As we approach the X-Men: Dark Phoenix release next month, Fox is rolling out the fanfare for what seems to be another grand finale of a Marvel movie franchise. Despite the release of The New Mutants next spring (after being postponed a third time), Dark Phoenix is being slated as the final film in the X-Men cinematic storyline that began in 2000.
To celebrate the upcoming movie as well as commemorate almost 20 years of X-Men film adaptations, May 13, 2019 was dubbed “X-Men Day.” Cast members and filmmakers that have been a part of the franchise over the years spoke about some of their favorite memories on set, shared the impact that the films have had on them, and revealed some new behind-the-scenes material from the past nine movies.
In addition to this new commemorative trailer, cast members from the newer and older films alike returned to speak about their personal experiences as mutants. These cast members include Shawn Ashmore, Rebecca Romijn, Michael Fassbender, Evan Peters, and more. To see all the cast members who participated in the X-Men day videos, head over to the X-Men official Instagram page HERE.
X-Men Day festivities weren’t just for the actors, of course. Ultimately, this celebration was for the fans, meaning both viewers of the films and readers of the comicbooks. Since Marvel presented The X-Men #1 back in 1963, this band of merry mutants both good and bad have meant a lot to many people over the years. To thank the fans for a lasting and fervent following despite a few ups and downs, comicbook stores around the country held special X-Men-themed events. Here in Los Angeles, Alexandra Shipp and Kodi Smit-McPhee, who play Storm and Nightcrawler in Dark Phoenix respectively, went to Golden Apple Comics to sign posters, meet fans, and help celebrate all things X-Men. Elsewhere, fans participated in X-Men cosplay, trivia, and more.
All of this coincides with the announcement of tickets officially going on sale for Dark Phoenix and the release of some exclusive new posters to promote the film. In addition to the IMAX and Real 3D posters, several pieces of art have been created to commemorate the movie and the franchise’s grand legacy. In fact, many of these posters were given out during the X-Men day events at select comicbook stores around the country.
Will X-Men Day become an annual celebration? That remains unclear, since technically the real 20th anniversary of the first film’s release isn’t until next July. The X-Men movie franchise isn’t afraid of a little tangling of timelines, so it’s no surprise they created commemorative trailers claiming that it all started “20 years ago.” Close enough, but one wonders if another celebration will take place next year after The New Mutants release. Check out the second commemorative trailer for Dark Phoenix below.
The press tour for Dark Phoenix is now underway. So far, there hasn’t been any specific announcements regarding possible “goodbyes” to any characters, so the future of familiar faces like Magneto, Professor X, Storm, and the rest of the gang is uncertain. With the merging of Disney and Fox, it seems the next order of business is to figure out how they plan to bring all the Marvel characters together under one roof!
Until then, we will leave you with some other fan-favorite mutants commemorating X-Men Day, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.
Dark Phoenix hits theaters on June 7, 2019.