Fox's X-Men (proper) franchise is officially dead as DARK PHOENIX reached a series low for an opening weekend.
The final chapter of the X-Men team under the Fox banner only took in an estimated $33 million in the domestic box office. And yeah... that's really, really bad for a movie that reportedly cost in the ballpark of $200 million after reshoots; and that doesn't even count the additional $50-$75 million (estimated) for marketing.
Writer and director Simon Kinberg took his second stab at the Dark Phoenix comic book story arc — his first was writing X-MEN: THE LAST STAND — and according to these opening numbers he failed miserably. Your time with Marvel superhero characters is permanently over, Mr. Kinberg. While The Last Stand was a financial success, its story was bad and most critics and fans disliked the film, too. In fact, Fox executives disliked The Last Stand so much they tried to use X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST to wipe it from the movie timeline through the use of the time travel trope.
Internationally, DARK PHOENIX opened with $107 million for a global total of $140 million.
Don't expect DARK PHOENIX to have any legs in the box office in the coming weeks as this franchise is done.
Disney's Marvel Studios now has the rights to all-things mutants from the Fox acquisition deal and a much needed vacation is a must to cleanse the palates of everyone, from the hardcore fanbase to the general audience.
Fox still has one more mutant film on the release schedule for early next year with NEW MUTANTS, but this failure of DARK PHOENIX at the box office may have some blowback preventing that and it could be destined for just a streaming release, as was previously rumored to happen.
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