into the story of the big screen sequel.

Dark Phoenix is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

SPOILERS ahead from Dark Phoenix, which was just released in theaters on June 7, 2019.

Comic book movies are no strangers to cameos. The popular blockbusters usually try to squeeze in a couple characters for fans to recognize and Dark Phoenix is no different. The most prominent cameo that fans will be quick to notice is Dazzler, a character who people have wanted to see in live-action for some time now. The part is just a quick appearance and writer-director Simon Kinberg told CinemaBlend that he wanted to throw in some Dazzler love while focusing on the main cast of the film.

X-Men movies are known for their large casts as each sequel seems to add more and more characters. X-Men: Apocalypse was trying to balance a huge assortment of characters at once, which didn't work extremely well for that film. For Dark Phoenix, Simon Kinberg wanted to narrow the cast and turn all the focus on Jean Grey and the people immediately closest to her. Here's what he told our own Sean O'Connell:

Whereas in another movie, Dazzler would have had a larger role and would have been a full on character (perhaps one played by Taylor Swift), Dark Phoenix could really only devote enough time to a cameo appearance.

Additionally, Simon Kinberg didn't want to over-complicate the storytelling with too many characters. The original Dark Phoenix comic book storyline had a lot of different factions and groups aiming to control the Phoenix Force, and it wouldn't translate really well in a movie. Here's how Kinberg worked to avoid that, but why he still wanted to find a way to include Dazzler.

In Dark Phoenix, Dazzler is performing at a party for the students of Professor Xavier's school, using her powers for a light show while she sings. It's not a vital role by any means, but if you've got the opportunity to put her in there, then why not take it?

Check out the clip below to hear Simon Kinberg explain the Dazzler cameo himself.

You can see Dazzler's cameo and others in Dark Phoenix, which is out in theaters right now.

That sad trombone sound you hear is playing both womp-womp and "Taps" for Dark Phoenix. Yes, it had the worst opening of any X-Men movie. It was also the worst reviewed by critics. It is being kicked around across the internet. But we can also focus on some positives, because there are a few.

First, the Simon Kinberg movie is estimated to open to about $33 million this weekend. That's a lot lower than the early projections, and by far the lowest domestic opening of the X-Men pack. The next above it is The Wolverine at $53 million.

Here's a look at X-Men franchise opening weekends at the U.S./Canada domestic box office, listed best to worst:

The theater counts are comparable -- some more than Dark Phoenix, some fewer, per Box Office Mojo. The time of year is also pretty close. X-Men movies have had good luck with Memorial Day openings, but Deadpool also proved February is just fine if you have a good movie on your hands. Dark Phoenix opened a couple of weekends after Memorial Day, ala X-Men: First Class in 2011. Things didn't turn out as well for it.

On to the ratings. Dark Phoenix currently has a 22% rating from 221 Rotten Tomatoes critics. That is currently the lowest score of the X-Men franchise, even lower than the 37% for X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

However, here's some good news: Dark Phoenix's RT Audience Score, from 2,238 users so far, is 65%. That's better than the 58% for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, although that film now has 561,230 user ratings. Dark Phoenix also currently matches the 65% Audience Score for X-Men: Apocalypse.

If you jump over to IMDb, Dark Phoenix currently has a rating of 6.0 from 17,988 users. For comparison, X-Men Origins: Wolverine has a 6.6 rating and X-Men: Apocalypse has 7.0. So the news isn't so great there.

It gets worse over at CinemaScore, where Dark Phoenix was given a B- grade from moviegoers polled on opening night. That's also the worst, lower than the B+ that both X-Men Origins: Wolverine and X-Men: First Class were given. X-Men: Apocalypse actually got an A-, same as the 2000 X-Men.

Time for more good news: The international box office should really help here. Dark Phoenix has a reported production budget of $200 million, so the film will have to be huge overseas to make a profit. But technically it could happen. We'll have to wait and see how the film does at the foreign markets, then see the final worldwide tally.

It's not like Fox was planning to make another X-Men movie after this, and with Disney/Marvel now in charge of the X-Men characters they could have a bright future ahead in the MCU. But this is the end of the X-Men franchise as we knew it, and it's sad to see the whole thing end with such a whimper.

But at least it's not New Mutants. (Too soon?)

Based on the box office, you probably didn't go see Dark Phoenix. But if you did, what would you grade it? Vote in our poll below, and keep up with all films coming to the big screen in 2019 with our handy guide.

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After having its release date pushed back a few times, and having to reshoot the third act of the movie, Dark Phoenix finally arrived in theaters this weekend. The film had behind-the-scenes drama and a piece of the problem was in the film's original ending. The ending had to be reshot and it sounds like it was because it was too similar to two other Marvel releases, Captain America: Civil War and Captain Marvel.

The cast of Dark Phoenix has already shed some light on the film's original ending and that it had to be reshot because it was too similar to another superhero movie. Online detectives were quick to deduce that it had to be Captain Marvel, which also features a cosmically powered female lead learning to cope with massive powers. However, director Simon Kinberg has revealed that elements of Civil War were also in the equation.

As Simon Kinberg points out, the original ending of Dark Phoenix was going to be much more intimate and include only a small handful of characters. It also tore the X-Men apart over an ideological difference -- just like in Civil War with the Avengers.

That being said, the miscalculation here is that Civil War was built up over the course of several films with characters we knew and understood. Dark Phoenix is centered around Jean Grey, who was only in one other movie as a supporting character. We need to understand how these new X-Men relate to each other to have an ending as impactful as Civil War.

However, I don't think that could have been the reason the film was reshot. Civil War came out in May 2016 and Dark Phoenix didn't start filming until June 2017. Even if he did have a draft of the script complete when Civil War came out, Simon Kinberg had over a year for rewrites. On the other hand, maybe he didn't rewrite the ending, but it didn't score well with test audiences.

Additionally, this intimate ending was also similar to Captain Marvel, Simon Kinberg goes on to say in the same interview with io9.

Simon Kinberg elaborates that when Jean releases her powers in one scene, it was visually similar to Captain Marvel, so they had to tone it down in reshoots. He also points out that those reshoots took place long before the public had even seen Captain Marvel.

Sometimes it's all about who does it first. You can decide for yourself if Dark Phoenix made the right changes if you see the film. Critics have not been kind, but the X-Men film earned a slightly higher Audience Score and a B- CinemaScore from polled moviegoers. The blockbuster is out in theaters right now.

When Bryan Singer’s X-Men was released in 2000, it was a total game changer. While audiences had previously seen big screen Marvel adaptations of Howard The Duck and Blade, X-Men was the first of the brand’s properties to be brought to theaters with a legitimate blockbuster budget, and by the end of its worldwide release it was not only a massive hit that raked in nearly $300 million, but it also opened the industry’s eyes to the immense potential of cinematic superheroes not named Batman or Superman. Eight years later Jon Favreau’s Iron Man created a second wave to the movement, but that never would have happened without the first live-action feature about Marvel’s diverse clan of super-powered mutants.

Speaking to their popularity, the X-Men have remained a constant presence in the nineteen years since, with a total of 11 movies tethered to the continuity, but that is now all coming to an end. With the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Walt Disney Studios, the films are going to change as the characters are blended into the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the move will effectively conclude an important era of superhero filmmaking.

As a franchise, it leaves behind a legacy of some extreme highs and some terrible lows, but that’s also kind of been a part of its charm. The inconsistency was acceptable because there was hope that the inevitable next release would be able to get the mutants back on their feet. Now that it’s facing termination, though, that safety net no longer exists, and Simon Kinberg’s Dark Phoenix is hitting theaters as a horse of a different color. And what’s devastatingly unfortunate is that with it the X-Men franchise is coming to an end with the worst chapter of its long-running main series.

This may not come as an extreme shock to those who have been closely watching the blockbuster’s development, as it’s a project that has been subjected to repeated delays and a lot of post-production retooling, but even still the most pessimistic fans will be shocked by just how shoddy Dark Phoenix manages to be. It’s a movie rife with bland performances, dull storytelling, and bizarrely misguided choices, and while there is the occasional cool action beat and mutant team-up to enjoy, it’s jaw-dropping in its incompetence overall.

Dark Phoenix is the franchise’s second attempt at adapting the legendary titular Marvel Comics arc after X-Men: The Last Stand (and a second go for Simon Kinberg, who previously wrote the Brett Ratner-directed film), and while there are certainly elements that remain much more faithful to the source material, the new movie also manages to be considerably worse. Picking up with the familiar characters in 1992 – though you wouldn’t know it given the complete lack of period styling – the story begins with the eponymous mutant team hailed as well-renowned heroes, and Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) pushing them to do missions that are more and more dangerous (something that is simply told in detail-lacking fashion instead of actually shown).

The latest of these expeditions is a debut voyage into outer space following the troubled launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which starts spinning out of control when it encounters what is initially described by NASA as a solar flare. Led by Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Quicksilver (Evan Peters), Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), and Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) slip the surly bonds of Earth in an attempt to rescue the troubled astronauts, and while all lives are successfully saved, things get dramatic when Jean is left behind in the damaged shuttle and absorbs the entirety of the cosmic anomaly.

It turns out that Jean isn’t dead, but instead actually more than fine – with her power levels revealed as “off the charts” during a medical examination back on Earth. The problem is that she doesn’t have much of a grip on her new strength, which results in her being a bit… explode-y. As Professor X tries to help her, a secret is exposed that he long tried to keep buried, which results in her going on a lightly-homicidal but mostly angst-filled rampage that divides the team into those who want to save Jean, and those who want to see her killed.

If you’re wondering at this point why I have not yet mentioned the role played by Jessica Chastain – which has been kept as one of the movie’s most tightly guarded secrets – it’s because it’s a character so immensely boring that it doesn’t really deserve mention in the basic plot description of the film. Not only is the part not even remotely interesting for comic book fans, making it one of the more disappointing aspects of Dark Phoenix for those who have been hyped about the reveal, but there is really nothing to it beyond her being the proverbial devil on Jean’s shoulder (and she doesn’t even start to become significant in that way until more than halfway through the story).

Ultimately her and her group of extraterrestrial cronies are little more than basic antagonists who the heroes can take on in large numbers during the film’s third act – and that’s not a job you give to one of the best actresses in the world. Given nothing to do, Chastain performs the role as a stoic, and it feels entirely hollow.

It’s unfair to solely beat up on this part of Dark Phoenix, as the reality is that nobody in the main cast is giving 100 percent returning to their familiar roles. James McAvoy is probably the standout, as he gets to bring something interesting to the table playing a version of Xavier who has succumb in part to his ego and a subtle drinking problem, but so little is done with the arc that it just becomes a part of the monotony as the film trucks along through its third act. Jennifer Lawrence and Michael Fassbender, meanwhile, are practically checking their watches (though in their defense they’ve been unnecessarily surgically attached to this franchise for years simply because of the star power that they bring to the table). And if you are hoping that Evan Peters’ Quicksilver at least injects the movie with the charisma that made him the highlight of both X-Men: Days Of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse, be prepared to see him totally sidelined shortly into the second act.

