Evan Peters Says Dark Phoenix Is Serious And All About The X-Men Family

Evan Peters has teased that X-Men: Dark Phoenix – or possibly just Dark Phoenix – will be a more “serious” entry into the canon and will be, at its heart, about “the X-Men family,” as Jean Grey will learn “who her real friends are.”

As the title gives away, the fourth film starring the younger cast of mutants – including James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence and Michael Fassbender – will see Sophie Turner’s Jean let out her superpowerful, super-destructive, alter ego the Phoenix. While speaking with Den of Geek, Peters – who plays Quicksilver – promised that the movie will live up to its name and deliver something darker and more dramatic.

“I think the title kind of says it all: it’s a little bit darker and it’s a little bit more of a drama. It’s really about Phoenix and Jean’s inner-struggle and how that pans out, and who your real friends are. Who’s helping you through these difficult times? So it’s really about that and it’s about the X-Men family, and I think it’s a serious film.”

Peters’ comments tee up with what we know about Dark Phoenix so far, with the X-Men being more of a tight knit unit than we’ve previously seen. According to previous reports, the team will be an active superhero group in the vein of the Avengers, so you can see how the film would be about the X-Men as a family.

Likewise, the push to make Dark Phoenix more dramatic than the unintentionally campy Apocalypse is a good move. However, reactions to early screenings of the film have not been positive, with some calling it boring and a disservice to the iconic comic book storyline it’s based on.

While that’s not good news, at least there’s a chance that it could be saved. Originally slated for release in November, Dark Phoenix is set to undergo reshoots later this summer, with it now expected to hit cinemas on February 14th.