Disney will likely reboot the X-Men series in the near future (more on that below), and writer-director Simon Kinberg recycling a familiar metaphor offers a sense of closure for the film franchise — and for Professor X and Magneto’s relationship in particular. Thus Stryker is playing his own metaphorical game of chess against the X-Men at this moment in the film. Does it matter? Magazines, How George Floyd Square Become a Sacred Place, Digital Marvel Studios will likely want to integrate X-Men characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “It’s been awhile since I played,” Xavier says, again confirming he’s stepped away from the strategic battle between himself and Magneto and between humans and mutants. For starters, it’s unclear when Jean goes into Phoenix mode to what degree, if any, her emotions are her own. Like Charles, Hank has been there since the formation of the school. Subscribe for just 99¢. Erik offers to save his life and give him a home (presumably in Genosha, the mutant homeland Erik has founded) in the same way Charles did for Erik when they met in First Class, when Erik was similarly lost. Given Charles’ habit of swanning off to hang with the prez or to play chess with his best frenemy Erik, Hank is no doubt already in the habit of stepping in to take on some if not all of the headmaster duties should the need arise. Warning: This post contains spoilers for the movie Dark Phoenix. An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Dark Phoenix opened to a lackluster $33 million over the weekend, losing out on the top spot at the box office to The Secret Life of Pets 2. The new X-Men movie out this weekend — Dark Phoenix — is unique for two reasons; it’s the second big screen adaptation of the popular 1982 Marvel comic book “Dark Phoenix” arc, and it’s also, somewhat abruptly, the last of the contemporary X-Men movies distributed by Fox. Jean’s loved ones mourn her, not understanding that Jean hasn’t died, but has rather evolved. The two men have always been the two masterminds of the series, each trying to predict the future and the best way to move their pawns in order to defeat one another. What are Jean’s powers? Thank you for reading TIME. In this entry, we discuss the ending of Dark Phoenix. However, in one of the final scenes, we see him sitting alone in the park with a chess board and metal chess pieces. You have 2 free articles left. He blames himself for Jean’s death. We see Xavier sitting alone in a cafe. How does she do it? It’s a 5.8/10 on IMDB, and I would say that’s quite generous. Later, after Xavier has agreed to try to help Wolverine, young Magneto (Fassbender) puts down a chessboard between himself and Xavier as they fly on a plane. After young Jean Grey (Turner) has sacrificed herself in order to save the other X-Men and the world, we hear in a voiceover that she has not died but evolved beyond humanity. X-Men Dark Phoenix ending EXPLAINED: How the conclusion honours X-Men Days of Future Past X-MEN: Dark Phoenix’s ending with Sophie Turner’s Jean Grey ties in … Subscribe for just 99¢. During a fight involving humans, X-Men and Magneto’s mutant brotherhood, Magneto holds back one of his key lieutenants, saying, “In chess, the pawns go first.” The strategic battles between Professor X and Magneto that have largely taken place by proxy throughout the series are now being made literal in a fight between them. How does it do? By signing up you are agreeing to our, Benedict Cumberbatch Is a Spy With Soul in The Courier—But He's Not the Only Reason to Watch, How Black Filmmakers Are Reclaiming Their History Onscreen. The fate of the X-Men franchise is unclear, but this scene seems to suggest that Fassbender and McAvoy, at least, are retiring from these roles. In the first X-Men movie, we meet Erik Lehnsherr, a.k.a. It is an apt ending for this era of the X-Men story and the dynamic that has grounded an entire franchise. Now let’s cut to Dark Phoenix, which ended with Jean Grey taking Vuk, the leader of the D’Bari, into space and killing the alien as she reabsorbed the stolen Phoenix force. Sophie Turner's 'Dark Phoenix' character is roiling with emotions, but one scene with Jennifer Lawrence almost broke the 'Game of Thrones' actress. Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! Like Carol Danvers, Jean Grey’s hero moment comes with the realization that her emotions have never been the thing holding her back or making her weak, but are rather a source of great power. © 2021 TIME USA, LLC. Dark Phoenix's original ending had Jean Grey fight the Skrulls in New York City.Since James McAvoy openly discussed the latest Marvel mutant film's third-act reshoots, it's become a central topic when talking about the Fox project.Fans have pieced together the information known about what went on behind-the-scenes that led to reworking the film. Protectors of peace. Later in the movie, Xavier confronts the president over his hostile actions towards mutants and says, “We’re here to stay, Mr. President. You have 3 free articles left. In X-Men: The Last Stand, Erik demonstrates that he is getting some degree of his power back, making a metallic chess piece wobble. If we examine the chess games chronologically (according to the internal timeline of the movies, not the release dates), Xavier begins as a cocky player but is humbled by his early defeats and becomes better at looking into the future and making sacrifices in order to achieve his goals. In this prequel, Magneto (this time played by Michael Fassbender) and Xavier (now James McAvoy) first play chess on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial while they discuss helping humans to stop a mutant named Shaw who essentially creates the Cuban Missile Crisis. Xavier agrees. