DARK PHOENIX Star Jessica Chastain Didn't Know Her Character's Name Until She Saw The Movie

DARK PHOENIX Star Jessica Chastain Didn't Know Her Character's Name Until She Saw The Movie

Dark Phoenix was plagued with production problems, and star Jessica Chastain has now admitted that she didn't become aware of her villain's name, Vuk, until she actually sat down to watch the movie...

By JoshWilding - Sep 20, 2021 03:09 AM EST
Filed Under: Dark Phoenix

Dark Phoenix was a complete and utter disaster. The final X-Men film of the Fox era (not counting The New Mutants), extensive reshoots dialled down the cosmic side of things (to avoid Captain Marvel comparisons, apparently) and that led to first-time director Simon Kinberg delivering what many consider one of the most forgettable, generic Marvel movies ever made. 

Jessica Chastain played Dark Phoenix's lead villain, and while there had been speculation she might be playing Skrull Queen Veranke or Lilandra, the leader of the Shi'ar Empire, the truth was far less exciting. During the course of the movie, we learned that she was, in fact, playing Vuk, a member of the shape-shifting alien race better known as the D'Bari. 

During a recent interview, Chastain commented on the chaos behind the scenes of the movie, admitting that she didn't even learn her character's name until she actually sat down to watch it. 

"The reality is, our situations were very different," Chastain said of Oscar Isaac's comments about working with Bryan Singer on the set of X-Men: Apocalypse. "My situation...I think...studio was bought at a certain point. I didn't even know what my character's name was until I saw the film. 'What's happening?'"

Despite all of that, the actress still had good things to say about Kinberg (who she's continued to work with since making Dark Phoenix). "It was an interesting thing. But, Simon Kinberg, who directed it, is an incredible human being."

Vuk's mission involved trying to steal the Phoenix Force from Jean Grey, though multiple rewrites completely changed the movie to the point where it went from a two-part story involving the Hellfire Club and Skrulls to what ended up in theaters back in 2019. Now, Marvel Studios has regained the rights to the X-Men franchise, and the belief is that Kevin Feige is planning a complete reboot. 
 

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MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 9/20/2021, 6:51 AM
I wonder if marvel had them change her from being a skrull once they bought them. It’s pretty weird to not know her name. Why so much secrecy?
FinnishDude
FinnishDude - 9/20/2021, 7:28 AM
@MyCoolYoung - I think that's the "accepted" reading of what happened, but I don't think anyone actually involved with the movie has confirmed it one way or another.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 9/20/2021, 7:03 AM
Stinkor1
Stinkor1 - 9/20/2021, 7:06 AM
I couldn’t remember her name AFTER I saw the movie.
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 9/20/2021, 7:07 AM
No worries Jessica. Even after seeing the movie, can say I still don't know her name
Blergh
Blergh - 9/20/2021, 7:21 AM
Not like anyone really cared in the end.
At least everyone seems to be in agreement that Kinberg was a really nice guy and good with his cast/crew. That's a nice thing to take away from this.
nmasterofnaught
nmasterofnaught - 9/20/2021, 7:25 AM
@Blergh - Simon Kinberg must be the quintessential Hollywood bullshitter. I watched a THR roundtable where he talks a good talk about getting to redo the phoenix arc (prior to release), but on screen...
FinnishDude
FinnishDude - 9/20/2021, 7:33 AM
@Blergh - It feels almost bad how much the X-Men cast seems to love the guy (and I have no reason to doubt that he is a nice person, at least on set), yet as a creative talent he is just terrible. Maybe you could grant him being a decent producer, but as a writer and director he just keeps turning in shit.

The only thing written by him I liked was the first Robert Downey jr. Sherlock Holmes and that had 3 other credited writers besides him.
MosquitoFarmer
MosquitoFarmer - 9/20/2021, 7:31 AM
The train fight scene was pretty cool. (Kinberg didn't even direct that.)

BritishMonkey
BritishMonkey - 9/20/2021, 9:48 AM
@MosquitoFarmer - Who did? That train part was probably the best thing out of the whole film.
suitekid
suitekid - 9/20/2021, 7:32 AM
Still the only X-Men I haven’t seen. I intend to still but I was cautious from the moment Kinberg was hired to direct.
YonnyLayna
YonnyLayna - 9/20/2021, 7:36 AM
I have the feeling that was kinda sabotaged.
BecauseICare
BecauseICare - 9/20/2021, 7:54 AM
I finally got to see this movie a few weeks back on Disney+. I finished it saying, "meh". Generic is really the right word for it. There is absolutely nothing special about it. It's as generic as it possibly can be. And as far as Jessica Chastain's character's name? I had already forgotten it.
RageDriver2401
RageDriver2401 - 9/20/2021, 7:59 AM
I don't remember this movie at all.
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