Dark Phoenix: Every Major Moment in the First Trailer, Explained

After months of silence surrounding the film, the Dark Phoenix trailer has finally arrived. It was no secret that the Phoenix Force would soon become the focus of the X-Men franchise after audiences were given a glimpse of it back in X-Men: Apocalypse (directed by Bryan Singer). The trailer gives fans much more to chew on.

The two-minute trailer sees return of the reboot cast, focusing on Sophie Turner as Jean Grey as the titular Dark Phoenix is unleashed and the X-Men struggle to fight its power. It's certainly appears to be one of the franchise's darker films, seemingly promising the demise of at least one important character, though it's careful not to reveal who.

It's definitely a lot to take in, so let's get dive into the trailer in search of what to expect from the upcoming Dark Phoenix.

A Gifted Youngster Indeed

Throughout the trailer, we see Jean Grey as a little girl at the X-Mansion along with a younger Charles Xavier (with a full head of flowing hair) as the two presumably try to find a solution to the Phoenix, a force that other shots reveal Jean cannot control. It's easy to be reminded of X-Men: The Last Stand (directed by Brett Ratner), which also -- very briefly -- attempted to explore Jean's past and her first encounter with her future mentor.

Speaking of which, fans might already see that this presents issues to the continuity of the franchise since the implication is that the introduction between Xavier, Magneto and Jean we saw in The Last Stand has been completely negated. This, of course, was never the case before, even after Days of Future Past (directed by Bryan Singer) attempted to rectify continuity errors through time travel.

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Liar, Liar

The Last Stand revealed that Charles had used his powers to suppress the Phoenix, adding mental blocks to ensure that it never took control of Jean, who was unable to control it on her ow, a pet point which is similar to Charles' actions in the comics. That seems to be the case here, too, as hinted at by Xavier in a conversation with Mystique that plays over images of Jean's terrifying power. Charles justifies what he's done by saying that he was protecting Jean, but he's only met with disagreement by Mystique.

Xavier's role in this plot seems to be effectively the same as it was in The Last Stand, only this time it's Mystique who discovers his actions, not Wolverine. Dark Phoenix also seems to be handling the entire situation with a lot more gravitas, which will be interesting to see.

Jessica Chastain

Theories have been tossed around about who Jessica Chastain will be playing ever since her involvement was announced at the end of 2017. Some believed she would be playing Lilandra, Empress of the Shi'ar, a powerful race of aliens that have dominated an entire galaxy. Those rumors, however, were dispelled. Although Chastain has been completely silent about her role, Fox did reveal that the name of her character is Smith.

A platinum-haired Chastain briefly appears in the trailer, but you won't get any further details regarding her character. In fact, you may just leave with more questions. She appears in a church with Jean and tells her, "You feel like you don't belong here...you don't. They can't begin to comprehend what you are," implying that whoever she is, she knows a great deal about the Phoenix.

What Would You Prefer, Yellow Spandex?

Very briefly, we see the X-Men stepping up to confront Jean Grey near a suburban neighbourhood. They march side by side led by Charles, who is the only one not wearing the blue uniform with a large yellow X stitched across the chest in yet another design introduced to the team in what seems to be the span of just a couple of years.

Fans may notice that the costumes are a modern but relatively faithful adaptation of the original X-Men costume design, which were largely yellow with navy blue accompaniments, a color scheme that stuck for several years and was occasionally revisited in more recent decades. The comic book costumes were referenced in the original X-Men (directed by Bryan Singer) and it appears the franchise is skilfully dancing around a comic-accurate design.

The Phoenix

It's in the title. The Phoenix is the focus of the film, and the trailer makes sure to tell us that with several shots of Jean using her telekinetic powers with progressively greater ferocity. At one point, we even see Cerebro being engulfed in flames, which is when you'll start wondering what insurance rates are like for gigantic telepathy-enhancing machines.

However, it's not just a trailer full of explosive action. There's a notable weight to the conflicts going on, especially with Jean and the power of the Phoenix. There are moments when she seems colds and unfeeling when using those destructive powers and other shots of her struggling to handle what is likely immense remorse. If that's the case, then this film may do the Phoenix justice, rectifying the issues that came with her appearance in The Last Stand.

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The Brotherhood of Angry Mutants

The trailer doesn't seem to make a big deal of it, but more than one character seems to switch sides. The earliest and most obvious example is Jean Grey, who abandons the X-Men and seeks out Magneto, claiming to be looking for answers. It's similar to what Dark Phoenix did in The Last Stand, when Magneto persuaded her to join his brotherhood, playing to her desire for freedom.

The trailer also briefly shows us one particularly interesting confrontation between the Brotherhood and the X-Men in the light of streetlamps, notable not because of the costumes or setting but because of the characters and their positions. Beside Magneto is is Beast; it appears Hank will betray Xavier out of anger concerning what he did to Jean, as he's shown blaming Xavier several times throughout the trailer.

Old Frenemies

Once again, Magneto returns, although the trailers show that he may play a less prominent but still crucial role in the events of the film. Jean turns to him for an excuse to unleash the darkest part of her power under the pretence of searching for answers. We see several shots of Magneto attacking someone. At one point, we even see him opposite the X-Men, with a band of mutants beside him, so it's safe to assume we'll see him confront the X-Men in the film, as he always has.

In fact, there is one scene in which he coldly addresses Xavier by saying, "You're always sorry, Charles, and there's always a speech...and nobody cares," which shows an attitude towards Professor X we've never seen before. It appears Magneto will be much more hateful toward his old friend. To what extent? We don't know. Would he still mourn the loss of Xavier as he did in The Last Stand, or will this Magneto be content that his enemy is out of the way?

Scott and Jean

It's not immediately obvious in the trailer, but Jean and Scott appear to have a deeper relationship in this film. Aside from shot of the two caught in a tender moment, Scott is also shown in the middle of an impassioned speech, urging his teammates not to view Jean as an enemy, despite the horrors she might have inflicted at that point.

For comic fans, that's no surprise as the relationship between Cyclops and Jean Grey was one of the major aspects of "The Dark Phoenix Saga" (written by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, with art by Byrne and Dave Cockrum) on which the film is based. That relationship was barely introduced in X-Men: Apocalypse, so it'll definitely be interesting to see how Dark Phoenix develops that relationship, if at all.

A Grave Conclusion

At one point, the trailer provides a top-down shot of a grave with flowers atop freshly turned earth. The only thing clear about that scene is that it's a funeral. We're not given any overt indication as to whose it is and when that funeral takes place, which means any one of the characters we see could perish in Dark Phoenix, especially since -- with the certainty of the Disney/Fox deal -- this is likely the last film in Fox's X-Men franchise.

There is a chance that it's a minor character involved in Jean Grey's life, but it could be one of the X-Men. Because this story is based on "The Dark Phoenix Saga," that shot could be from the end of the film, after Jean sacrifices herself to stop the Phoenix -- if that is something she does in the film. We know it's not Xavier, Storm or Beast, since they're all shown to be at that funeral. Whoever it is, offing a main character would be a powerful way to conclude the franchise. For now, we're left guessing.

Written and directed by Simon Kinberg, Dark Phoenix stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Evan Peters and Jessica Chastain. The film opens February 14, 2019.