20th Century Fox has pushed back its release dates for X-Men: Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants.
A new report from Variety tells us that X-Men: Dark Phoenix which was originally scheduled to hit theaters on November 2, 2018 will now be pushed back to February 14, 2019. The film stars James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Tye Sheridan as Cyclops, Alexandra Shipp as Storm, Kodi Smit-McPhee as Nightcrawler, Evan Peters as Quicksilver, and Jessica Chastain as the villain known as Smith.
Along with X-Men: Dark Phoenix getting pushed back, The New Mutants will once again be moved back. The film was originally scheduled for an April 13, 2018 release date. But it was pushed back to February 22, 2019. Now, the film is scheduled to release on August 2, 2019. The film stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Magik, Maisie Williams as Wolfsbane, Charlie Heaton as Cannonball, Henry Zaga as Sunspot, Blue Hunt as Mirage, and Alice Braga as Dr. Cecilia Reyes.
It’s unclear why the films got pushed back. However, we’ve previously speculated that it could involve a deal between Disney and 20th Century Fox that will incorporate the X-Men into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jessica Chastain’s Smith character in X-Men: Dark Phoenix is highly rumored to be a Skrull. The Skrulls are also expected to debut in Captain Marvel and act as the primary antagonists. It just seems too much of a coincidence for both Fox and Marvel Studios to both feature Skrulls in movies that are now coming out less than a month apart. Captain Marvel is expected to hit theaters on March 8, 2018.
We already know Fox and Marvel Studios brokered a deal to allow Ego to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and a recent cast listing shows that the Silver Surfer will appear in Avengers: Infinity War. It’s quite possible the studios have kept secret a much larger deal incorporating the X-Men and X-Men spinoffs into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Why do you think Fox is radically changing their release schedule for these upcoming mutant-focused films?