'Dark Phoenix' Could Be First X-Men Movie Released By Disney

There are still a lot of details to be worked out between the Walt Disney Company and 20th Century Fox, but it sounds like the film slate from the companies is starting to come into focus.

With the merger expected to begin being finalized in early 2019, there's a real possibility that one of the first films released after Disney's acquisition of Fox assets will be X-Men: Dark Phoenix.

A new report from the Hollywood Reporter examines the recent reshuffling of release dates from Fox and Disney, pointing toward a possible time frame when the acquisition could be finalized if regulators happen to approve the deal without any major snags. That report indicates that Dark Phoenix was moved to a date where there are no other Disney movies to compete with, much like many other Fox films that had upcoming releases.

The latest X-Men film, directed and written by long-time franchise producer Simon Kinberg, will retell the tale of "The Dark Phoenix Saga" and could possibly be the final X-movie in the current iteration of the franchise, before a likely reboot under the banner of Marvel Studios. How ironic that it could also be the first Fox film to be released after Disney's purchase is finalized.

Some reports indicated that the deal could be finalized in early 2019, which sounds likely but the acquisition still has to be approved by regulators throughout the globe. The United States doesn't seem likely to challenge the proceedings, but anything can happen at this point.

It remains to be seen if Fox's other new X-Men film, The New Mutants, will meet its targeted August release date. But there are new plans to release a new PG-13 version of Deadpool 2 just in time for the holidays.

Disney Chairman Bob Iger has gone on the record to say that the X-Men and other Marvel properties will become valuable assets for Marvel Studios, promising that studio chief Kevin Feige would indeed be taking control of those franchises.

"I think it only makes sense," Iger said to THR. "I want to be careful here because of what's been communicated to the Fox folks, but I think they know. It only makes sense for Marvel to be supervised by one entity. There shouldn't be two Marvels."

When asked in a followup if there's a chance for Deadpool to become an Avenger, Iger didn't dismiss the idea but he didn't guarantee it either.

"Kevin's got a lot of ideas," Iger said. "I'm not suggesting that's one of them. But who knows?"

Dark Phoenix is set to premiere on June 7, 2019.