Several of the leading X-MEN actors, including Jennifer Lawrence, found their contracts coming to a close with X-MEN: APOCALYPSE, prompting fans to wonder just how many familiar faces would be back for X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX. After first saying that APOCALYPSE would be her last X-MEN film, Jennifer Lawrence later changed her tune, saying that she loves the X-MEN movies and would gladly come back, so long as James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender did as well. Production on X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX has been underway for several months, with just about everyone returning for more mutant adventures, but Jennifer Lawrence recently revealed to Digital Spy that she decided to board the X-MEN train once more because she felt that she owed it to the fans to return as Mystique and continue her story.
My contract was up, I didn't have to do another one, but if I didn't do another one, what would her story be? I felt like I owed it to the fans, and I owed it to the character to follow her journey, to be fair to the movies, and not be like, 'I don't want to do another X-Men!' And then I just never show up and everyone's very confused about the Mystique they've been following for the last three films.
I can appreciate that Jennifer Lawrence didn't want to leave Mystique fans hanging, but I can only hope that they've given her more to do in DARK PHOENIX than they did in APOCALYPSE. No point sticking it out for the fans if you're just going to be standing around. X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX will be written and directed by long-time X-MEN franchise producer Simon Kinberg, who will be making his directorial debut on the film. The upcoming X-MEN film is set for a November 2, 2018 release.
Even without the X-Men, Jennifer Lawrence still has plenty of projects on the horizon, the next of which, Darren Aronofsky's MOTHER!, will be arriving just next week. Jennifer Lawrence stars alongside Javier Bardem as a couple whose relationship is sorely tested when uninvited guests begin arriving at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. The psychological thriller will hit theaters on September 15th.