Deadpool and Logan have been getting more attention, but the X-Men are still out there and ready to make movies. After a few months of rumors, X-Men: Dark Phoenix has been made official, and it’ll be coming to theaters next years with the whole crew in tow.
Deadline is reporting that longtime producer and writer on the series, Simon Kinberg, will step into the directorial role for the first time. And yes, everybody is back; Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender , James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Alexandra Shipp, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, and Kodi Smit-McPhee have all been confirmed as returning, meaning we’ll see the core team of X-Men (Storm, Cyclops, Nightcrawler and Jean Grey) and Jessica Chastain is currently in talks to take the role of Lilandra, Professor X’s alien lover/queen of the Shi’Ar empire.
The full plot hasn’t been confirmed, but the title, and the presence of Lilandra, indicates it’ll be the second attempt to tackle the Dark Phoenix Saga, a sprawling story from the ’70s run that revived the X-Men as a concept. Jean Grey, possessed by the Phoenix Force, loses her grip and becomes the Dark Phoenix, a powerful force capable of eating suns. Jean ultimately sacrifices herself to keep the Phoenix Force from destroying the universe, and the story itself is often pointed to as one of the best Marvel ever put in print. So, you know, no pressure or anything. We’ll see what’s in store November 2018.
(via Deadline)
