Following a mini-resurgence thanks to the Deadpool movies and Logan, Fox’s time at the helm of the X-Men franchise ended on a dire note with Dark Phoenix, bringing what had once been one of Hollywood’s most popular and bankable properties to an ignominious conclusion, as Simon Kinberg’s directorial debut became the worst-performing entry in the twelve-movie series from both a critical and commercial standpoint.
The rights to the mutant characters are now in the hands of Marvel Studios, which marks a dream come true for many fans of the MCU as the X-Men now inhabit the same universe as the Avengers. Given that Fox’s franchise ran for two decades and spawned a dozen movies and still remains fresh in the public consciousness, Kevin Feige is in no rush to reboot the team, and the general consensus is that Marvel’s X-Men film won’t hit our screens until the tail-end of Phase Five at the very earliest.
While the studio will be keen to wash their hands entirely of Fox’s association with the X-Men, former stars like James Marsden have already admitted that they’d jump at the chance to reprise their roles if asked. Sophie Turner is the latest to express an interest, revealing in a recent interview that she’d kill for the opportunity to play Jean Grey again.
“I don’t even know what the deal is, whether Disney wants to continue on the X-Men journey or not. But I’d always be down to go back to that character, and that cast, and that experience. We had just the best time on those movies. I would kill to go back.”
No offense to Turner, but having played the title character in Dark Phoenix, a movie that bombed at the box office and was savaged by critics, with her wooden performance coming under fire in the process, Marvel Studios likely have no interest in anybody that was involved in Fox’s X-Men being part of their reboot. Except, of course, Hugh Jackman.