Dark Phoenix does at the very least keep Jean at its center, but even Sophie Turner is forced to deliver an uninspired performance because there simply is nothing to the Kinberg-written script – which still weirdly borrows heavily from the work he did on X-Men: The Last Stand, specifically by maintaining her conflict with Xavier. And while this should have some dramatic weight given the subject of the aforementioned lie, it feels less serious than the circumstances in the Brett Ratner film, and therefore lesser. The murder she carries out is actually more accidental than anything, failing to really convince the audience of any real increasingly dangerous intentions, and from there the movie does the rote travel from A to B to C that you entirely expect, and it never bothers to raise the stakes or provide opportunity for emotional investment (she arguably doesn’t actually really do anything “evil” past the death in the second act).

For a movie as bad as Dark Phoenix, it seems to have a bizarre self-awareness – whether it’s Magneto hitting Xavier with the line “You're always sorry, Charles, and there's always a speech, but nobody cares” (which essentially sums up fan reaction to the setup for most of pre-showdown moments we’ve seen in this franchise), to the literal train wreck featured in the third act. And even with the film’s reshoots happening amidst talk about the series coming to an end, there is no definitive conclusion offered to audiences. As bad as they sometimes could be, the X-Men movies were tremendously influential blockbusters in 21st century filmmaking, and the series deserved much more than this sad whimper at the finish line.

Although the X-Men are traditionally an ensemble-led property, there’s no question that when it comes to the film franchise, Wolverine was the most prominent character. With the exception of Deadpool, Hugh Jackman played the clawed mutant in every X-Men-related movie from 2000 to 2017, officially retiring from the role in Logan.

However, since Dark Phoenix is marking the last of the Fox era’s main X-Men movies, you might have wondered if Hugh Jackman will reprise Wolverine for a cameo, similar to his appearances in First Class and Apocalypse. Well, no such luck, and not just because Hugh Jackman hung up the adamantium claws. Here’s what director Simon Kinberg had to say about Wolverine’s absence in Dark Phoenix:

Simon Kinberg makes a fair point. On the one hand, there was a love triangle between Cyclops, Jean Grey and Wolverine in the comics era when The Dark Phoenix Saga was published, and X-Men: The Last Stand continued exploring the latter two’s romantic dynamic. Dark Phoenix eschewing that is a notable departure from the source material.

On the other hand, while there’s only a four-year age difference between Hugh Jackman and original Jean Grey Famke Janssen, Jackman and Sophie Turner have nearly 30 years separating them. Granted, Wolverine is nearly two centuries old in the modern day X-Men universe, so age will always be an issue with any woman he gets romantically involved with, but since visually it’s more noticeable between Jackman and Turner, Kinberg and the creative team decided to set that element of the original story aside.

Additionally, Simon Kinberg told Rolling Stone that excluding Wolverine from Dark Phoenix came from not wanting to divert attention from the main character, as this movie revolves around Jean Grey’s corruption. Kinberg continued:

At least we know that in this new timeline that Dark Phoenix and its predecessor take place in, Wolverine is still set to join the X-Men somewhere down the line, just like he did in the original timeline. But as far as Dark Phoenix goes, he’s still doing his own thing nine years after Jean Grey, Cyclops and Nightcrawler freed him from William Stryker’s facility.

It also helps that Wolverine’s story was concluded in Logan, where (SPOILER ALERT) the character died in the year 2029 protecting his daughter and other young mutants being targeted by Transigen. Jackman made it clear after Logan’s release that he would not play Wolverine again, so even if Simon Kinberg and his team had wanted to include the character in Dark Phoenix, it’s highly unlikely the actor would have come back.

Dark Phoenix opens in theaters this Friday, June 7. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more coverage (including our review of the movie) and browse through our 2019 release schedule to learn what movies there are to look forward to later this year.

Looking back, the X-Men franchise was key in the development of the modern comic book movie genre, and 19 years after it started it's still serving up superhero shenanigans. While the Disney-Fox deal has certainly changed what the future could look like for the franchise, there are still a lot of possibilities for interesting-looking spin-offs, not to mention new takes on previously shown characters and events which the folks at Disney and Marvel are surely already working to figure out. Not to be forgotten yet, however, is the main series of films, and it's the next chapter that we're here to discuss today.

After a relatively quick production period, but lots of delays, X-Men: Dark Phoenix is now finally less than a week away from release nationwide. But what is it about? Who is making it? What characters can we expect to appear? We cover all of these questions and more in our What We Know So Far guide below, so read on and learn!

What Have We Seen From Dark Phoenix?

It's been a long road, but September 26, 2018 finally delivered the first trailer from the highly anticipated movie. While that first look went heavy on the stress caused to Jean by meeting with the Phoenix force, and the resulting toll that will take on her friends and the world around her, the final trailer (above) gave us a better sense of some of the other action. This includes cool scenes of that meeting and a lot of the space action that would have led to it.

What Is Dark Phoenix's Release Date?

While June 7, 2019 will finally see Dark Phoenix hit theaters, it was a long road to get there. In 2017, the Marvel Cinematic Universe achieved something never before seen in Hollywood: releasing three franchise titles in the span of one calendar year. Well, in 2018 the X-Men movies were ready to compete. January through June should have seen both Josh Boone's The New Mutants and David Leitch's Deadpool 2 unleashed on the world, with 20th Century Fox is saving X-Men: Dark Phoenix for the winter months, having set it to come out on November 2, 2018.

That changed with some shakeups to scheduling in January and March of 2018, though. First, The New Mutants was pushed from April 13, 2018, to February 22, 2019, then to August 2, 2019 and now it rests at April 3, 2020. Dark Phoenix retained its November release date through the first scheduling change, but late March saw the superhero film get pushed to February 2019.

But then, just two days after the first trailer was released in late September 2018, Fox did more shuffling and set Dark Phoenix down in June 2019. With the exception of Deadpool and Logan, which hit theaters in the first quarters of their respective years, the X­-Men movies have traditionally been spring and summer releases, which makes this new strategy fall more in line with what we generally see.

While February is no longer a stranger to comic book blockbusters in the modern era, thanks to the aforementioned Deadpool and the recent, completely massive success of Black Panther, this release makes a lot more sense for the film. Rumors on the date change have suggested that the studio believes X-Men: Dark Phoenix will simply perform better then, especially in China, which went crazy for the trailer after it came out.

What Is Dark Phoenix's Rating?

Unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe, the X-Men franchise has been a bit more experimental when it comes to the ratings of their comic book movies -- and it's resulted in some incredible success. Even though audiences under 18 couldn't see them without a parent or guardian, the aforementioned Deadpool and Logan both managed to bring in tons of cash appealing to more mature audiences. Because of these wins, there are now ratings conversations to be had about many developing superhero titles, but you can bet that X-Men: Dark Phoenix won't be rocking the boat.

To date, all of the main X-Men titles -- including X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse -- have all been PG-13, and that trend will continue with X-Men: Dark Phoenix. It surely will have (mostly bloodless) violence and thrilling sequences that might be too much for young viewers, but don't expect tons of gore, nudity or profanity.

Who Is Directing Dark Phoenix?

Simon Kinberg has been an important part of the X-Men world for years. He first became involved back in 2006 when he was hired to write the script for Brett Ratner's X-Men: The Last Stand, but has really been a key player ever since X-Men: First Class. Starting with that 2011 movie he has produced all of the franchises' features, and he is also a credited co-writer on X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse. He's also done script work on Dark Phoenix, but the bigger story is the fact that he's making the film as his directorial debut.

It's not often that you see a filmmaker dipping his toe into directing with a major superhero blockbuster, but he does have a good amount of experience within the industry in the last 15 years. We can't say much for the style we expect him to bring to X-Men: Dark Phoenix, but that's just another part of what we're anticipating when we head to the theater.

What Is Dark Phoenix About?

The Dark Phoenix Saga is one of the most famous storylines in the history of Marvel Comics - which fully explains why this movie will actually be the second big screen attempt at adapting it. The franchise tried to put its own spin on the familiar narrative with X-Men: The Last Stand in 2006, but it's widely agreed that the job was botched. Following the continuity-changing events of X-Men: Days of Future Past, the movies saw an opportunity to try and tell the story again, and that's what we're getting in Simon Kinberg's X-Men: Dark Phoenix.

Set a decade after the events of X-Men: Apocalypse (following a pattern set up by the previous two movies), Dark Phoenix is set in the early 1990s, and is set in a world that has changed quite a lot. In the 1980s people everywhere knew about the existence of mutants, but now the X-Men are basically rock stars. Under the leadership of Professor X (James McAvoy), the team is known worldwide for their heroics, and celebrated for them.

All good streaks come to an end, however, and the X-Men find theirs come to a conclusion in outer space. During a cosmic mission, an accident occurs involving what they believe to be a solar flare, but this energy merges with Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) in the process. It's found it greatly enhances her powers, but the team begins to witness some serious changes in her personality, and her lack of control over her new powers.

Those familiar with the Dark Phoenix Saga from the comics -- which is an arc big enough to span two feature films -- will recognize that this doesn't exactly match up with the source material, but it certainly is a hell of a lot closer than what X-Men: The Last Stand delivered. There is still a lot that we don't know about the story take and the adaptation, but we obviously don't have long until we can learn more.

Jean Grey

Jean Grey has been an important character in the X-Men movies from the very beginning, originally played by Famke Janssen, but now she is in her second generation. While Jean was initially introduced as a teacher at Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters, X-Men: Apocalypse was the first film in the canon to show her as a student, brought to life by Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner.

Like many of her fellow X-Men in that film, the young telepath/telekinetic was only just starting to get a handle on her special mutation when she was doing battle with Apocalypse -- but, all the same, still demonstrated some incredible power. We can assume that her abilities and her control over said abilities will be much better at the start of X-Men: Dark Phoenix (there's a lot Professor X can teach in a decade), but even those practiced strengths will be nothing compared to what she is able to do when imbued with the Phoenix Force.

As powerful as Jean is naturally, her abilities intensely escalate when she is transformed into Phoenix, to the point where she becomes one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Opening stargates, destroying matter at the subatomic level, and generating cosmic fire are only a few of the scary skills in her arsenal, but also certainly not helpful is the way that the power tends to corrupt the user.

Charles Xavier a.k.a. Professor X

Going back to X-Men: First Class, we've watched Charles Xavier a.k.a. Professor X come a long way. He earned his doctorate at the age of 30, shortly thereafter establishing Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters, and through X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse we've watched him evolve into the legendary leader we've always known that he would become.

By the time we catch up with him in Dark Phoenix, Professor X will have 30 years of leadership under his belt, but evidently he somewhat becomes a victim of his own bravado. He is very proud of the students that he has taught, and blissful with the reputation and popularity that the X-Men have received. There are obvious positive sides to this, but, unfortunately, the confidence also leads him to send his team into outer space for a mission that they aren't prepared for, leading to Jean Grey's accident.

As a leader and a teacher, Professor X has a very important responsibility when it comes to the X-Men, and one can imagine this mistake having a crucial impact on his arc in X-Men: Dark Phoenix. That said, he shouldn't have a ton of time to devote to self-reflection and self-flagellation if he's properly responding to the threat that the titular force represents.

Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops

It's no secret that the X-Men movies don't have a great track record of doing right by Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops. The character has been a fan favorite in the comics for decades, but on the big screen he was totally sidelined by a Wolverine-centric approach that painted him plainly as a romantic competitor for the heart of Jean Grey. It's partially because of this shortcoming that the franchise hit the restart button on Cyclops in X-Men: Apocalypse, and now they'll have the chance to properly explore the character in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, portrayed by Tye Sheridan.

Cyclops was only shown wearing his famous visor in the final moments of X-Men: Apocalypse, still learning how to control his optic blasts, but he should be a seasoned veteran with the equipment when we catch up with him. His specific role in the Dark Phoenix storyline still seems to be based on Scott's romantic bond with Jean Grey, with him trying to convince everyone she can be saved when she seems too far gone and dangerous to be allowed to live.

Ororo Munroe a.k.a. Storm

Within the post-X-Men: Days of Future Past continuity, we don't have much experience watching Ororo Munroe a.k.a. Storm as a hero. Portrayed by Alexandra Shipp in X-Men: Apocalypse, we got a glimpse of her upbringing in Egypt, but the titular villain was able to get to her far faster than Professor X. She was enlisted as one of the Four Horsemen, but the all-powerful blue mutant's Svengali-like hold over her was shattered when she saw her hero, Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) in battle. Following her change of heart, Storm started fighting alongside the X-Men, and at the end of the movie we saw her suited up as a full-fledged member of the team.

Unfortunately, that's basically where details stop in regards to what we can expect from Storm in X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Like everyone else, she will be 10 years older and wiser, and have much greater control over her abilities to control the weather, but we don't really know much more than that. Given how limited the character's time on screen has classically been -- going back to the Halle Berry era -- hopefully a nice chunk of narrative will be devoted to her.

Kurt Wagner a.k.a. Nightcrawler

We first got to see the fan-favorite teleporting mutant known as Nightcrawler up on the big screen in X2: X-Men United... but his run didn't exactly last long. Despite putting on a fantastic performance, Alan Cumming didn't return to reprise the part in X-Men: The Last Stand, and in the movie world Nightcrawler was ultimately put on ice for 13 years. That unfortunate trend ended in 2016 with Kodi Smit-McPhee playing a younger version of the character in X-Men: Apocalypse, and next we'll get to see him perform his advanced circus-like antics in Dark Phoenix.

In X-Men: Apocalypse, Nightcrawler was basically used to demonstrate that the world was accepting of his odd appearance -- but we didn't really get to learn much about him. Hopefully Simon Kinberg is able to successfully balance X-Men: Dark Phoenix as a true ensemble, and give Kurt Wagner the proper moments to shine that fans want to see, and that his legacy deserves.

Peter Maximoff a.k.a. Quicksilver

The last seventeen years have brought us an endless list of ridiculously awesome big screen superhero moments, but the usage of Evan Peters' Peter Maximoff a.k.a. Quicksilver in both X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse are certainly near the top. Bryan Singer made impressive use of modern filmmaking technology to craft sequences unlike anything we've ever seen with a speedster character, and in doing so also happened to create two of the most memorable movie music moments of the young century. He's an exciting presence in this franchise, which is why we're stoked that he will be back in X-Men: Dark Phoenix.

The full details regarding Quicksilver's development as a character have not yet been revealed, but we can probably take a few guesses regarding where he is at. Given his personality type, one can imagine that he is absolutely loving the celebrity status that the X-Men have earned, and is happy to take advantage of it every moment that he can -- which is pretty often given the way he moves.

We'll have to wait and see if he winds up reaching out to Magneto to reveal that he is his son (if that hasn't already happened in the last decade), but that situation is made tricky given the status of Magneto at the start of Dark Phoenix, which we'll get into a bit later.

Hank McCoy a.k.a. Beast

Fans were initially disappointed when Hank McCoy a.k.a. Beast didn't make the roster for Bryan Singer's first X-Men movie, but ever since X-Men: First Class he has been a key player. Portrayed by Nicholas Hoult, we have watched the character undergo some serious change -- some quite literally -- but he's certainly developed into the hero that Marvel readers have loved for decades.

Beast will once again be back fighting the good fight in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, serving alongside Jean Grey, Cyclops, Storm, Nightcrawler, Quicksilver, and Mystique under the guidance of Professor X. Hank still seems to have control over his appearance, but we do get a lot of him totally blue and furry during the trailer, so we'll probably be treated to his natural state a lot of time, especially during the action scenes.

Raven Darkhölme a.k.a. Mystique

Similar to Wolverine, Raven Darkhölme a.k.a. Mystique wasn't always a core member of the X-Men character lineup in the comics, but the films have certainly treated her that way. Rebecca Romijn was very memorable in the original X-Men trilogy, but the fact that she has been played by A-lister Jennifer Lawrence since X-Men: First Class has kept her in the franchise's spotlight. At the end of X-Men: Apocalypse she was firmly established as one of the good guys, and apparently that's exactly where she starts at the beginning of Dark Phoenix as well.

Mystique has classically been an enemy of the X-Men, but now that she's a part of the titular team, we'll see her take on a leadership position because she's older and has been fighting longer than most of the other X-Men. It also looks like she'll handle Jean Grey's transformation into the Phoenix by pointing out some important truths to Charles, and by being a true leader and trying to help Jean even though she knows how dangerous she's become.

Erik Lehnsherr a.k.a. Magneto

At the end of X-Men: Apocalypse Michael Fassbender's Erik Lehnsherr a.k.a. Magneto aided in the reconstruction of Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters, but he made the decision not to stick around. Having lost his wife and daughter, and nearly aiding in the destruction of the planet, he decided that it was best that he leave and start a life for himself elsewhere in the world. It's noteworthy that X-Men: Dark Phoenix will address the question of "Where?" and it turns out the answer is super interesting: the island of Genosha.

While Genosha has a bit of a spotty history in Marvel Comics, in Dark Phoenix it will be portrayed as a safe haven for mutants who can't find a home anywhere else in the world -- and it's where Magneto has worked to try and rebalance his life. He finds himself involved with the main narrative because Jean Grey seeks him out for guidance in the midst of his transformation.

The Mysterious Villain

Yes, that's a super vague heading, but the reality is that we don't have much to work with in this area. It's been confirmed that Jessica Chastain will be playing the central villain in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, but in a move that seriously increases our curiosity, the folks behind the film will not identify her character. It has been said that she is an "otherworldly shapeshifter" who is out to control the power of the Phoenix, but nothing else is known beyond that.

We just have a few day now until X-Men: Dark Phoenix is in theaters, so be sure to head out and get the rest of the answers to what this movie has in store for audiences for yourself!

Superhero movies are everywhere, but there was a time when the genre seemed like a serious gamble for studios. Before shared universes became commonplace, 20th Century Fox (RIP) brought X-Men to theaters back in 2000. The property hasn't been far from theaters in the nearly two decades since, although it will all come to an end with Dark Phoenix.

Dark Phoenix is the franchise's final run in theaters, and the second attempt at adapting the titular comic book story. On the page, the Hellfire Club is an integral part of the plot, manipulating Jean and the dark power that lives inside her. But they won't be in the upcoming blockbuster, and director/writer Simon Kinberg explained this choice, saying:

Simon Kinberg has been a long-time producer in the X-Men franchise, so he clearly knows the mutants and their adversaries very well. And while he may have liked to include the Hellfire Club and cosmic character Lilandra in Dark Phoenix, the full story is simply too dense for one movie. Instead, he pivoted his focus onto the psyche of Sophie Turner's Jean Grey, giving the title character the chance to carry the movie.

Related: Why Dark Phoenix Reshot Its Original Ending, According To Simon Kinberg

From the looks of Dark Phoenix's trailers, Sansa Stark is going to be given the true focus of the movie, with Sophie Turner getting the chance to show off a different side of her acting abilities. This should hopefully streamline the narrative, while also allowing the other mutants to split in their allegiances in the wake of Jean's dark power. Even if that means comic book characters ended up on the cutting room floor.

In his same conversation with Digital Spy, Simon Kinberg went on to explain how The Hellfire Club's inclusion may have weighed down Dark Phoenix. As he put it:

Simon Kinberg may be making his directorial debut with Dark Phoenix, but he's been working on the franchise since the very beginning. As such, he's seen all the peaks and valleys of the X-Men movies over the years. This no doubt helped his creative process with the upcoming blockbuster, as well as his decision to exclude certain comic book characters.

Members of the Hellfire Club have already appeared in an earlier installment in the franchise, so adding them to Dark Phoenix would make the timeline a bit more confusing and convoluted. Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost were antagonists in X-Men: First Class, and that's a timeline that is still being utilized in Dark Phoenix. The characters have a relationship with the Hellfire Club, especially Professor X, Mystique, and Magneto.

While Lilandra hasn't been adapted to live-action, there were many thought that Jessica Chastain would be playing the character in Dark Phoenix. Chastain's role still hasn't been revealed, although the trailers show her manipulating Jean to give into her new dark persona. Only time will tell who she ends up playing, and how similar to Lilandra the character ends up being.

All will be revealed when Dark Phoenix arrives in theaters on June 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

After writing and producing several of the X-Men movies, Simon Kinberg finally sits in the director's chair for Dark Phoenix, the last film of Fox's superhero franchise. This is Kinberg's feature debut, and while taking on the final film in the saga may seem like a daunting task for a first time director, Kinberg had full support from the cast. In fact, Jennifer Lawrence apparently wouldn't return as Mystique unless he was the director, Kinberg recently said.

Since X-Men: First Class, the X-Men franchise has been led by Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Nicholas Hoult. The actors signed deals for three movies, and it was unclear if any of them would return for Dark Phoenix after X-Men: Apocalypse. Eventually, all of them eventually signed on for one more ride, and while it was unclear to all of us what was going to happen, Kinberg didn't doubt they'd be back.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Simon Kinberg revealed that they had always written drafts of the script expecting the actors to return. Kinberg knew they would be back because they had told him they would as long as he directed.

With Bryan Singer -- who is the subject of multiple cases of alleged sexual assault on minors -- not returning for Dark Phoenix, Simon Kinberg was the logical choice to take the reins. He likely knows these characters inside and out, and the actors clearly had an admiration for him if he's the whole reason they came back.

Ultimately, everyone is back for one last hurrah. While this will be the last of Fox's X-Men movies, it wasn't always clear that would be the case. The Disney-Fox merger seemed to put an expiration date on the franchise, but according to Simon Kinberg, he went into it knowing that this would likely be the end.

The X-Men will one day be seen in the MCU, but until then, Dark Phoenix arrives in theaters on June 7.

The following story will not contain spoilers for Dark Phoenix**. However, we will discuss the story a bit, so on the off chance you want to go into next week’s release knowing absolutely nothing, stop reading right now.**

Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) seems destined to interact with the Phoenix force. It happens in comics, in one of Marvel’s most popular comic storylines. It happened in the initial run of X-Men movies, captured in The Last Stand. And now that the timeline has been reset via X-Men: Days of Futures Past, it’s about to happen to the version of Jean that we met in X-Men: Apocalypse.

