Simon Kinberg discusses why WOLVERINE is absent from DARK PHOENIX

Fans of X-Men comics will no doubt know that the relationship between Logan and Jean Grey plays an important part of the Dark Phoenix storyline. Likewise that relationship was a huge factor in the X-Men: The Last Stand movie.

With Hugh Jackman retired from the role of Wolverine/Logan it left filmmakers with an interesting conundrum when it came to Dark Phoenix. To recast the character, coax Jackman back to the role or leave him out completely.

Well, in fact, the reason he was omitted from the movie may come as a surprise to you. Speaking with Rolling Stone director Simon Kinberg explained “If you know the Dark Phoenix story, you’d want to really service the love story between Logan and Jean and I think the notion of Hugh Jackman, as great as he looks for his age, and Sophie Turner — it didn’t sit well with me. Or anyone else!”

Kinberg went on to explain that he wanted the movie to focus on Jean’s arc saying “There was an element of this being Jean’s story,” continued Kinberg. “And I was committing so fully to it that I didn’t want to run the risk of pulling away from Jean by going to the well of a fan-favorite character in these movies. I wanted this to be a very different experience of seeing an X-Men movie.”

It makes sense not to have Jackman – in his 50’s – romancing the 23 year old Sophie Turner on screen.

In Dark Phoenix, the X-Men face their most formidable and powerful foe: one of their own, Jean Grey. During a rescue mission in space, Jean is nearly killed when she is hit by a mysterious cosmic force. Once she returns home, this force not only makes her infinitely more powerful, but far more unstable. Wrestling with this entity inside her, Jean unleashes her powers in ways she can neither comprehend nor contain. With Jean spiraling our of control, and hurting the ones she loves most, she begins to unravel the very fabric that holds the X-Men together. Now, with this family falling apart, they must find a way to unite – not only to save Jean’s soul, but to save our very planet from aliens who wish to weaponize this force and rule the galaxy.

Dark Phoenix is being directed by Simon Kinberg. James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence and Michael Fassbender are confirmed to return to the roles of Charles Xavier, Mystique and Magneto respectively. Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Nicholas Hoult, Alexandra Shipp and Kodi Smit-McPhee will also return.

The film is due for release on June 7, 2019 in North America. In the UK the movie drops on June 5.

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