X-Men: Dark Phoenix’s Villain Ruined the Franchise’s Finale – Here’s Why

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Although there are occasional drops in quality, the X-Men movies produced by Fox feature some impressive villains. Magneto starts off aggressively trying to transform a significant number of people into mutants using a device. William Stryker takes over in ‘X2: X-Men United’, and although he’s more psychologically threatening than physically imposing, his experiments on mutants cause a lot of damage, including the death of Jean Grey. However, the sacrifice is not permanent, as she reappears in ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’ under the control of the Phoenix Force. Unfortunately, this film doesn’t fully capture the original Marvel Comics storyline, so Fox attempted to rectify this in 2019.

As a die-hard film enthusiast, I’ve got to say that the 2019 installment, “X-Men: Dark Phoenix,” offers a fresh take on Jean Grey’s struggle with her powers. Instead of just losing control and causing harm to those dear to her, this time around, an extraterrestrial race is after the elusive Phoenix Force, and they zero in on Jean. The addition of these new adversaries doesn’t significantly enhance the film, and their leader stands among the most underwhelming comic book movie antagonists ever conceived.

Dark Phoenix Puts Jean Grey in Between a Rock and a Hard Place

In the opening scenes of ‘Dark Phoenix’, the X-Men find themselves in an unexpected scenario: they’re now being called upon as protectors by the U.S. government. Their first mission is to rescue astronauts drifting in space. The operation seems to be going well until Jean encounters a mysterious cosmic energy, which stirs up dark recollections from her past that Professor X had concealed. Overwhelmed by these memories, Jean becomes aggressive. Upon returning to her childhood home in search of answers, she unfortunately ends up killing Mystique, who had come to pacify her, unintentionally.

The demise of Mystique causes a rift among the X-Men, leading Beast to depart from the group and form an alliance with Magneto, both distraught over their lost comrade. Together, they rally additional mutants in search of Jean, while Professor X and Cyclops gather their own team with the intention of shielding her. However, things take an unexpected turn when they encounter Vuk, ruler of D’Bari, who is secretly influencing Jean. Vuk seeks to harness the Phoenix Force, but only after he manages to win over Jean first.

Just as Vuk’s mission was about to be thwarted by Vuk, Jean and several other mutants were arrested by the Mutant Containment Unit. The remaining mutants sprang into action, aiming to rescue their captured comrades by battling both MCU soldiers and Vuk’s troops. In the ensuing clash, Jean regained control of her powers and used the Phoenix Force to eliminate Vuk before vanishing. At the movie’s conclusion, fragments of the Phoenix could be seen in the heavens, hinting that a piece of Jean remains alive somewhere; however, her confrontation with a rather one-dimensional villain detracted from the impact of this climactic disclosure.

Dark Phoenix Focuses on the Wrong Conflict

What makes “Dark Phoenix” particularly vexing is that it contains a genuinely compelling narrative hidden within its layers. The conflict between the two mutant groups is captivating, as it showcases Beast, a character known for his unwavering composure, grappling with his dark side. Regrettably, the film abandons this intriguing subplot prematurely, opting to focus more on Vuk instead. Despite her ambition of seizing control over the force responsible for her planet’s devastation, Vuk’s character development is limited to this one aspect. Essentially, she serves as a mere external adversary for the X-Men in the film’s climax.

Dark Phoenix marked the final X-Men film produced by Fox, although it was not an ideal farewell for the franchise. The creators may not have foreseen this while writing or shooting the movie, but it fell short in delivering a fitting sendoff. Vuk, though not solely responsible, hindered potential intrigue by serving as an obstacle to a far more engaging conflict.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix is streaming on Disney+.

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2025-06-07 16:41