For those of you who read the comics, you’ll know that Magneto doesn’t really feature that prominently in X-Men’s Dark Phoenix storyline. But because Michael Fassbender is such a star, and because we know he’ll be in it, and because Magneto and Professor X’s relationship with each other is so integral to the X-Men film series, it sounds like Magneto’s gong to have a much bigger role in turning Jean Grey over to the Dark Side.

According to Nerdist, “a source close to the film” suggests that Magneto’s new look for the film is supposed to evoke the image of a cult leader. Which would then invite another storyline into the mix: that of Magneto’s Acolytes and the fictional sovereign nation of Genosha. Magneto could start his cult of mutant followers in this movie, take over Genosha and declare it a mutant homeland, and start Jean Grey’s descent into her Dark Phoenix persona by tempting her with the thought of endless power and mutant solidarity. Dark Phoenix is set in the 90s, which is the same time that the Acolytes were first introduced in the comics, so it makes some sense.

Bryan Singer attempted a similar feat in the much maligned X-Men: The Last Stand, but now that we’ve seen how bad this kind of thing could get, the folks behind Dark Phoenix might have more of a handle on things this time around. And if they want to still include Fassbender in the movies, this would be a great way to do it.

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