10 Marvel Comics movie and TV show characters with wasted potential
By Mark Lynch
The Phoenix
Film: X-Men: The Last Stand, Dark Phoenix
Dark Phoenix is one of the most beloved comic book stories of all time – one that gets fans excited just by the mention of its name.
The X-Men animated series also did a phenomenal job adapting it. It shied away from elements of the source material, but not so much that it wasn’t well-received. In many ways, it was the reason we believed that the story would work outside of the comics. And then there’s the two versions from the movies.
At the end of X2: X-Men United, we saw a fiery figure of the Phoenix in the water. We all got excited. Then X-Men: The Last Stand came out and we were disappointed.
Again, in X-Men: Apocalypse, we saw a glimpse of the Phoenix. Due to the problematic movie we just watched, we were less than enthused for the Phoenix sighting – especially after the way it was handled the last time. Even then, our low expectations failed to be met, as another bad version of a classic character headlined a film they even had the nerve to name Dark Phoenix.
We’ve been burned (pun intended) by the Phoenix on two occasions in theaters. Sadly, this may make us hesitant when the arc is hinted at again (if indeed it ever is). Granted, it’s different now. Marvel Studios takes their time and does things right. However, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, and you get burned by 2019’s Dark Phoenix.