Longtime X-Men writer and producer Simon Kinberg steps into the director’s chair for Dark Phoenix, which opens everywhere on June 7. And in a recent chat with EW, he dropped a terrific tease of an alternate ending to his debut film that he ended up reshooting, mentioning only that it took place in outer space. (This isn’t so far-fetched, as trailers have shown us that the X-Men are on a space mission when Jean interacts with the Phoenix in this film.)

As a rabid fan of the X-Men characters, I was curious about this original ending, though when I asked Kinberg about it during a recent press event in London for Dark Phoenix, he candidly told me why he thought the space finale had to be changed. He told CinemaBlend:

How they come together, we will leave it for you to learn by checking out Dark Phoenix. But it can be shared that one of the most exciting elements of the new film is the fact that we see the X-Men working together as a team for one of the few times in franchise history (for real, this group is usually so fractured and ostracized), so it makes sense why Simon Kinberg made the decisions that he made.

In Dark Phoenix, the X-Men must figure out a way to contain one of their own after Jean (Sophie Turner) encounters an alien force that greatly amplifies her natural mutation.

The movie co-stars X-Men alums James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult, while giving more screen time to Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Evan Peters and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Dark Phoenix is being viewed as the culmination of this X-Men saga, so see where the story goes on June 7.

Many of today’s movie trailers have certainly been known to cross the line and give away too much before audiences get a chance to buy a ticket. This happened in a big way during the marketing of Dark Phoenix when one trailer spoiled the death of Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique at the hand of Sophie Turner’s Jean Grey.

No one slipped up. Director Simon Kinberg has said that he made the decision to reveal this early plot point in order show the high stakes the X-Men will be dealing with during the last film in the franchise. Mystique won’t be the only character to say goodbye in Dark Phoenix either. Check out Kinberg’s tease:

Looks like Dark Phoenix won’t be messing around. The movie is set up with tragedy for the team and it will only continue as the film rolls along, perhaps with even more beloved characters kicking the bucket as the long-running franchise closes out and makes room for the comic title joining the MCU sometime in the future.

While it was a surprise to see Mystique die in the trailer, it’s no shock that the character was going to be killed off in this X-Men film. Jennifer Lawrence has been vocal about her distaste with being turned blue in the harrowing makeup process since 2011, and has reportedly wanted out of the franchise for some time. The actress already has a convenient exit with the Disney/Fox merger sure to change things up, but maybe that wasn’t enough and she needed it to be official on screen.

Simon Kinberg’s words to EW do beg the question: Who else is going to die? Will the franchise go so far as to kill off the franchise’s huge players, Charles Xavier and Magneto? Though James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are likely to be finishing off their time as these characters with Dark Phoenix, will their last moments be their deaths?

There are tons of other X-Men characters in play here who could see their demises as well -- such as Nicholas Hoult’s Beast, Evan Peters’ Quicksilver, Tye Sheridan’s Cyclops and Alexandra Shipp’s Storm. Considering J-Law was on the table to be killed off, who knows if they’ll make it out either.

The movie already has the tough job of creating a satisfying conclusion to the Fox franchise that started with 2000’s X-Men. The film has undergone massive reshoots and multiple release date shifts, and it may face the lowest earning opening weekend for the franchise to date, as The Secret Life of Pets 2 aims to be its biggest competition on its debut.

The movie follows the team as they venture on a space mission and Jean gets hit by a solar flare, leaving her with a new powerful burst of energy and powers to attempt to control. When she kills Mystique, the X-Men must figure out what to do about her: kill her or save her somehow? Dark Phoenix hits theaters on June 7.

The X-Men franchise has been going strong for a decade now, but the franchise looks like it may come to an end with Dark Phoenix. Simon Kinberg's upcoming blockbuster will attempt to tell the iconic comic book story, after The Last Stand failed to impress fans back in 2006. The pressure is very high for Dark Phoenix, especially as it's been delayed a few times already.

Dark Phoenix will pick up on the X-Men a decade after the events of Apocalypse. The story will largely follow Sophie Turner's Jean Grey, who is struggling with a powerful cosmic force inside of her. Helping to guide her through this journey is Jessica Chastain's mysterious character, who was shown as some type of mentor figure during the film's trailers. But the character hasn't even been named yet, and Kinberg recently spoke to CinemaBlend about this decision, saying:

It looks like Simon Kinberg's decision to keep Jessica Chastain largely under wraps ahead of Dark Phoenix's release has much to do with the galaxy far, far away. The director/producer wants to keep the secrets of the film secure, and therefore allow moviegoers to get a full theatrical experience in theaters.

Simon Kinberg's comments about Jessica Chastain's mysterious Dark Phoenix role come from CinemaBlend's conversation with the cast and crew at WonderCon. And considering what we know about the film world, his idea makes a great deal of sense. Spoilers have become essentially a curse word with popular franchises, as cinephiles want to be able to experience major releases as filmmakers intended. Studios are known to keep their cards close to the chest, and that's exactly what Kinberg is doing when it comes to Chastain in Dark Phoenix.

You can check out our conversation with the Dark Phoenix cast and crew below, including Simon Kinberg himself.

To this date, there's no official character name or detailed description of Jessica Chastain's Dark Phoenix character. While she's an integral part of the marketing material, she's only known as some shapeshifting alien who will manipulate Jean Grey. And that's all the information we're likely to get until the blnockbuster finally arrives in theaters. At least, if Simon Kinberg is to be believed.

Luckily, there isn't all that much time left before we get some answers. Dark Phoenix will arrive in theaters on June 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

As many exciting developments and projects we’ve heard about and seen in the world of comics and comic book movies over the last few months, there is still a persistent feeling of mourning in the community. Stan Lee, one of the great icons of the industry, passed away in mid-November of last year, and since then there has been a constant outpouring of love and appreciation for his legacy.

This most definitely extends to his legendary string of cameos in big screen Marvel projects - which has emotionally continued posthumously. Since November we’ve seen him with pop up roles in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and Captain Marvel, and it’s been reported that there are still a few left that we haven’t seen. Now we can confirm, however, that one of them isn’t featured in Simon Kinberg’s Dark Phoenix.

This weekend I had the opportunity to sit down with Kinberg and producer Hutch Parker at WonderCon in Anaheim, California, and it was at the end of the interview that I asked about the presence of Stan Lee in the upcoming blockbuster. In deference for the Marvel legend, the director didn’t play coy with his answer, opting to admit that there isn’t a cameo in Dark Phoenix, but he added that Lee’s presence will be felt when audiences see the film this summer. Said Kinberg,

It was actually for the X-Men franchise that Stan Lee did his first ever cameo in a big screen superhero movie, playing a hot dog vendor on a beach who watches Senator Kelly (Bruce Davison) emerge from the ocean in 2000’s X-Men. That was followed by appearances in Spider-Man, Daredevil, Hulk, Spider-Man 2, 2005's Fantastic Four, and more, but he did eventually return to appear alongside some of his mutant creations in X-Men: The Last Stand, Deadpool, and X-Men: Apocalypse.

Simon Kinberg actually specifically cited the X-Men: Apocalypse cameo during the interview, highlighting it as one that was particularly significant for Stan Lee. As while we’ve seen him in all kinds of crazy situations and contexts over the years, his appearance in the 2016 comic book movie was the only one to A) take place at Lee’s actual house, and B) co-star his wife, Joan Lee - who passed away about a year after the film was released. The director told me,

Stan and Joan Lee were actually married for 70 years – betrothed since 1947 – which by itself is really remarkable.

Of the movies in which Stan Lee cameoed, Simon Kinberg was a part of three as a producer and/or writer, and it was clearly an emotional subject for the filmmaker to discuss. He added that he really thinks that all of the feelings surrounding Lee’s death will also ultimately have an impact on the way that audiences view the film – if not partially because of the very real pride that Lee felt in regards to the team of mutant heroes that he created. Kinberg continued,

So while we may not get to see Stan Lee in some kind of goofy, weird or even heroic situation in Dark Phoenix, it should still be recognized that the deep love for him is still in the DNA – and surely there will be a wave of chills felt when we get to see the aforementioned tribute that the film has planned.

You can see more of my interview with Simon Kinberg and Hutch Parker, as well as parts from my interviews with Dark Phoenix stars Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Evan Peters, Alexandra Shipp, and Kodi Smit-McPhee, by clicking play on the video below!

The directorial debut of Simon Kinberg, Dark Phoenix takes audiences back to the 1990s, and sees the X-Men, led by Professor X (James McAvoy), in a situation we’ve never seen before: recognized worldwide as true heroes. The mutants are experienced working as a team, called on by governments and large organizations in times of crisis, and they are beloved. When their first mission in outer space winds up going sideways, though, they are left with a perilous situation they never saw coming – specifically Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) getting more and more powerful, and less willing to control her darker impulses. As she gets more dangerous, and people start to get seriously hurt, choices have to be made – choices that risk dividing the team.

Also starring Michael Fassbender, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult, Dark Phoenix will be hitting theaters everywhere on June 7th – and not only will we have more from my interviews with the cast and filmmakers coming your way here on CinemaBlend, but also a whole lot more of my coverage from WonderCon 2019.

Thus far, the marketing for Simon Kinberg's Dark Phoenix hasn't exactly been top notch. Only two domestic trailers have been released so far, and more than anything they've brought back unfortunate memories of X-Men: The Last Stand (a.k.a. the last time this storyline was adapted). Not much has been done to show the unique elements of the new release, but fortunately we have this fresh international package filled with new footage:

It's not uncommon for there to be differences between domestic and international trailers, as we just saw another example of this a couple months ago with Jon Watt's Spider-Man: Far From Home. The difference here is that this look at Dark Phoenix is way better than the previous trailers we've seen. This is partially because of certain small details that are included, but primarily because this actually gives us a legitimate look at the X-Men's first big screen space adventure.

Previous previews have given us dribs and drabs of what to expect when the X-Men travel beyond Earth's atmosphere, but this is the first Dark Phoenix trailer to actually dedicate a significant chunk of time to the subject. Everyone aware of the movie knows it's coming, and it's expected that the incident will happen in the first act, and now we finally have a better idea of what to expect. There is a 20 second stretch in this new look that sums the whole thing up rather nicely: the X-Men travel into space to help during an emergency, however, things don't go exactly as planned, and Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) gets left behind after all of the astronauts from a space station are rescued. There is a massive burst of cosmic energy that Jean seems to absorb, and while she should be dead, she instead is able to travel with the team back down to Earth. It looks surprisingly great, and it has us wondering why the marketing has kept it hidden for the most part so far.

Alongside the extended space material, this Dark Phoenix international trailer also offers some familiar stuff - such as the incident with young Jean Grey and her parents, as well as the big train lift at the end, but there is also some other cool stuff peppered in as well. For example, we're apparently getting some form of new Quicksilver sequence, as Evan Peter's character can be seen charging at Phoenix in "slow motion," and there's a bit more of Jessica Chastain's mystery character doing her very best to manipulate the extraordinarily powerful titular mutant. There is also once again heavy suggestion that the film will be the end of the line for Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique - but it's actually less obvious here than it is in the spot from last week.

