Why Dark Phoenix Saga?

[AdamFTF]

I've never been overly impressed with the "Dark Phoenix Saga". However, done well for film it would be best as a character piece about Jean Grey starting to lose herself as her increased power and the sensations she gets from using it for destruction cause her to lose control. All of this leading to a final conflict. When they did it in X3, it was about Jean having a split personality and whether or not Wolverine would stab a woman he had the hots for.

I don't think it's necessarily the story's fault as much as it's Fox's fault they can't seem to shift focus away from the characters they think are the "stars".

[Carabas]

I've never been overly impressed with the "Dark Phoenix Saga". However, done well for film it would be best as a character piece about Jean Grey starting to lose herself as her increased power and the sensations she gets from using it for destruction cause her to lose control. All of this leading to a final conflict. When they did it in X3, it was about Jean having a split personality and whether or not Wolverine would stab a woman he had the hots for.

When they did it in X3 it was all about the Mutant cure and about Magneto going nuts again. The whole Phoenix stuff was the c-plot at best.

[Divine Spark]

Jean's dark side from X3 is the Phoenix... It's a part of her, yeah, but it's still a completely different personality from her normal one. It works the same way. And also no one really cares about continuity with the previous trilogy.

It has less to do with continuity and more to do with the fact that Jean being evil is of no surprise to audiences due to the fact it’s already been revealed on film. No matter how they approach Dark Phoenix it will never have the same weight as the original due to X3’s existence spoiling it. You can’t unreveal it.

[WebLurker]

My understanding is that they're doing the new Dark Phoenix movie pretty much because they were unhappy with their last attempt and want to try again. Why Phoenix was done in the first place, my theory is that it's because Jean is a major character and it's her only signature story. Like Gwen Stacy being killed by Green Goblin, becoming Phoenix and dying are Jean's defining attributes as a character story arc.

And also no one really cares about continuity with the previous trilogy.

I care very much that the movies are internally consistent. (I can overlook it for a good story, but it's bug, not a feature.)

[Jokerz79]

The Phoenix Saga is one of my favorite stories but this film has an issue right out of the gate and it goes beyond will it be actuate to the comics or Hellfire Club or Skrulls it's the same issue the Death of Superman had in BvS. No one cares if anyone dies no one from the general audience cares if Jean or anyone else buys it they haven't developed or at least made the characters likeable enough for people to care say what you will about the MCU but for all their jokes people care about who might die in Infinity War. Even staying with Fox they did it right with Deadpool getting people to care about Wade and Vanessa that's why the rumors of Vanessa being wasted as a character in Deadpool 2 is such an issue. The Dark Phoenix Saga is a good story it becomes great because of what came before it and the emotional attachments to those characters even the animated series knew to wait to season three to develop an emotional connection with those versions of the X-Men that connection isn't there with these new versions most only established in the last movie where they got little focus.

[Divine Spark]

The Phoenix Saga is one of my favorite stories but this film has an issue right out of the gate and it goes beyond will it be actuate to the comics or Hellfire Club or Skrulls it's the same issue the Death of Superman had in BvS. No one cares if anyone dies no one from the general audience cares if Jean or anyone else buys it they haven't developed or at least made the characters likeable enough for people to care say what you will about the MCU but for all their jokes people care about who might die in Infinity War. Even staying with Fox they did it right with Deadpool getting people to care about Wade and Vanessa that's why the rumors of Vanessa being wasted as a character in Deadpool 2 is such an issue. The Dark Phoenix Saga is a good story it becomes great because of what came before it and the emotional attachments to those characters even the animated series knew to wait to season three to develop an emotional connection with those versions of the X-Men that connection isn't there with these new versions most only established in the last movie where they got little focus.

The likely characters to die are First Class characters which have been around for several films already.

[Carabas]

The likely characters to die are First Class characters which have been around for several films already.

Even if not one single character dies, it is a far weaker story because nobody cares about Jean Grey. Or Cyclops for that matter.

[Divine Spark]

Even if not one single character dies, it is a far weaker story because nobody cares about Jean Grey. Or Cyclops for that matter.

Info on the film suggests that Jean will get a backstory. Which would make her more more developed than in the comic version, considering she didn’t have a backstory until after she died.

What made Dark Phoenix popular was that a boring and weak character like Jean became a powerfully evil villian. Which wouldn’t work on film now.

[Jokerz79]

The likely characters to die are First Class characters which have been around for several films already.

Does anyone care? If Beast, Xavier, Mystique, or Magneto died would anyone in the general audience really care? The only time I've seen people genuinely care about the fate of an XCU character was Logan in Logan but again it was because of the journey before his death.

[Jokerz79]

Info on the film suggests that Jean will get a backstory. Which would make her more more developed than in the comic version, considering she didn’t have a backstory until after she died.

What made Dark Phoenix popular was that a boring and weak character like Jean became a powerfully evil villian. Which wouldn’t work on film now.

What we didn't need a backstory we had years of seeing her grow as a character and hero of her friendships and falling in love and dying in front of that love to save her friends and humanity that is more emotional then a tacked on backstory and we liked her Jean in the comics. I'm neutral to this Jean but take Finn, Poe, or Rey from Star Wars I don't know their back stories but their deaths would be sad because I'd miss their characters.

[Divine Spark]

Does anyone care? If Beast, Xavier, Mystique, or Magneto died would anyone in the general audience really care? The only time I've seen people genuinely care about the fate of an XCU character was Logan in Logan but again it was because of the journey before his death.

Dude, people did care when Xavier died in Logan.

[Jokerz79]

Dude, people did care when Xavier died in Logan.

My experiences are usually people think it was a great performance by Stewart in Logan even Oscar worthy and thought it was sad but didn't have an emotional response it was more of a detached reaction with some even seeing it as a mercy killing given his condition and the danger he posed with only the fact it was X-24 being the execution being the tragedy that it would had been more impactful if Logan himself had to commit the act because of the danger Xavier now imposed. Also the fact a younger version of Xavier would be popping up again. Logan's death was different because one he just finally accepted his daughter and two HJ was leaving and there was the feeling of finality to his version and possibly any version forma while with Laura possibly taking the mantle for a while.

[Divine Spark]

What we didn't need a backstory we had years of seeing her grow as a character and hero of her friendships and falling in love and dying in front of that love to save her friends and humanity that is more emotional then a tacked on backstory and we liked her Jean in the comics. I'm neutral to this Jean but take Finn, Poe, or Rey from Star Wars I don't know their back stories but their deaths would be sad because I'd miss their characters.

Same can be said about the First Class characters.

[Gurz]

Well, we will get a cool Dark Phoenix Omnibus HC thanks to the film's hype so that's good for sure.

[Carabas]

Info on the film suggests that Jean will get a backstory.

Which is what they should have done a few movies before Apocalypse for it to matter.

Dude, people did care when Xavier died in Logan.

Well duh. They cared because they had grown to care about Xavier in a bunch of movies over a period of almost 20 years.