Back in June, we knew very little about X-Men: Dark Phoenix, the next installment in the X-Men franchise. It was rumored that both Jessica Chastain and Angelina Jolie were in talks with the studio for the role of Empress Lilandra. As it turned out, the movie will indeed introduce the Shi'ar Empire, which will be ruled by Lilandra. Also, it’s been confirmed that Jessica Chastain did meet with the studio about the role.
So it’s now official, more than one month after the principal photography for the film began. With shooting set to last into late October, Jessica Chastain posted a new pic on her Instagram account, and tagged James McAvoy, with whom she worked in The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby:
Of course, the actress didn't specify which role she’d play in the upcoming X-Men film. But everything points to Lilandra.
With months of shooting yet to take place, we can assume that Jessica Chastain will have a consistent role in X-Men: Dark Phoenix. If she's going to make McAvoy cry, she’s certainly an antagonist. If she does portray Empress Lilandra, we might even see her in flashback scenes.
Jessica Chastain's announcement came days after it was confirmed that we'll get to see an even younger Jean Grey in the movie, portrayed by The Originals' Summer Fontana.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix will be released November 2, 2018.