This is arguably our most intriguing look at Dark Phoenix, and despite numerous past delays, we are now getting legitimately close to actually seeing the thing. Co-starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, and Kodi Smit-McPhee in addition to all the names mentioned earlier, the film will be arriving in theaters on June 7th.

Shared universes and comic book movies may be commonplace now, but there was a time when they were few and far between. The modern superhero blockbuster began with 2000's X-Men, as Bryan Singer's massively successful movie proved that the genre was both profitable and popular. And as other studios rose up to revolutionize serialized storytelling, the X-Men franchise has continued churning out new releases, with 20th Century Fox currently gearing up for Dark Phoenix to finally arrive in theaters.

But Dark Phoenix has had a bumpy road to theaters, being pushed back a number of times since its original release date. These delays have given the fandom pause for concern, although director/producer Simon Kinberg recently addressed the decision to push back the blockbuster's highly anticipated release. As he recently explained,

Is anyone else's head spinning? While movie releases may seem pretty black and white for moviegoers/fans, the reality is far more complicated. Simon Kinberg has broken down the decision making that went into Dark Phoenix's delay, and it seems pretty logical when laid out. Perhaps that will help X-Men fans feel better as they patiently wait for the Jean Grey-centric movie to finally hit theaters.

Simon Kinberg's comments to EW might actually be a relief to those worried about Dark Phoenix's quality. Superhero movies rely heavily on visual affects, and subpart CGI can quickly ruin a theatrical experience. Just look at Justice League for example. As such, it's refreshing to hear that 20th Century Fox wanted to take the time to make the visuals of Dark Phoenix the best they can be, bringing mutant abilities to life in the process. Footage from the new trailer did just that, as the movie looks like a visual treat full of exciting action in both space and on Earth.

Aside from that, Dark Phoenix's delays are all about timing. The superhero genre has been accused of being saturated before, and Simon Kinberg and company didn't want the upcoming X-Men movie to get lost in the busy market. So they're waiting a month after Avengers: Endgame hits theaters, hoping that audiences will be ready to see another superhero team movie in theaters after seeing the MCU wrap up its Phase Three.

This logic stands to reason, so perhaps Dark Phoenix will end up being a solid release after all. The pressure is certainly on, as X-Men: Apocalypse left much to be desired. And considering Dark Phoenix may be the last official X-Men movie before the Disney/Fox merger, it could end up being the swan song of the long-running franchise.

Dark Phoenix is set to arrive in theaters on June 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Fox's X-Men franchise may be in its whopping 18th year of existence, but the long standing property seems to be in flux at the moment. Fox recently delayed a gaggle of movies including Dark Phoenix, and the pending merger with Disney makes the future all the more unclear. Disney's bid on 20th Century Fox has the potential to bring the X-Men and Deadpool into the Marvel Cinematic Universe proper, finally uniting most Marvel characters in one shared universe. But how will this affect the upcoming movies like The New Mutants? Long standing X-Men producer Simon Kinberg recently addressed just this, saying:

Well, this is interesting. While crossovers and universe-altering change seem like an inevitability, Simon Kinberg and the folks at the X-Men franchise are just continuing the work on previously announced projects. As for the future, your guess is as certain as ours.

Simon Kinberg's comments to Collider are sure to be a relief to the hardcore X-Men fandom, who may be nervous about the current state of the franchise. While everyone's favorite mutants have never been closer to joining the greater MCU, the current slate of movies have seen a fair amount of set backs. Just one day after releasing the trailer for Dark Phoenix, the movie ended up being pushed back a number of months. Also on hold is Channing Tatum's Gambit, and The New Mutants had previously been delayed after releasing an epic trailer of its own.

But despite these setbacks and the need for extensive reshoots in both Dark Phoenix and New Mutants, 20th Century Fox and the powers that be in X-Men land are still moving forward with its set of future blockbusters. Aside from the projects that are already in the can, Simon Kinberg also maintains that both Gambit and Multiple Man are still in development. Gambit has Channing Tatum attached, and has been pushed back a handful of times already. Multiple Man has been a bit more of a mystery, but James Franco is reportedly playing the lead, in a film that may end up being rated R. We'll just have to see how things continue to develop over at Fox.

The next installment in 20th Century Fox's X-Men franchise is Dark Phoenix, which was recently pushed back to June 7, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

The X-Men franchise has had a long life in the theaters, but it hasn't been without missteps. And while R-rated movies like Deadpool and Logan have found massive success, Fox's next three releases have each been pushed back a few times. No blockbuster is quite as guilty of this as Channing Tatum's Gambit, which has been delayed more times than you can shake a kinetically charged stick at. Many hardcore cinephiles and Marvel fans have all but given up on the Gambit movie at this point, and producer Simon Kinberg seems to understand that experience. In fact, he shared the cynicism-- despite knowing the inner workings of the franchise. As he tells it,

While making a joke about his own insecurities and personal background, Simon Kinberg does seem to level with the fans here. Gambit has had an extremely rocky road to development, with no end in sight. So fans who don't think the project will ever happen certainly have cause.

Simon Kinberg's comments to Collider show how in flux the X-Men franchise as a whole is, and how the folks at 20th Century Fox are a bit more flexible than one would think. While running the X-Men franchise for nearly two decades is a massive undertaking, the studio seems to be flying by the seat of their pants in some ways. Just look at the most recent set of delays, as Dark Phoenix takes Gambit's release date, The New Mutants was delayed, and Channing Tatum's movie was left in development hell.

The fans' trepidation toward Gambit show one way that the superhero genre has changed in the past few years. Because until a blockbuster is actually shot and in the can, there's no guarantee that previously announced projects will come to fruition. Gambit is a great example of this, as are a variety of DC's previously announced movies that have no release date or production schedule. There's still no guarantee the Gambit movie will ever actually make it to theaters, although Simon Kinberg makes it clear that the studio is very much keeping it in mind.

Of course, Simon Kinberg also addresses the possibility that Gambit might never make it to theaters, as he'd just as cynical as the rest of us. And with Disney and Fox's merger looming in the background, the clock seems to be ticking.

Simon Kinberg's directorial debut Dark Phoenix will arrive in theaters on June 7th, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Before cinematic universes and comic book movies became common, there was 20th Century Fox's X-Men franchise. The property is still going strong, although there have been a series of delays for X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Gambit, and The New Mutants. The latter is directed by Josh Boone, and is teased to be the first horror-inspired comic book movie ever. As such, fans of both horror and superheroes are left wondering what The New Mutants might be rated, especially now that Fox has had success with R-rated projects like Logan and Deadpool. Longstanding X-Men producer Simon Kinberg recently spoke to the upcoming movie's rating, saying:

While The New Mutants is far from being officially rated by the MPAA, it seems that Josh Boone, Simon Kinberg, and everyone involved is open to the highly anticipated project getting an R-rating. We'll just have to see how hard the project ultimately goes in its moments of horror and jump scares.

Simon Kinberg's comments to Collider are sure to excite the hardcore X-Men fans out there, who have enjoyed seeing R-rated projects on the silver screen. While the superhero genre is almost exclusively PG-13, that all changed with the insane box office performance of Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool. While the MCU is keeping things a little more family friendly, it's fun to see the OG superhero franchise taking big risks. Especially when it includes a horror movie set within the X-Men universe.

Aside from the concept itself, The New Mutants has a ton of excitement surrounding the film's cast. Game of Thrones fan favorite Maisie Williams, Stranger Things' Charlie Heaton, and Split actress Anya Taylor-Joy all play young mutants, who may have the potential for future crossovers. Plenty of Williams' fans would love to see her Wolfsbane interact with Sophie Turner's Jean Grey. And technically, Taylor-Joy's Magik is Colossus' sister. So the possibilities seem endless. As long as Fox doesn't push The New Mutants back again. That trailer is just too good to wait on.

The New Mutants is currently set to arrive on August 2, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

The X-Men movies started back in 2000, and has withstood the test of time as cinematic universes and comic book movies have become commonplace. But the iconic franchise is now in a state of flux, as a few movies' release dates were recently adjusted. Additionally, the impending merger between Disney and Fox makes the future of the X-Men unclear. These unknowns were highlighted when the release date for Dark Phoenix was delayed a series of months, just one day after the film's first trailer finally arrived. Producer Simon Kinberg is attached to direct, and recently explained why Dark Phoenix's release date was delayed, saying:

It looks like there are some big picture reasons for the Dark Phoenix's delay, as well as some logistical issues, like having the time to render all of the CGI needed for the project. So while fans may have some trepidation, Simon Kinberg and the folks at 20th Century Fox seem to be in control of the situation. Or at the very least, the narrative of the schedule change.

Simon Kinberg's comments to Collider make a ton of great points, which help to illuminate the process of filmmaking and marketing. Fans have been eager for footage of Dark Phoenix, which the studio eventually delivered last week. But information has been limited for a reason, including when it comes to a release date. And since Gambit hasn't even begun filming, 20th Century Fox had a slot to put Dark Phoenix that allowed for work to be completed on Simon Kinberg's upcoming directorial debut. Plus, the delay will allow a concentrated release in both domestic and international markets.

That being said, the reshoots are going to inspire some dread by comic book fans, who aren't sure if Dark Phoenix will be up to snuff. X-Men: Apocalypse ended up being a disappointment, so the pressure is on to for the franchise to deliver a win. It's unclear if Marvel will keep the same cast when it eventually gains access to the X-Men characters, so there's a lot to figure out.

Dark Phoenix will arrive in theaters on June 7th 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

The X-Men franchise has been going strong since back in 2000, back before cinematic universes and superhero movies became commonplace. And while 20th Century Fox found new success with Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool movies, the main franchise is in a state of flux. Gambit, The New Mutants, and X-Men: Dark Phoenix have all been delayed multiple times, with fans nervous about the state of those three projects. Just a day before the delay was announced, the first Dark Phoenix trailer arrived-- teasing the dark narrative ahead for Sophie Turner's Jean Grey. Most of the movie's contents are a mystery, but director/producer Simon Kinberg recently teased what was in store for Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique and James McAvoy's Professor X. As he tells it,

Now this is interesting. The relationship between Charles and Raven has been one of the most emotional and fascinating aspects of the First Class era of the X-Men franchise, and it's one that is continuing to evolve in Dark Phoenix. But we'll have to keep waiting for answers, as the latest delay is pretty substantial.

Simon Kinberg's comments to Empire are sure to excited all the Jennifer Lawrence fans out there. When she joined the X-Men franchise in First Class, the filmmakers made a bold departure from the comics by making Mystique and Charles Xavier adopted siblings. Raven's path to villainy was set up through her experience as a blue mutant, although the events of Days of Future Past stopped her from becoming a killer, therefore allowing Jennifer Lawrence to remain a member of the X-Men. She and Charles didn't have much beef in Apocalypse, but now it appears that their relationship will take another turn when Dark Phoenix eventually arrives in theaters.

