The new 'X-Men' spin-off reportedly has 'Dark Phoenix' as its working title, suggesting that it may center on a classic X-Men story written by Chris Claremont and drawn by John Byrne.
- Jan 16, 2017
AceShowbiz - It has been a mystery to fans as to what "X-Men: Supernova" will be about. Many speculate that it may be a production title for "X-Men: The New Mutants", another upcoming spin-off of "X-Men". However, a new clue has surfaced on internet to help unravel the mystery a bit.
Production Weekly has unveiled an updated list which mentions the working title of "X-Men: Supernova" as "Dark Phoenix". The existence of a working title for "X-Men: Supernova" suggests that it's a separate project from "X-Men: The New Mutants".
"Dark Phoenix" may refer to "The Dark Phoenix Saga", a classic extended X-Men storyline which follows the story of Jean Grey who is possessed by a cosmic entity force called the Dark Phoenix Force. The X-Men fought for her life, yet at the end Grey tragically sacrificed herself to stop the Dark Phoenix from possessing her again. "The Dark Phoenix Saga" was written by Chris Claremont with arts drawn by John Bryne.
"The Dark Phoenix Saga" was one of the stories included in 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand", in which the character Jean Grey was portrayed by Famke Janssen. Dark Phoenix was also hinted in "X-Men: Apocalypse", starring "Game of Thrones" actress Sophie Turner who took over the role of Jean Grey. Turner once said in an interview, "The seeds of Phoenix definitely are planted in there. She can't control her powers unless she either fully stops them or lets them all loose, and that's kind of Phoenix. I think in the future movies to come we'll definitely see a bit more of that."
Although Fox is yet to release any official comments regarding the issue, back in January 2016, "X-Men: Apocalypse" director Bryan Singer and screenwriter/producer Simon Kinberg hinted at the possibility of standalone movie for "The Dark Phoenix Saga". Bryan admitted that he wanted to re-explore the Phoenix in a movie and "the idea of that brewing within her" absolutely interested him.
In a separate interview, Kinberg revealed a similar idea. He said, "I think everything that hasn't been told from 'X-Men: First Class' and 'Future Past' is up for grabs going forward, so it would absolutely be a story we could tell in a different way." Should the "Dark Phoenix" report be true, the project will join other "X-Men" spin-offs, including "Logan", "Deadpool 2" and "X-Men: The New Mutants".
