‘X-Men: Dark Phoenix’ How Mystique’s Death Splits the X-Men

When Dark Phoenix hits theaters later this summer, it will bring closure to nearly two decades of storytelling in the X-Men franchise thus far.

But Marvel’s Merry Mutants will be put through the wringer in the new film, as the death of a fan-favorite character will lead to a classic schism that fans have seen countless times before.

Warning: Spoilers for X-Men: Dark Phoenix below, but if you’ve already seen the new trailer then you probably know what’s coming…

In the new trailers for the film, Jean Grey succumbs to the influence of her overwhelming power and kills one of the franchise mainstays in Jennifer Lawrence‘s character Mystique. Dark Phoenix writer and director Simon Kinberg spoke with EW about how the film is using this character death to split the heroes and villains into new factions.

“Mystique’s death is the thing that fractures the family of the X-Men, including Magneto [Michael Fassbender], and sets people who were friends on opposite sides, and people who were enemies become allies,” said Kinberg. “For me, if there’s a metaphor for the film, it’s like if someone in your life or your family starts to lose control, whether that be because of drugs or mental health issues or more minor things, the question is: At one point do you give up on them? And how long do you hold out hope for them?”

Of course, Cyclops and Professor X will be on one side of the division, as Kinberg explained, going back to the foundations of the original movies as well as the classic storylines from the pages of Marvel Comics.

“Scott and Charles are aligned in trying to save her. Scott because she’s the love of his life, and their love story is something that’s been so powerful in these films and so powerful in the comics,” Kinberg said. “And Charles as well because she’s like a daughter figure for him, and someone he’s known since she’s been a little girl and feels responsible for and feels responsible for something he’s done wrong in her life.”

X-Men: Dark Phoenix premieres in theaters on June 7th.

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