When we catch up with the X-Men in Dark Phoenix, they have finally ascended to bonafide superheroes. After saving the world in Apocalypse, they're celebrated-- despite their inherent differences from the rest of society. But it looks like this status change doesn't vibe with Mystique, and it just may send her back to the dark side. We'll just have to see.

After its latest reschedule, X-Men: Dark Phoenix will finally arrive in theaters on June 7, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

While cinematic universes and comic book movies have become commonplace in the last decade, the X-Men franchise was ahead of the game, releasing the original film back in 2000. The mutant-focused property is still going strong, with the first trailer for X-Men: Dark Phoenix recently arriving online, and wowing the fandom. In addition to Josh Boone's The New Mutants and the Deapdool franchise, there is another project that has long been developing: the Gambit movie. With Channing Tatum attached to star as fan favorite Remy Lebeau/Gambit, the movie has been delayed more times than you can shake a stick at. X-Men producer Simon Kinberg recently updated the fandom about Gambit, revealing the project will have a much different tone than most superhero movies. As he tells it,

Well, that was unexpected. Plenty of superhero movies have contained romantic plot lines, but they're hardly the focus of the narrative. Gambit will change this, once again proving that the X-Men franchise is ready to take some risks within the superhero genre.

Much like The New Mutants will be the first horror-related superhero movie, Gambit will be the first rom-com. With all three of the cinematic universes, the most daring and unique projects have become popular, from Deadpool to Guardians of the Galaxy. The Gambit movie taking on a romantic comedy vibe will set itself apart from the throng, and hopefully make the long wait for its release worth it.

In his same conversation with IGN, Simon Kinberg also clarified that Gambit won't be a traditional rom-com, but be inspired by that specific genre of movies. As he clarified:

What a relief. Although Remy Labeau will still be charming the ladies with his signature cajun charm, there will still be the classic elements of superhero movies. This includes plenty of action, and a big villain for the X-Man to fight against. Gambit has been a fan favorite character since the X-Men animated series, and fans have been waiting for the character to be adapted to live-action (X-Men Origins: Wolverine doesn't count).

CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things Gambit. The next installment in the X-Men franchise is Dark Phoenix on February 14th, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Second chances are a dime a dozen in Hollywood. Because we live in an age of reboots and remakes, studios frequently go back and reimagine projects that stumbled in the past, which is why Halloween will reset that timeline beginning in October, and Linda Hamilton is suiting back up for a new Terminator movie next summer. Rarely, though, does the same creator get a chance to correct their own mistake, as Simon Kinberg is able to do with next year's X-Men: Dark Phoenix, a movie that will retell a famous X-Men comic book storyline that was brought to the screen a few years ago... by Kinberg himself. In a candid roundtable discussion, the writer-director now admits:

Simon Kinberg, whose association with the X-Men saga dates back to 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand, was participating in a roundtable conversation for THR with other heads of very popular genre franchises. And in the conversation, Kinberg cops to the fact that he used the timeline resetting X-Men: Days of Future Past to revive a character he helped to... "ruin" is too strong of a word. But yes, Kinberg co-wrote X-Men: The Last Stand, which botched the Dark Phoenix plot. So he used Days of Future Past to restore Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) and remove the Phoenix saga from the existing X-Men series.

Here we see Jean reunited with her X-Men colleagues when Logan (Hugh Jackman) returns from his mission in 1973 and explains to Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) that they are living on a new timeline now. At least, I think that's what's happening on the X-Men timeline now:

Simon Kinberg, in essence, erased a $200 million movie that he helped create so that, in X-Men: Apocalypse, he'd be able to introduce a new version of the beloved Jean Grey (now played by Game of Thrones co-star Sophie Turner), and thereby setting up a second crack at the Dark Phoenix story in a movie that was supposed to come out this year, but has since been delayed. One would assume that Kinberg will have more control over X-Men: Dark Phoenix, as he's credited as the director of it. But because we haven't seen any footage from the movie, there's debate about whether it will come out, or be delayed due to the pending Disney/Fox merger.

Did you ever have a mistake you had to correct? Did your mistake cost $200 million? And did you throw another $200 million at a new version of your mistake? Only in the X-Men universe!

After a six month battle between corporate giants, shareholders for both Disney and 21 Century Fox have approved the $71.3 billion purchase plan that gives Disney the bulk of Fox's media empire. While there are still regulatory hurdles that prevent this from being a done deal, it's a major step forward for Disney and even though the ramifications of such a deal on the entertainment industry are wide and uncertain, some fans are just happy that the X-Men will eventually be returning to Marvel Studios. Of course, this begs the question of what this means for Fox's current slate of X-Men films, which have suffered some setbacks over the last few months and it has made some wonder whether the movies should be scrapped altogether.

While there's still the Deadpool franchise and the in-development X-Force, Fox has X-Men: Dark Phoenix and New Mutants up to bat. Both are big X-Men movies and both have seen big delays. X-Men: Dark Phoenix, the next (and possibly final) chapter in the main X-Men saga was originally set for a November 2, 2018 release date. The film has since been pushed back to February 14, 2019, due to reshoots that were complicated because of busy actor schedules (according to reports). New Mutants was a bit less smooth than that. The movie was delayed for over a year to August 2, 2019, in order to add whole entire scenes to make the movie more frightening.

However, it's easy for the cynical of us to think that these delays were in some way influenced by the Disney-Fox deal. Pretty much everything Fox has got going on at the moment is up in the air, but the studio obviously has to keep operating until told otherwise. That's a practical business decision but does it make sense to keep moving forward with the X-Men when their ultimate destination in the MCU renders any more movies somewhat fruitless.

Well, let's think about that particular point: does it even matter? I would say that even if the X-Men are MCU-bound, it does not mean that they shouldn't finish out whatever they've got left. There are still fans of this franchise, and it makes sense to give them an actual conclusion -- which is maybe what these reshoots are doing. It's a real bummer note to just end everything after X-Men: Apocalypse, one of the weakest entries in the entire series. Just because these characters might not be sticking around doesn't make their last movie a waste of time. That only happens if the movie is bad.

Plus, what if this turns out to be a really good X-Men movie? What if it's the best in the whole franchise? To not show that movie would only be depriving audiences of a good time at the theater, not to mention all the cast and crew who worked for months to complete it.

On the other hand, not many people were foaming at the mouth to see another adaption of the classic Dark Phoenix storyline. X-Men: The Last Stand notably dropped that ball several years ago and while there's that "now they can get it right" mentality, it's still a story that we've already seen play out in some form. That doesn't mean the whole movie should get thrown away, but anticipation is still muted.

There's an argument to be made that Marvel will want to start fresh with a brand-new set of X-Men if they make the jump to the MCU, but there's no guarantee that would be the case. Marvel could opt to keep the current X-Men cast around and just have them literally cross over from their cinematic universe. If that happens, then Dark Phoenix becomes a pivotal movie that can't be skipped.

In the case of New Mutants, that movie is comparatively much smaller than Dark Phoenix. It's also continuing the trend of stand-alone movies that push boundaries that began with Deadpool. Logan and Deadpool were two of the most interesting superhero films released by the studio, and they both went on to do well with critics and the box office. Fox is on a roll in this department, so of course, we want to see what they do with New Mutants! It's a straight-up superhero horror movie and it deserves to be shown, not collecting dust in a closet. However, New Mutants stand-alone status does make it expendable in the grand scheme of things.

We also need to look at this from a business perspective. It makes no sense why Fox would pull either Dark Phoenix or New Mutants, movies they have spent millions of dollars to make. Movies have gotten buried by studios before, but they typically aren't superhero blockbusters. However, Disney probably doesn't care how much money Fox spent. and if the deal is finalized before Dark Phoenix releases in theaters, then maybe Disney could cut the film to protect creative continuity and say "no skin of my back." There's also the question that if Fox is largely no more when Dark Phoenix releases, who gets the profits from the movie? If the answer is Disney, then they do have an incentive to get Dark Phoenix out there.

Ultimately, even if we do end up with a new team of X-Men in the MCU, I think that Fox should release Dark Phoenix and New Mutants. The Disney deal complicates matters, but if they are able to do so, they should let these characters go out with one last hurrah before the Marvel machine grinds itself a brand-new set of mutants.

Now that we've laid out some of the big points, let us know what you think. Should Fox still release X-Men: Dark Phoenix and New Mutants or should they cut their losses and wait to see what Marvel does?

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After getting his start in Hollywood writing the 2005 blockbusters xXx: State of the Union and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Simon Kinberg was brought on to write the third X-Men movie, X-Men: The Last Stand. Kinberg returned to the X-Men film series as a producer on First Class, and since then, with the exception of The Wolverine, he's had a hand in every X-Men related movie that's come out, be it as a producer, writer or, in the case of Dark Phoenix, director. Including the upcoming features, that adds up to nine movies, but when recently asked if that was "too much," Kinberg answered that he still wants to keep making X-Men movies, as the spinoffs have paved the way for new creative paths. As Kinberg put it:

It's been nearly two decades since the superhero movie genre started becoming more popular, and 2000's X-Men obviously played a huge part with that. But with each new superhero movie comes more obligation for the forthcoming ones to be unique and distinguish themselves from the crowd. Mixing in another genre is a good way of accomplishing this, and while the main X-Men movies arguably still feel like "standard" superhero movies, as Simon Kinberg noted, Logan and the Deadpool movies have taken advantage of this approach. Next year's The New Mutants will also do that by resting firmly in the horror genre. So even though he's worked on nearly 10 X-Men movies, the creative freedoms allowed with these spinoffs has made it so that working on the franchise hasn't become repetitive or dull.

Simon Kinberg also mentioned in a roundtable appearance with THR that in his experience with the X-Men movies, he isn't concerned with the idea that having too many movies in a franchise will turn off new fans. Kinberg explained:

Again, this goes back to embarking in new creative directions. If every X-Men movie felt too similar to the previous ones, then no matter how popular these characters are, the film franchise might have died a while back. X-Men: First Class arguably resuscitated the main X-Men film series by winding the clock back several decades, and the Deadpool movies and Logan have staked out their own special territory, performing well critically and commercially in the process.

With Deadpool 2 having come out in June, the next X-Men movie up is Dark Phoenix, which comes out on February 14, 2019, followed by The New Mutants on August 2, 2019. For a full lineup of what X-Men cinematic projects have been announced or reported/rumored, look through our handy guide.

Sure, Earth's mightiest heroes are having a moment right now with the release of Avengers: Infinity War over in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but we can't forget about the X-Men. With X-Men: Dark Phoenix set to hit theaters next year, many fans are wondering what the second cinematic take on The Dark Phoenix Saga may look like. The film made headlines with its recently-announced reshoots, but it sounds like that's not something that we should concern ourselves with in the long run. In fact, director Simon Kinberg recently addressed X-Men: Dark Phoenix's reshoots and explained that it's actually a fairly standard part of the filmmaking process. Kinberg said:

So, according to Simon Kinberg's take on the situation in his remarks to EW, it sounds like we shouldn't necessarily worry about the reshoots that are occurring for X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Reshoots have become relatively common in the blockbuster scene (they happen on everything from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to Justice League), and they're generally built into the production schedule as a way to fine-tune a film's overall story and look. Some reshoots do entirely overhaul movies and take them in different directions, which was the case with World War Z and reportedly might be the case with The New Mutants. But Kinberg seems to suggest that Dark Phoenix's reshoots were more cosmetic in nature.

