Dark Phoenix: Reborn

To inquire about this edit, email krausfadr at gmail dot com and include the word fanedit in the subject line.

March 9, 2021 V2.1 Color Correction (Previous versions were washed out HDR to SDR conversions. This has been fixed).

Special thanks to reddit u/Calhoun1389 for providing all the great suggestions for the much improved Version 2.

The film X-Men: Dark Phoenix was originally planned to be released by the studio in two parts. Unfortunately they tried to combine their ideas into just one film, resulting in Jean’s weak and uneven characterization.

Also, another film released at the same time used a very similar ending, so much of the final act was very quickly reshot, scored, and edited… and it shows.

This edit helps fix these problems (and more). It uses video and/or audio from the following films:
X-Men Dark Phoenix (2019)
X-Men Apocalypse (2016)
Knowing (2009)

Edit completed. PM me for link and by doing so you agree you own 1080p versions of the above three films.

Major changes:

Jean goes fully dark from the beginning and kills her father. (UPDATE: Clip here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1L52WC4Q8qC2CyFWBXgM8cFD8GE5VUbrB or here: https://youtu.be/2e2Q9XSY3kA)
Xavier mind controlled Jean’s father to take her away and use her power.
In the end Xavier thinks Jean sacrificed herself to save the world, but she actually declares war on humanity (UPDATE: clip here: https://youtu.be/gWwyqQxLdbM)
Throughout the story Jean is more aggressive and less apologetic about becoming the Dark Phoenix.
Reduced screen time of the poorly written expository character, Vuk (played by the talented Jessica Chastain).
No more alien plot. The aliens are now instead humans “evolved” into a more advanced race by the Dark Phoenix power. By containing the power, Jean has delayed it from evolving the entire planet.
Vuk no longer wants to control the Dark Phoenix power, she wants to free it from Jean and let it fulfill its purpose on Earth.
Fight scenes tighter; fix badly edited and choreographed action.

Change list (Version 2 changes noted with V2):