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. Please attempt to sign up again. Xavier and the X-Men stop him. Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters has been renamed to recognize Jean’s sacrifice. What are the cosmic force’s powers? Xavier and Magneto play one final game of chess at the end of Dark Phoenix. They are not actually playing chess during this scene, but the board lies between them physically: They are not adversaries yet, but they are laying out their respective perspectives and taking sides. While McAvoy wouldn’t say which movie it was, most people assume he is referring to Captain Marvel, which also features a cosmically-powered young woman fighting to save her planet from alien invaders. According to James McAvoy (via Yahoo Movies), the Dark Phoenix ending was changed via reshoots because of its similarity to the ending of another superhero movie that came out between Dark Phoenix‘s principal photography wrap in 2017 and its 2019 release. The chess game is, of course, a callback to the many times these characters have played chess in the film franchise, which started in the very first film. The plot of this movie is extremely complicated, but suffice it to say that the Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) from the Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart timeline travels back in time to get the help of younger versions of Magneto and Xavier in the Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy timeline to prevent an apocalyptic future in which all the mutants are killed. He also offers him a spot in Magneto’s peaceful colony of mutants. This means that Disney, and by extension Marvel Studios, now owns the rights to the X-Men franchise. In several X-Men films, the chess game motif has represented the strategic moves that the various mutants and humans make against one another. The easiest way to do that would be to reboot the X-Men series entirely, or at least recast characters. She ascends into the sky to take out the power-hungry alien, seemingly sacrificing herself in the effort. Obviously. Dark Phoenix. In prequel reboot First Class, Charles and Erik’s chess play gets a backstory, too. The scene was symbolic of the characters' history together, both past and future, as it is often a chess match with one evaluating the other and determining their next move. As Xavier leaves, Magneto knocks over his king, indicating that Xavier has won. It was previously slated for November 2, 2018, then rescheduled to be released on February 14, 2019, before being pushed to June. Subscribe for just 99¢. This isn’t the only change that has been made at Jean Grey’s School for Gifted Youngsters. Several of the remaining actors in the current X-Men franchise have starred in this franchise for eight years or more and are likely ready to leave the franchise. Charles doesn’t explicitly take the offer, leaving his fate somewhat open-ended, but he does agree to a game of chess. “I’ll go easy on you,” Magneto replies, signaling that they are forming an uneasy alliance. Please try again later. Dark Phoenixis far from representing the best of this uneven, yet massively impressive and cinematically important X-Men era, but this final scene gets a lot right. Xavier now resides in Paris when he is approached in a café by his old friend Magneto, who offers him a new home and asks him to play a game of chess with him. It’s an interesting reversal of fortunes: Charles finds himself without a community to center him, and Erik has done the work to build a community of his own. It is known as X-Men: Dark Phoenix for release in countries outside of … read more: What’s Next For The X-Men Movies? When Wolverine first approaches young Xavier (McAvoy) in his mansion, Xavier is taking the fact that he now uses a wheelchair and has been abandoned by his friends rather poorly. This sets the stage for future films during which Xavier will demonstrate his understanding of the need for sacrificing some players (including himself in Last Stand) to win the war. Jean has done what phoenixes do: risen from the ashes. In Paris, Erik and Charles reunite for a final game of chess, just as a flaming phoenix is shown soaring across the sky. We have a spoiler free review for you here. Loki is a Cat Person Now, But What About the Rest of the MCU? Apparently seeing that he and his habit of leading with his ego are not the best thing for the X-Men community right now, Charles Xavier has retired as headmaster of the school, replaced by Hank McCoy/Beast, an excellent choice. Magneto, meanwhile, vacillates between foe and friend, playing more aggressively when the two are on opposing sides and promising to “take things easy” on Xavier when the two (briefly) team up. In Days of Future Past, Erik and Charles play chess on the plane ride to Paris, a brief armistice in their turbulent, yet loving relationship. Dark