Of course, while Simon Kinberg is definitely right, and reshoots are definitely part of the filmmaking process, it's still worth considering the number of changes that have taken place in the X-Men franchise in recent months. Specifically, we already know that The New Mutants and X-Men: Dark Phoenix have both been delayed to August 2, 2019 and February 14, 2019, respectively. With such massive delays occurring for both of the upcoming mutant films, it leaves us wondering what type of creative overhauls have taken place in the X-Men world as the franchise has evolved.

All of this points to the fact that we still don't know much about X-Men: Dark Phoenix. As the name suggests, we know that it will adapt The Dark Phoenix Saga and that it will carry on the story from X-Men: Apocalypse by moving the story forward into the 1990s. Beyond that, few other concrete details have surfaced, so we will have to wait and see what Fox shows us when the first footage finally drops.

With all of that in mind, CinemaBlend will bring you more information related to X-Men: Dark Phoenix as more details related to the film are made available to us. Dark Phoenix will premiere on February 14, 2019, but for now, you can catch Deadpool 2 when it hits theaters later this month on May 18.

From Zero Dark Thirty and The Martian to Interstellar and Molly's Game, Jessica Chastain has left her mark on Hollywood through a variety of movies over the last decade, and her profile is only going to increase. Next February the actress will antagonize Professor Xavier's team of mutant superheroes in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and today brings word that she's joining 355, a large-scale spy film that will see her teaming up with some other popular actresses.

Having just worked with Jessica Chastain on X-Men: Dark Phoenix, director Simon Kinberg has brought Chastain aboard for 355, and the main cast will also include Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Lupita Nyong'o and Fan Bingbing. The women will play a team of top international agents from around the world who must set aside their political and social differences and join forces to stop a sinister global organization from obtaining a weapon that could plunge the world into chaos. 355 is described as a "grounded, edgy action thriller" that's aiming to put a female stamp on what's been a primarily male-dominated genre. Theresa Rebeck wrote the script, and the goal is for 355, which Kinberg says is tonally similar to the Bourne movies, to launch a franchise.

While Jessica Chastain is just one of the actresses who will headline 355, she's actually the one who was the driving force with making this movie happen, as she pitched the idea to Simon Kinberg and the other actresses, and slowly but surely, the ball got rolling. Having worked with a female-led ensemble in The Help and dipped her toes into espionage storytelling with Zero Dark Thirty, Chastain was interested in merging those two things together, and 355 is the result. With a cast like that, it's hard to imagine a studio not quickly snatching the movie up. As for what to expect from 355, Kinberg says that the actress will share equal screen time, and then revealed the following to Deadline:

All of Jessica Chastain's 355 co-stars have some blockbuster experience under their belt, with Marion Cotillard appearing in both The Dark Knight Rises, Penelope Cruz appearing in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Lupita Nyong'o appearing in Black Panther and Fan Bingbing appearing in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Seeing the five women kicking ass together on the big screen will ideally result in a highly entertaining action movie.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates about 355 as they come in, but in the meantime, if you're interested in learning what's hitting the silver screen later this year, take a look at our 2018 release schedule so you can plan your trips to the theater accordingly.

The reboot model of filmmaking is stronger than ever, and it looks like Logan's Run, a 1976 sci-fi film based on a novel of the same name, is next in line to get a second chance with a modern audience. Warner Bros. has reportedly closed a deal to bring the project to life and has signed on both a writer and a director to bring Logan's Run to the movie theater once again.

Deadline reports that Warner Bros. has been developing a Logan's Run reboot for a few years now and finally closed a deal to kickstart the project this week. The goal is to replicate the success of the Ryan Gosling-fronted Blade Runner 2049 from Denis Villeneuve, and to garner the buzz of Ready Player One, which releases later this month. This is particularly interesting because while Blade Runner 2049 was an awesome sequel, it flopped pretty hard financially. So, Warner Bros. essentially wants a movie with the critical backing of Blade Runner 2049, but the marketing of Ready Player One.

To do this, Warner Bros. has recruited writer Peter Craig to pen the screenplay. Arguably the biggest films Craig has written are Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 and 2, but he has also written Ben Affleck's The Town, the recently released 12 Strong. He'll also be directing the upcoming Top Gun sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. But Craig won't be alone! Simon Kinberg is reportedly on board to direct Logan's Run. Kinberg's name will be familiar to X-Men fans. He's been an influential producer and driver of the franchise and will be stepping into the director's chair for the first time with X-Men: Dark Phoenix. As far as his directing career goes, this is a pretty big step for Kinberg.

For those who may not know, Logan's Run is a sci-fi film from the 70s directed by Michael Anderson and based on the novel written by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. The movie is set in a dystopian future where mankind lives in a cluster of sealed domes. Society is run by a computer that takes care of all aspects of life, creating a hedonistic lifestyle. However, in order to control resources and overpopulation, anyone who turns 30 is vaporized and "reborn." Anyone who tries to escape this is called a Runner and it's the responsibility of the Sandmen to hunt them down and kill them. Logan 5 is one such Sandman, but a chance encounter with a girl leads him to become a Runner and search for the fabled Sanctuary.

That's some solid talent that Warner Bros. has assembled but keep checking in with CinemaBlend and we'll keep you informed on everything happening with the project.

With last year's release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the franchise set in a galaxy far, far away opened itself up to spinoff tales that don't directly link to the legacy of the Skywalker clan. That will continue next year with the debut of Solo: A Star Wars Story, as well as the eventual Obi-Wan Kenobi spinoff movie. One long-dormant spin-off that many fans had given up on was the Boba Fett movie, but now new reports that director Simon Kinberg has begun working on a new Star Wars film have reignited hope that the Mandalorian bounty hunter could get his own big screen story.

Once upon a time, Simon Kinberg was attached to work on the Boba Fett anthology movie alongside Fantastic Four's Josh Trank. The project famously fell through when the two filmmakers experienced creative differences with one another on the Marvel project, and Lucasfilm moved on to other ideas. New rumors suggest, however, that Kinberg is now attached to an unknown Lucasfilm project with the working title Tin Can, which seems like it could be a Boba Fett reference - being a potential nod to the character's iconic helmet.

As far as spin-off movies go, there's definitely quite a bit of fan support to get this Boba Fett movie made. The character's iconography arguably rivals that of any other character in the Star Wars franchise, despite the fact that he hasn't really done much on the big screen. His death in the Sarlacc pit in Return of the Jedi is widely considered a wasted opportunity (given the fact that there was clearly more story to tell with him), so returning to that well in order to fill in some of the gaps feels like it could be a good use of a new Star Wars Story.

On the other hand, we do need to take this rumor from Omega Underground with a grain of salt. Lucasfilm has not officially added the Boba Fett solo movie back onto the slate yet, which means everything that we have discussed here remains purely speculative and based on rumor. Having said that, when we look at all of the evidence, a Boba Fett movie definitely seems like an incredibly viable option for the future.

Only time will tell if Simon Kinberg, who is currently working on X-Men: Dark Phoenix, _is jumping into the mix to get that long-awaited _Boba Fett movie made. Until then, we will just have to wait and see what Tin Can turns out to be (if anything), and check out the latest adventure in the galaxy far, far away when Star Wars: The Last Jedi debuts in theaters this weekend on December 15th. Pick up your tickets for The Last Jedi now and give us your thoughts on a Boba Fett solo movie in the poll below!

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As the main X-Men film series continues chugging along, the mutant-centric franchise has been expanding with spinoffs like Deadpool, Logan and more. Now we can add one more project to this growing cinematic universe, and it'll have James Franco leading the charge. The Disaster Artist star has been tapped to appear in a movie centered on Multiple Man.

Along with James Franco playing Jamie Madrox, a.k.a. Multiple Man, Deadline reports that Wonder Woman's Allan Heinberg has been tapped to write the script, while longtime X-Men films creative mind Simon Kinberg will produce the project through his Genre Films production company. Franco's own company, Ramona Films, will also produce. A director hasn't been chosen yet. Franco will be the second actor to play Multiple Man in a theatrical setting, previously portrayed by Eric Dane in 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand. This also won't be Franco's first foray into comic book media, as he previously played Harry Osborn in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy.

Introduced in 1975's Giant Size Fantastic Four #4, Multiple Man (as his name suggests) is able to create copies of himself. The amount of copies he can generate varies; during with time on X-Factor, the maximum was 50, but there have been times when that number was significantly higher. Regardless, when it comes to manpower, he's the guy you want on your team. Jamie's copies also have independent thought, so whenever he absorbs them back into himself, he collects the knowledge and skills that they obtained during their time "alive," though this has also led to him suffering from mental instability. The absorption process can also sometimes heal his injuries, although this doesn't work as efficiently as something like Wolverine's healing factor.

His allegiance to Magneto and the Brotherhood in X-Men: The Last Stand aside, Multiple Man is primarily depicted in the comics as a protagonist, whether it's as a standard superhero or as a private investigator. Aside from X-Men: The Last Stand, Multiple Man's other appearances outside the comics include the '90s X-Men animated series, X-Men: Evolution, Wolverine and the X-Men, X-Men II: Rise of Apocalypse and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2.

The Multiple Man movie is just one of several spinoffs on the way branching off from the main X-Men narrative. Next year will see the release of New Mutants and Deadpool 2 ahead of X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and Gambit, X-Force and an X-23 spinoff are in development. Simon Kinberg also revealed earlier this year that there's interest in bringing Alpha Flight and Exiles to life on the big screen. Given Jamie Madrox's affiliation with X-Factor in the comics, it begs the question of if this Multiple Man movie will be used to introduce that team to the X-Men cinematic universe, whether it's in a supporting capacity or if they'll lead their own movie.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on James Franco's Multiple Man movie, and browse through our X-Men movies guide for more information on what this franchise has coming down the pipeline.

While it may not seem like it from their previous big screen adventures, the X-Men of the printed page have had quite a few intergalactic experiences in their decades of stories. It's because of this that as production on X-Men: Dark Phoenix moves forward, with longtime franchise producer and screenwriter Simon Kinberg taking the helm, fans are left wondering exactly how cosmic a tale 20th Century Fox intends to tell. Now, the director has offered an update that suggests the 2019 release will be a bit more grounded than fans might expect:

Simon Kinberg's comments to Total Film (via X-MenFilms) may seem immediately disappointing to some fans. After all, the essential beats of the original Dark Phoenix storyline from the comics take place in space - both aboard an alien ship and on Earth's moon. Is there anyone out there that doesn't want to see a big screen X-Men film be as intergalactic as possible?

