Production is already underway for the upcoming X-Men: Dark Phoenix film, and in the latest issue of Total Film, director Simon Kinberg teased his plans for the film using some unexpected buzzwords.
Speaking with the outlet, Kinberg said that for the film (which he is writing, producing, and directing) to work, he needed to “find a way to ground it so it’s not too intergalactic.” Kinberg added that he considers the X-Men movies to be “human…and emotional,” though it remains to be seen how those qualities would preclude the film (set to introduce aliens to the X-Men films) from being “too intergalactic.”
X-Men: Dark Phoenix will bring back the cast of X-Men: Apocalypse, including James McAvoy (Professor X), Michael Fassbender (Magneto), Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), Nicholas Hoult (Beast), Alexandra Shipp (Storm), Tye Sheridan (Cyclops), and Kodi Smit-McPhee (Nightcrawler). Jessica Chastain will play the villain of the film, Lilandra. An empress of the Shi’ar Empire, Lilandra leads an alien race that is in search of and eager to eradicate the Phoenix Force. Sophie Turner will reprise her role as Jean Grey in the film, the host of the Phoenix Force and subject of the Shi’ar’s search. Lamar Johnson of The Next Step has joined the cast in a mystery role and Evan Peters is also set to return as Quicksilver, plus the mutant Dazzler will play a part in the film.
Kinberg is producing the film alongside Lauren Shuler Donner and Hutch Parker. X-Men: Dark Phoenix is set to open in theaters on November 2, 2018.
Kinberg previously confirmed that the next X-Men movie would jump ahead ten years from Apocalypse, offering a 1990s setting for the sequel. The X-Men comics saw a commercial boom during the ’90s, following character redesigns by Jim Lee, which went on to be the basis for the fan-favorite animated series.
2018 is set to be a banner year for the X-Universe as Dark Phoenix will cap off the year following Josh Boone‘s New Mutants on April 13, 2018 and Deadpool 2 on June 1, 2018.
