‘Dark Phoenix’ Trailer Brings Genosha To The Big Screen

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The first trailer for Dark Phoenix introduced fans to the latest adaptation of the famous X-Men comic, but it also introduced fans to an iconic location known as Genosha.

Though Genosha doesn’t originate from the iconic storyline that Dark Phoneix is based on, it seems that writer/director Simon Kinberg has decided to introduce the mutant haven to assist in telling the film’s story. From the look of the trailer, Jean Grey will flee to Genosha after her newfound powers cause her to begin wreaking havoc, seeking out Magneto (Michael Fassbender). In the comics, Magneto ruled over Genosha as a sanctuary for mutants but it had a violent history before reaching the heights it eventually did.

Genosha, which made its comic debut in 1988’s Uncanny X-Men #235, is located near Madagascar and was originally an island where humans were using mutants as slaves. Eventually, Magneto found out about what was happening on the island and decided to abolish the mutants on the island with aid of his Acolytes. The Government on the island was overthrown and the United Nations decided to allow Magneto to govern Genosha.

The version of Genosha seen in the Dark Phoenix trailers appears to be a much more low-grade version of the sanctuary in the comics, which was a full-fledged metropolis for its mutant citizens. In the trailer, we see a group of community members and some rundown buildings, as if it were a set from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. It’s also here in the trailer that we apparently see Magneto get very upset before, as seen in the trailer, he eventually dons his iconic helmet and leaves the island. It’s possible that Jean Grey could use her powers to kill those on Genosha, causing Magneto to go into a fury, but that’s just speculation and hasn’t been confirmed yet.

Genosha faced similar, but much more catastrophic, fate in 2001 when Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly brought fans New Mutants #115. In this issue, Genosha was destroyed, resulting in the deaths of over 16 million mutants. It’s possible that the sanctuary could succumb to the same devastation in Dark Phoenix but since Kinberg is taking a few major artistic liberties with the location, anything could happen when the film hits theaters. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all news regarding Dark Phoenix as more information becomes available. How do you think Genosha will work into the film’s story? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

X-Men: Dark Phoenix is directed by Simon Kinberg and stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Evan Peters, and Jessica Chastain.

“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 out 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.”

The film is set to hit theaters on February 14, 2019.