'Dark Phoenix' Will Be "More Realistic" Than Previous X-Men Movies

The world of superheroes is inherently beyond belief, with various comic book adaptations taking a number of different approaches when it comes to live-action storytelling. X-Men: Dark Phoenix director Simon Kinberg claims that, with his new film, he aimed to deliver more realism than previous chapters in the franchise.

"The way I wanted to make the movie was very different than the aesthetic of previous X-Men movies, which I've been very involved in and proud of," Kinberg shared with Empire. "But I wanted it to feel more naturalistic, I wanted it to feel edgier, more handmade, more real. I was very inspired by what James Mangold did with Logan, and I felt like if I could bring a measure of that aesthetic in the film that all of the intergalactic and larger-scale things that happen in the movie would feel more shocking, more realistic, more emotional. They'd be grounded in some reality."

While the film might be more realistic than previous X-Men films, that isn't to say there isn't a fair amount of fantasy and whimsy incorporated into the movie, with Kinberg also noting he drew inspiration from the galaxy far, far away.

"And so, all of the movie – from the costumes, to the title card, to the set design, to the way the X-jet looks – all of that stuff is just more analog in a way. More like, let's say, the original Star Wars movie," the director pointed out. "Not that analog, but the movies I grew up loving had this very gritty, edgy, cool, human feeling to them."

Another one of Kinberg's goals with the film was to find a way to incorporate a more classic-looking costume for the characters, enlisting a member of Logan's crew to find that balance of fantasy and reality.

"I had a board full of my favorite images from the comics, and then I worked with our costume designer, who also worked on Logan, to create something that was incredibly loyal to the comics and then also had a little bit of its own feel," Kinberg noted. "There's little nuances from the cartoons, the comics, from whatever it is that if you were a fan you grew up reading or watching."

Fans will see how the new film compares to the rest of the franchise when X-Men: Dark Phoenix lands in theaters on February 14, 2019.

Are you looking forward to seeing the movie take a more realistic approach to the subject matter? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T Empire]