Phoenix is not very interested in exploring these questions, and the ending suffers for it. A long-term lover of all things science fiction…. Meanwhile, Xavier has decamped to Europe. But in the scene, he blows his lead by acting overly confident, while Magneto bides his time and eventually wins. Deadline reports Kinberg was planning a two-part “Dark Phoenix” movie before 20th Century Fox changed its mind and ordered just one movie. What is Charles doing with his retirement? read more: Explaining the X-Men Movie Timeline(s). The board in this scene is set up such that Xavier would have the easy win. Let’s break down this ending…, read more: Jean Grey and Dark Phoenix Comics to Read. Xavier and Magneto play one final game of chess at the end of Dark Phoenix. Subscribe for just 99¢. You have a limited number of free articles. While this is in no way meant to allude to the possibility of Jean being alive and present in any sequels, especially given that there are going to be none, what it does signify is that Jean is probably not dead. A chess board sits in front of Xavier, untouched, suggesting that he has stepped away from the game, both metaphorically and literally. Jean Grey is one of the most beloved X-Men. The “Emotions Are Strength” theme is an admirable one to explore, but it is one that is often shoehorned into female-centric films without doing the actual work of exploring how emotions can be a source of strength. We also meet Charles Xavier, a.k.a. When the film tries to tap into this underutilized theme in the climactic battle, it is a classic example of the movie telling us something, rather than showing it. In the final scene of the X-Men franchise, Magneto shows up and challenges him to a chess match. Read more of her work here or follow her on Twitter @kaytiburt. Do you have it in you to allow that?” Again, the chess game represents their conflicting points of view: Magneto is willing to murder for the greater good, while Xavier is not. X-Men ends with Charles visiting Erik in his plastic prison and beating him in a game of chess. But when a mission goes wrong, Jean is exposed to a dark … Write to Eliana Dockterman at eliana.dockterman@time.com. Erik finds Charles in Paris, where the latter is being melancholy and lonely at a cafe. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our. All Rights Reserved. You can unsubscribe at any time. Jennifer Lawrence, in particular, has expressed her desire to retire the character of Mystique — which is probably why Mystique was killed by Jean early in Dark Phoenix. The audience is led to believe that Magneto can no longer play the game of chess that is human-mutant politics, but he proves that he is still able to make moves after all, setting up yet another sequel to the franchise. Dark Phoenix is the 12th film in the X-Men film franchise, and the second to last movie made under the 20th Century Fox umbrella before the Disney-Fox merger that will presumably bring the X-Men movies into the Marvel Studios fold. There is comics precedent for this, as during a period when Wolverine was in charge, it was known as the Jean Grey Institute for Higher Learning. He’s taking drugs and avoiding superhero duties. (We find out earlier in the movie he lied to her about her father surviving a car crash that Jean caused to protect Jean from her own father’s ill will.) Magneto approaches him with a chess board and proposes playing another game. Xavier argues that the mutants and humans share a common interest and can co-exist. Wolverine tries to convince him to revive the X-Men and help save the world. Magneto lays out his concerns: That the government will identify mutants, round them up, experiment on them and eliminate them. Extensive reshoots appear to have completely changed X-Men: Dark Phoenix, especially in the film's second and third acts.Principal photography for the last Fox X-Men film began on June 28, 2017, and was relatively muted by modern standards; it was barely celebrated on social media, and there were no major set visits by the press. Dark Phoenix ends not with its main character, Sophie Turner‘s Jean Grey, but with a scene featuring the two men whose contentious relationship has propelled the X-Men film series for 19 years: Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender). Still, it’s hard to imagine an X-Men movie without Xavier or Magneto, so perhaps a third generation of actors will be tapped to play those parts. Magneto says, “I’m not going to stop him. Shudder Boasts its Biggest Horror Movie and TV Line-Up Ever in April. It is now called Jean Grey’s School for Gifted Youngsters. An original ending wasn’t going to help Dark Phoenix . When a senator threatens to introduce a law that would require all mutants to register with the government, Magneto tries to retaliate by using a machine to turn world leaders into mutants. Dark Phoenix will offer a new take on a familiar story, this time with Sophie Turner playing the role of Jean and The Last Stand writer Simon Kinberg taking over as director. The game also represents the uneasy friendship between Professor X and Magneto, two powerful mutants with differing philosophies. “Dark Phoenix” opened in theaters nationwide June 7 and ended the 19-year-old “X-Men” movie franchise at rock bottom. 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