The MCU Can Do Justice to the Dark Phoenix Saga (original) (raw)

Jean Grey as the dark phoenix, surrounded by flames

Published Oct 2, 2023, 11:40 AM EDT

Born in Long Island, New York, Demetris Bougiouris moved with his family to Athens, Greece, in 2004. At fifteen, he was awarded second place at a Greek national writing competition. Later on, he was admitted to the University of Patras where he studied theater and cinema for his bachelor degree. He later studied at the University of Amsterdam, where he completed his master's degree in film studies, with his thesis focusing on the artistic and cultural importance of superhero movies for the cinematic medium and for audiences in general. He believes that films have the power to unite people no matter their social, economic, religious or political background, since they can affect the emotions of millions of people around the world.

Summary

The Dark Phoenix Saga is a beloved X-Men comic book story that has not translated well on-screen.
Fox's attempts to adapt the storyline in the X-Men movies fell short because they deviated from the source material.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) can fix these mistakes by slowly building The Dark Phoenix Saga once the X-Men are established as a major superhero team.

The Dark Phoenix Saga is one of the most popular X-Men comic book storylines ever created. It has had a lasting effect on fans since it was written in 1980. Since then, it has been commonly seen in most X-Men film and television media, including in the X-Men animated series X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Despite being one of the most well-loved comic book stories in X-Men comics, it has not translated well on-screen. Now that the X-Men are set to return to the silver screen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there is a chance that Marvel Studios can present The Dark Phoenix Saga in all its glory.

While Fox tried to adapt The Dark Phoenix Saga twice, the movies ultimately did not meet the fans' expectations. Once the MCU establishes the X-Men as a major superhero team, it could slowly build The Dark Phoenix Saga storyline. However, to do it properly this time, the MCU needs to learn from past mistakes to make the story work. Specifically, it needs to better establish Jean Grey's character and the X-Men's cosmic narrative.

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The Dark Phoenix Saga Is One of the X-Men's Greatest Stories

Dark Phoenix surrounded by the Phoenix Force's raptor in Marvel Comics

The shared history of the Phoenix Force and Jean Grey can be confusing even to the most dedicated comic book readers. On the one hand, the Phoenix Force is a powerful cosmic entity that is the manifestation of all life. On the other hand, Jean Grey is an original member of the X-Men and an Omega Level mutant with powerful telepathic and telekinetic abilities. The Phoenix Force first appears in X-Men #101 in 1976, where it saves Jean from dying. The Phoenix takes a liking to Jean and bonds with her, giving her a portion of its power, while saving her from deadly cosmic rays.

In 1980, writers Chris Claremont and John Byrne wrote one of the most famous stories in comic book history -- The Dark Phoenix Saga. In this story, Jean Grey/Phoenix becomes corrupt and destroys a star, resulting in the death of an entire alien species. As the host of the Dark Phoenix, Jean struggles to control her powers, almost killing her teammates and the whole of Earth. Her actions result in three major alien empires, the Shi'ar, the Kree, and the Skrulls, to sentence her to death. Despite the X-Men's efforts to fight for her protection, Jean ultimately decides to kill herself to save them from her Dark Phoenix persona. What appealed to fans the most about the story is how it presents flawed characters. More specifically, the internal battle of Jean's sanity and moral compass. She is the story's protagonist, and her love for Cyclops and her friends makes it even more tragic.

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The Dark Phoenix Saga Never Worked With Fox's X-Men

Jean Grey as the Phoenix in X-Men: The Last Stand

Fox tried to adapt The Dark Phoenix Saga on two separate occasions. First in 2006 with X-Men: The Last Stand and in 2019 with X-Men: Dark Phoenix, a box office bomb. However, despite their best efforts, both movies failed to impress fans since they deviated from the source material. On top of that, Jean Grey was never properly established as a significant character in the X-Men movies. Despite her being well-liked, she was often reduced to either a love interest for Wolverine and Cyclops or as a powerful threat. Viewers never got the chance to see her personality, or her relationship with her other teammates. In the comics, Jean Grey is beloved by all the X-Men, and she is seen as either a sister or mother figure for most.

Additionally, she was often considered the soul of the original X-Men team. This is why her death in The Dark Phoenix Saga affected the rest of her friends and comic book fans. Most audiences never got the opportunity to get to know Jean Grey better. Furthermore, the Fox movies never explored the X-Men's cosmic narrative. The main plot of the movies revolves around mutant-human relationships and the social inequality between the two species. Granted, this has always been the main storyline of the X-Men ever since they were first introduced in 1963. However, the superhero team has had other conflicts other than bigotry and racism. They have faced alien threats such as the Shi'ar, the Brood, and, of course, the Phoenix Force. Because the Fox movies were so focused on the mutant-human conflict, introducing aliens and cosmic forces seemed out of place, a notable example being X-Men: Dark Phoenix.

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How the MCU Can Fix Fox's Mistakes

Jean Grey becomes the Dark Phoenix in Jean Grey #1 Firstly, with the reintroduction of the X-Men, Marvel Studios can properly adapt The Dark Phoenix Saga for fans. The story can better fit in with the MCU than it ever did with Fox. The MCU's cosmic narrative is continuously expanding. Cosmic entities have been seen in previous productions, so introducing the Phoenix Force in the main universe seems doable. Also, Marvel has previously shown how dark forces can corrupt powerful individuals struggling with their sanity and morality. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness showed the Scarlet Witch being influenced by the Darkhold. However, despite becoming a villain, she sacrifices herself to prevent further harm. Showing Jean Grey as a powerful mutant driven by her love to save her friends, only to later become a threat to them, seems more fitting in a world like the MCU. Secondly, The Dark Phoenix Saga is a storyline that does not need to be immediately adapted on the silver screen. It can be slowly integrated into the narrative once the X-Men have been established as a major superhero team in the MCU. The original story was considered one of the best X-Men comics because the story and the characters were well-written and already well-known. MCU fans should have the opportunity to watch the team deal with other threats and have a few adventures. Then, at some point, once the fans feel a similar attachment to the X-Men as they did with the Avengers, the MCU could finally adapt The Dark Phoenix Saga.

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The Fantastic Four in retro costumes in Marvel Comics

Self-sacrifice is one of the most common tropes in the superhero genre, much like how Iron Man and Black Widow sacrificed themselves in Avengers: Endgame. Jean Grey all but initiated this trope back in 1980, and since then, it has influenced both comics and superhero movies. The raw emotion of such a selfless act by such a flawed character is something that audiences can relate to. Fox's X-Men movies adapted other amazing stories, such as X-Men: Days of Future Past. Nevertheless, the MCU has the means to faithfully portray one of history's most beloved comic book storylines. The Dark Phoenix Saga shows audiences what makes the X-Men an important superhero team. Part of it is because they represent the daily struggles of social injustice and inequality. However, it is also because they have shown time and time again that they are both selfless and a loving family. Because of actions such as Jean Grey's, fans are reminded of their mortality, morality, and relationships with others. Jean's sacrifice was even noted by the Watcher, who said that what separates humanity from other lifeforms is the extraordinary capacity for self-sacrifice. Even though Jean Grey could have become a god, she chose to die as a human. Stories like these remind fans that there is more to the superhero genre than just plain entertainment -- that sometimes they are the perfect medium to teach lessons about life, love, and death.