The next entry in the proper X-Men series has gone from being entirely quiet to a lot of things happening very quickly. However, one rumor that has been quiet for some time has now been confirmed. A couple of months ago the word was that Jessica Chastain was in talks to play a major role in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, but since we hadn't heard anything since then, we weren't sure there was anything to it. Now, the actress has taken to social media to confirm that she's on board the project.
It was about two months ago when the word broke that Jessica Chastain was in talks to play the primary antagonist in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, a character known to X-Men comics readers, named Lilandra Neramani. However, with no news since then, we'd very nearly forgotten about the original report. Now, Chastain herself has confirmed her appearance in the film with a picture of herself and James McAvoy who plays Professor Charles Xavier in the current film series. Just to make sure there's no confusion, she includes an X-Men hashtag and also tags the movie's director Simon Kinberg.
While a version of the Phoenix Saga, a popular X-Men comic book storyline, has been seen on film previously, in X-Men: The Last Stand. This will be the first time that the character of Lilandra Neramani has been portrayed on screen. As she is a significant character in the comic book version of the story, it would seem that we were in for a version of the story that has much more in common with the source material.
The other reason that we have to expect a more true adaptation is the fact that Jessica Chastain's post relates specifically to James McAvoy. The characters of Lilandra and Professor X are very close in the comics, having been in love and even married at one time. This may be why Chastain says she expects to make McAvoy cry. If the two are going to have a personal relationship on screen and Lilandra is also the film's chief villain, then Professor Xavier certainly will be conflicted in the film, which could make it a very emotional experience for him.
Of course, all of this is assuming that she is playing Lilandra Neramani in the first place. While that's a safe bet considering the word of her being in talks in the first place was obviously on the level, the role that she's playing is the one thing that isn't confirmed here. It's still where the smart money is, but it wouldn't be the first time that reports got an actor right and the role wrong.
