There have been plenty of X-Men movies, but none of them have ever put Jean Grey A.K.A. The Dark Phoenix front and center like this trailer suggests. Even X-Men: The Last Stand made the character a mere pawn within Magneto’s villainous plan. X-Men: Apocalypse teased a comic book accurate version of Jean. Yet that movie still didn’t focus its entire story around her. This new film is clearly much more focused on Jean, and from the trailer, things are looking dark. Really dark. The title X-Men: Dark Phoenix certainly fits. Let’s go ahead and take a look at all of the trailer’s hints regarding Jean Grey!
Jean’s Sacrifice
Writer and first-time director Simon Kinberg has gone on record saying that the movie will stick closely to its source material. With that in mind, it looks like the scene in the trailer where Jean is caught in the space ship’s wreckage is being lifted directly from the comic books. This is the moment where the X-Men nearly die during a space mission, but Jean sacrifices her life at the last minute to save her friends. Which leads us to…
The Phoenix Force
Jessica Chastain’s character is listed as “Smith”, but this is assumed to be a placeholder name, to keep the real character name a secret. Theories abound, and it would certainly be interesting if it turns out that Chastain plays the physical embodiment of The Phoenix Force itself.
The Phoenix Force is a cosmic entity that resurrects Jean after her death. So, the deal is that if Jean gives herself over to the Phoenix Force she will then become an unstoppable evil god called The Dark Phoenix. In the trailer, Chastain’s character tempts Jean with unlimited power - which could simply be a real person who is an evil influence, but it could be more of an inner struggle.
Jean Kills Mystique?
Perhaps the most gasp-worthy event happens towards the beginning of the trailer. The scene all but confirms that Mystique bites the dust. Jean laments, “Why did you make me do that? She was my friend.” She may be talking about someone else, of course, but that’s unlikely. What this also shows is that Jean is a real threat to everyone in the movie. We can’t help but wonder which other characters may meet their demise. Dark Phoenix isn’t pulling any punches.
Telepathy And Telekinesis
We got a teaser of Jean’s powers in X-Men: Apocalypse. However, this trailer is promising audiences that they are going to see Jean harnessing her powers to their fullest extent. Although the footage leans heavily on more visually inspired powers like telekinesis (the shot of Jean facing off against Quicksilver is a standout), we’re sure that there won’t be any shortage of mind battles in the actual film.
Jean Is The Strongest Of The X-Men
All of the X-Men should be wearing diapers under their spandex. If the trailer is any indication then it looks like Jean’s power levels are going to be off the charts. Granted, past X-Men movies have shown how powerful Jean can be.
But, none have exactly shown the pure devastation of her strength. This trailer looks like the film is going all in on how Jean’s powers turn her into an unpredictable god of mayhem.
The Reluctant Villain
What’s cool about the footage we’ve been seeing is that it doesn’t look like Jean is going to be an outright villain. She’s crying while crushing Magneto’s skull like a melon, she is talking about her fear - she’s struggling. This is interesting in that it definitely stays true to the complexity of the Jean we know from the comic books. Also, having her be a morally grey (no pun intended) antagonist is certainly different for the comic book movie genre. Typically, these films have bad guys that want to destroy the entire world without giving it a second thought. It’s refreshing to see a character that’s supposed to be a villain questioning her own actions.
#Jeanclops
X-Men: Apocalypse only hinted at the Jean and Cyclops romance. Now, though, it’s safe to say that the trailer makes #jeanclops official. There are tons of scenes showing Cyclops convincing the rest of the X-Men that Jean has not full surrendered herself to The Phoenix Force. Furthermore, there’s a moment where it looks like Cyclops attempts to walk through Jean’s wreckage so that he can talk to her. It would be a lot easier for Cyclops to walk away from such a destructive relationship. However, love is blind. So blinding in fact that sometimes you have to wear giant red sunglasses.
Jean Against The World
Previous movies like X-Men: The Last Stand had Jean teaming up with other mutants like Magneto. This does not seem to be the case here. There are two strong cases supporting this theory. One is the scene that depicts Jean attacking Magneto. It’s easy to see how Magneto could use her power for his whole mutants-against-the-world mantra. But, it seems like Jean isn’t having any of that mess. The other notable scene happens when Jean lifts an entire train holding all of the X-Men. Jean is a one-woman army fighting for her own cause.
Jean And Charles
Fans can go on all day about how X-Men: Days of Future Past created alternate timelines that makes things pretty confusing. How do certain characters know each other? If this film takes place in the ’90s, why doesn’t Charles look like Captain Picard? Despite the other prequel movies showing us otherwise, it seems like this movie is telling audiences that Charles has known Jean since she was a little girl. It’s going to be fun to see how their past history affects Jean’s battle with the X-Men.
The Dark Phoenix
Why are there flames streaking across Jean’s face? It’s a result of her embracing The Phoenix Force and full becoming The Dark Phoenix. What’s important to know is that The Dark Phoenix goes beyond telepathic and telekinetic powers. The character also has the ability to literally destroy worlds. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the poor X-Men that have to go up against this woman.
The Dark Phoenix looks like it will be the last and most destructive movie in the X-Men franchise. This idea comes from all of the hints offered up about Jean Grey in the newest trailer. Were there any other hints that we missed? Let us know in the comments!