There are, thankfully, a few cosmic elements already confirmed for X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Jessica Chastain is set to play Lilandra Neramani, Empress of an advanced alien civilization called the Shi'ar. In the comics, the Shi'ar have had previous dealings with the Phoenix Force, an immense power unrivaled anywhere in the cosmos. When the Phoenix Force manifests itself in Jean Grey, the young mutant becomes so powerful that the Shi'ar seek to put Jean Grey to death in order to stop the Phoenix's devastating abilities.

The original Dark Phoenix saga ran in the pages of Uncanny X-Men #129 to 138, and while the story becomes immensely cosmic by the end, there are several issues that take place entirely on Earth. It's here, for example, that we're introduced to the pop star mutant Dazzler while the X-Men deal with the Hellfire Club as Jean's powers begin to flare up. It has already been confirmed that we'll see Dazzler in some capacity in Dark Phoenix, so it could be that the film will follow the pacing of the comics quite closely.

Giving the director's comments the benefit of the doubt, it may very well be that Simon Kinberg is talking more about making sure the X-Men characters don't get lost against the story's science fiction spectacle. After all, Star Trek has always been a touchstone for the X-Men movies. Jean Grey's sacrifice and subsequent narration at the end of X2 was directly inspired by Spock's sacrifice at the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Meanwhile, footage from the original Star Trek was included in both X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse. Any Star Trek fan can even tell you which classic episode Kinberg is likely looking to for inspiration this time around: Star Trek's second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," sees a mysterious cosmic energy imbue an Enterprise crewmember with a growing omnipotence. Just like Lilandra in Dark Phoenix, Captain Kirk realizes that the only way to stop the power is by killing his friend.

Whatever route X-Men: Dark Phoenix ends up taking, make sure to check back for updates between now and the film's release November 2, 2018.

Over the course of the last few years, Tim Miller has proven himself as one of the best Hollywood filmmakers when it comes to taking insane concepts and distilling them into gritty stories. He did it with Deadpool, he did it with the early promotional material for Batman: Arkham Origins, and soon he will do it for yet another beloved sci-fi property. Many fans wondered what Tim Miller would do upon his decision to not sign on for Deadpool 2, and now it seems that he has officially joined the long-awaited adaptation of William Gibson's Neuromancer.

Although numerous fanboys were upset when they learned that Tim Miller wouldn't return to the Deadpool universe, the fact that he is filling his time with an adaptation of Neuromancer is an enticing consolation prize. Based on William Gibson's 1984 cyberpunk novel (the first of the "Sprawl" trilogy) of the same name, Neuromancer follows an expert computer hacker named Case who finds himself hired by a mysterious benefactor to pull off a seemingly impossible job -- hacking an AI in orbit above Earth. The story is a quintessential piece of science fiction, and has become widely credited with coining the now ubiquitous term "cyberspace."

Not much is currently known about the Neuromancer film aside from the behind-the-scenes team working on it. The project is in development at 20th Century Fox with the X-Men franchise's Simon Kinberg attached to produce, but a writer has yet to sign on to adapt the film, and it is far too early for any definitive casting announcements.

However, Neuromancer is still a long way off, as this Deadline report notes that Tim Miller currently has some other highly anticipated sci-fi projects on the horizon before he can dive into William Gibson's book. Specifically, he is in the process of developing a reboot of The Terminator franchise -- marking the franchise's first entry since 2015's Terminator: Genisys. Miller seems to have a knack for tackling high concept sci-fi in a gritty, down and dirty fashion, so all eyes are on him to bring The Terminator and Neuromancer life in some truly spectacular ways.

As for the franchise that Tim Miller left behind, it appears that he has left it in fairly capable hands. Following Miller's departure from the Deadpool series, Deadpool 2 locked down John Wick and Atomic Blonde director David Leitch to take the reins. That film will debut in theaters next summer on June 1, and everything that we have seen thus far seems to ensure that it will meet (if not surpass) our loftiest expectations. Tim Miller got Ryan Reynolds' Wade Wilson off to a proper start, but now it is time to hand him off and try new things.

CinemaBlend will keep you posted with more updates related to Tim Miller's Neuromancer (as well as all of the director's other projects) as new details become available to us. For now, take a look at our 2017 movie premiere guide and let us know if you think Miller is the right fit for a Neuromancer film in the comments section below!

It's been an exciting week for fans of the X-Men franchise. The OG shared universe has moved forward with the next film, X-Men: The Dark Phoenix, in quite a few ways over the past few days. Because in addition to reportedly bringing back the full cast of Apocalypse, a director was found in the form of X-Men writer and producer Simon Kinberg. And while he and Bryan Singer have worked together many times throughout the year, many were wondering how Singer feels about handing over the directing reins. And it turns out, here's more than happy about the choice.

Bryan Singer is pretty active on his various social media accounts, routinely giving X-Men updates to the fandom. Regarding Simon Kinberg's direction of The Dark Phoenix, Singer took to Instagram to reveal his thoughts.

Classy move, Bryan Singer. In order to unite the fandom to back Simon Kinberg's full control over the next X-Men film, Singer officially passed the torch to his successor. He even tagged it #torchpass for safe measure.

It should be interesting to see how Simon Kinberg approaches X-Men: The Dark Phoenix, now that he has a more important role in the franchise. Kinberg has already produced and/or written every X-Men film since The Last Stand, so he's very involved in the franchise as a whole. Although considering how divisive the X-Men films can be, it's unclear if this experience is a hinderance or advantage in Kinberg's outing as a director.

That being said, Simon Kinberg will have a significant amount of power in The Dark Phoenix, as he'll be writing, producing, and directing the film. This single vision may allow the next X-Men movie to be a more focused and deliberate big screen outing, as there will be less cooks in the kitchen. Hopefully this will help the film not be so overcrowded and basic as some of the past movies (I'm looking at you, Apocalypse).

That being said, X-Men: The Dark Phoenix looks like it's going to be a game changer for the long running franchise. Much like the MCU, X-Men may be headed to space, as the iconic Dark Phoenix storyline typically focuses on Jean's possession by a cosmic spirit known as The Phoenix. And with Jessica Chastain possibly joining the film as Shi'ar empress Lilandra, all signs point to an intergalactic adventure. While space adventures are fairly common in the X-Men comics, every silver screen adventure has been wholly focused on planet Earth.

Utilizing a new setting and characters in The Dark Phoenix may grant Simon Kinberg the ability to make bold plot choices, especially since he'll be both writing an directing the movie. And hopefully what results is a better quality X-Men film, ala X-2 or Days of Future Past. Fingers crossed, because with the DCEU now on the board with Wonder Woman, there's some stiff competition coming from both DC and Marvel Studios.

Check back with us here at CinemaBlend for updates on all things X-Men. And in the meantime, check out list of upcoming X-Men films to plan your next trip to the movies.

Fox's next X-Men film has been confirmed to be called X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and will once again try to adapt the classic X-Men storyline of the same name (the first attempt being X-Men: The Last Stand). However, that's just about all that's been confirmed, with no official word on the director and returning cast. It seems likely that Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), and Storm (Alexandra Shipp) will come back - three of the main characters of the original X-Men trilogy who were re-introduced in X-Men: Apocalypse. It seems like another character who may be getting that same treatment, however, will be Rogue.

The website Omega Underground is claiming to have come into possession of audition tapes from three young actors who are hoping to be in X-Men: Dark Phoenix - reportedly codenamed Teen Spirit. Actors Rarmian Newton and Paul Mescal are auditioning for characters named Shane and Sam, which could possibly be fake names to disguise the real role. Alexa Swinton, however, is auditioning for a character called Marie, which just so happens to be the first name of the X-Men character Rogue. It seems mighty unlikely that they would choose the same name as a popular character for just a placeholder, but it's a curiosity.

Rogue was originally played by Anna Paquin in the original run of X-Men films, first appearing in 2000's X-Men. If Rogue were to be in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Alexa Swinton, who is about seven years old, would be the perfect age to play the character, seeing as how Dark Phoenix will be set in the nineties, and we saw an adult version of the power-stealing mutant in the future at the end of X-Men: Days of Future Past. It's really only a matter of time until Rogue makes her debut in the newer X-Men films, which have not only "rebooted" Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Storm, but also Nightcrawler, and Angel.

The bigger issue will be if the movie has enough time to devote to Rogue. Fans have been outspoken for years about seeing a Rogue on the big screen that is closer to her comic book counterpart, who is more of a fighter than Anna Paquin's version was (and also has the ability to fly thanks to an unfortunate power-stealing incident involving Ms. Marvel). X-Men: Dark Phoenix will likely have a big cast and it'd be a shame if Rogue was pushed to the wayside - much like what happened to Olivia Munn's Psylocke in X-Men: Apocalypse. Time will tell if anyone learned their lesson in that movie.

As noted, very little is known about X-Men: Dark Phoenix at this point, but we do know that it will retell the legendary comic arc it shares its name with. In the original source material, Jean Grey becomes possessed by a cosmic entity known as the Phoenix Force, which causes her to break all kinds of bad. Viewers saw a tease of the Phoenix in X-Men: Apocalypse when Jean Grey unleashed her full power to stop the evil titular mutant, but now that incredible power will become the focus of an entire plot.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix is currently slated for a November 2, 2018, release date, which means that production will start up before the end of the year. We will continue to provide you with updates about the project as they arrive.

The X-Men movie franchise is no longer solely centered around that core team of mutant superheroes. Other corners of this cinematic universe are starting to be explored, and thanks to Deadpool, we'll soon be able to watch the exploits of the X-Force on the big screen. Over the last year, the X-Force movie has been making slow progress to becoming a reality, but unless you're a longtime comic book fan, chances are you've never heard of this team before. So what do they bring to the table that the regular X-Men don't? As producer Simon Kinberg explained, adventures more than worthy of an R rating.

With the release of Logan behind us, Simon Kinberg sat down with Deadline to talk about the third Wolverine movie and some of the other X-Men projects coming down the pipeline. When asked what's coming next on the schedule, Kinberg answered:

While the X-Men and X-Force are both comprised of characters who want to keep the innocent protected, the latter team is more willing to get their hands dirty out in the field. Introduced to the comics in the early 1990s, the X-Force has gone through many incarnations over the years, but most of the time, it's a militaristic group of mutants who have no qualms about killing to ensure that the world stays safe. While most of the individual X-Force members, like Wolverine, could fit into the PG-13 boundaries of the main X-Men movies, the team's adventures as a whole couldn't be done justice unless the movie earned an R rating. So when X-Force eventually hits theaters, we can look forward to the members going on a gritty mission that will see them making tough choices in order to make sure they complete their objective.

Following Wade Wilson's shenanigans in the first Deadpool movie, the groundwork for the cinematic X-Force will start to be laid next year in Deadpool 2, when Cable and Domino are introduced. Even though Simon Kinberg didn't mention her, it's likelier than not that Domino will be part of the X-Force lineup given her involvement with the team in the comics and her relationship with Cable. No other team members have been announced or hinted at as of yet. Last month, it was reported that State of Affairs director Joe Carnahan is working on the X-Force script with Ryan Reynolds, and while not confirmed, it's possible Carnahan may end up directing as well.

Check back with CinemaBlend for more updates on how the X-Force movie is progressing as they come in.