The first official images for X-Men: Dark Phoenix are now online, courtesy of an exclusive with EW, and it looks like there's something of a new direction in the offing for X-Men.

As well as showing Sophie Turner in full CGI as the Phoenix, we also get our first look at Jessica Chastain's unnamed mutant villain and a look at the opening five minutes of the film - which is supposedly set in space. According to EW's reporting, the X-Men are hailed as national heroes after mounting a rescue mission on the edge of space - which, in turn, causes Jean Grey to be exposed the sinister energy force that starts the Dark Phoenix storyline off.

If this sounds somewhat familiar, it's because X-Men: The Last Stand covered parts of this comic-book storyline - and did it pretty badly, too. The film will also be set in 1991 and will see Professor X, played by James McAvoy, in a much different light. "Pride is starting to get the better of him, and he is pushing the X-Men to more extreme missions,” explained writer / director Simon Kinberg.

Dark Phoenix marks Kinberg's first attempt as a director, with Jennifer Lawrence remarking how different the set was compared to previous shoots. "It was unrecognizable. Everything was on time. Everything was organized. These movies have always been fun amidst chaos, and now they were fun with no chaos," said Lawrence.

That a dig at Bryan Singer, perhaps? Who knows. X-Men: Dark Phoenix arrives in Irish cinemas on November 2nd, 2018.

 

Via EW