Added part of a deleted scene where Charles laments his mistakes.
Cut the word Houston from the trite line to NASA control, “Houston we have a problem.”
Changed some scoring and sound effects for the space rescue sequence to give it more impact.
When Kurt rescues the final astronaut, cut and rearranged the sequence so Kurt doesn’t look inexplicably confused.
Replaced Jean’s scream as she absorbs the energy.
Cut expository part of Charles’ line: “for anyone in the field.” Referring to Jean’s medical exam.
Added a light with energy sound effects in the woods and a light effect to suggest Margaret is transformed (into Vuk) by energy, not killed or body snatched by aliens.
Move scene with the creatures in the woods to after Margaret transforms— so now they are following her, not attacking her.
Trimmed most of the weird rave girl interlude during the teen mutant party; it was a rather jolting music video inserted into a sci-fi film.
Changed subtitled parking lot discussion to show that the creatures (now in human form) were transformed by the energy (no longer aliens).
Cut Vuk’s line “If we can control that power, it can resurrect our race. Begin again. Here.”
At the reunion of Jean and her father, cut flashback of conversation between Charles and Jean’s father.
Jean snaps her father’s spine instead of putting him to sleep.
Trimmed the amount of time the father’s body is shown on the floor because his head moved slightly.
Trimmed Charles’ opening lines for Raven’s eulogy as they were used in the added opening deleted scene.
Trimmed Jean’s hand motions when using telekinesis against different X-Men fighting her.
Cut the word stop from Raven’s line “Jean stop.” The acting was not stellar.
Cut Charles’ expository dialogue explaining why he stopped Hank from taking the shot.
Trimmed Jean’s line to Raven “When it comes…” Left the line “people get hurt” intact. Need less focus on something else making her do bad things.
Cut Jean running to help Raven, impaled. She instead just flies away.
Trimmed Hank’s reaction time before he starts running to Raven, critically injured.
Trimmed Jean crying in the rain. Now she seems to be upset but basking in it.
Cut Jean’s father from talking to Vuk since now he’s dead. Added a brief shot of his body to the crime scene.
Cut Jean and Erik sitting down with teacups.
Cut Erik’s lines to Jean, “Why don’t you start from the beginning.” and “What did you come here to ask me?”
Cut Jean’s whiny unsure lines to Erik: How did you stop, I don’t know what’s happening to me, I lose control, bad things happen, etc.
Cut recurring instances of Erik questioning the blood on Jean’s shirt.
Cut Erik’s line “We don’t get the news out here, Captain.”
Cut Jean’s line “It’s me” when she starts up the helicopter.
Cut the soldier just leaning away from the helicopter blades kind of like it was no big deal he was about to get decapitated.
Trimmed Jean’s hand motions when she telekinetically tosses away the soldier’s weapons so she appears less floundering, more capable.
At the compound, Erik moves faster when Jean hurls him into debris.
Recut the bar scene with Vuk and Jean so the subject is now about Jean being abandoned, not about being all powerful.
Changed subtitled dialogue of Vuk’s colleague to: “The great energy will evolve this species even if it kills her.”
When Vuk shows Jean the vision, cut portions which portray her as an alien.
Trimmed the mutant street fighting that looked really bad such as silly dodges, falls, bad aim, and other assorted B.S.
Cut Vuk telling Jean they’re going to kill you, feel the power inside you.
Cut Erik’s line when he confronts Jean, “I know whose blood that was.”
Cut Jean’s lines to Erik, “You cast me out now you come to kill me.”
The railing moves faster to impail Jean’s eye, still without success.
Cut a few bad 80’s synthesizer hits during the Erik/Jean confrontation.
Erik moves faster when Jean hurls him out the window.
Cut Vuk’s line “She’s not your little girl anymore.”
Charles’ memories reveal to Jean he manipulated and forced her father to give her up.
Reordered scenes so Vuk no longer watches from the rooftop as Jean is loaded into the ambulance. Given Vuk’s new capabilities she could have just taken her. V2: Recut the rooftop sequence so there is no longer a jarring jump cut of Vuk.
During the train ride, cut Erik’s question to Charles about what’s controlling Jean and the related conversation.
Charles admits he was wrong, but no longer says he shouldn’t have lied to Jean. His sins are now far greater.
Trimmed fighting on the train that looked really bad.
Cut bad sounding line from soldier, “What’s the status on those mutants?”
Trimmed the close-up of the blonde male attacker on the train. He just gets blasted.
When the X-Men unite on the train, reversed direction of a shot so they are moving forward instead of retreating.
Cut the female mind controlling mutant asking Hank out of the blue during a confrontation, “what are you doing?” It sounded really bad.
Trimmed Storm’s over the top rise from the train.
Cut a mutant being pulled from the train by surprise (by her head) since her reaction looked goofy.
Sped up Erik throwing an object to deflect an attacker.
Trimmed epic(ly bad) jump of Vuk onto the train— she was in high heels and business attire and it looked effing ridiculous.
Trimmed the conversation with young Jean forgiving Charles. Jean does not say she forgives him. She does not call the X-Men her family. V2: Made further cuts and added Jean saying “I break things” in response to Charles’ apology so it no longer seems like Jean accepts Charles and her X-Men family.
Trimmed the time spent showcasing the protective bubbles around the X-Men inside the train as it disintegrates.
At the crash site, trimmed the amount of time it takes for the generic henchmen to rush at Jean.
Cut Vuk’s standing still then rushing Jean.
V2: Cut Jean healing Scott’s hand, and cut her sad looks to the X-Men just before she flies Vuk into space.
Cut Vuk’s shoehorned line about emotions making you weak, and cut Jean’s responses.
Changed music and trimmed/recut Charles and Erik’s Paris cafe scene to make it more serious and dark. V2: Added flashback audio of Jean, angry with Charles to better set the tone.
Changed music and sound effects as the Phoenix flies over Paris and added the sounds of whispered prayers. This is setting up the Phoenix as a god on Earth.
Moved scene of Hank running the school to blend with the New York destruction sequence. V2: Reinstated part of Jean’s narration saying she evolved beyond this world and this is a new beginning-- just before she destroys Manhattan.
Moved Jean as the fully transformed Phoenix after New York is burned, reveling in the destruction.
Changed music for credits more appropriate for the new darker ending.