How should the movie end?

[Cho Chang]

How about:

Cyclops comes back at the end of the film for the final battle and gets killed for a second time. Then Jean uses the Phoenix force to bring him back to life but he then gets killed again because he sucks ass. The end.

 

[Jack Phantom]

It's not necessary to kill everyone. We want: same characters, new stories.

You want same characters, same stories (Jean and Wolverine battling their inner demons).

There are plenty of other scenarios aside from Wolverine deciding whether to leave or join and Jean going evil.

That's pretty much at the heart of what I was pointing out. There are many other stories...what I proposed was one possibility...taking into account that we've probably seen the last X-Film with Jackman (Wolverine) for quite some time as he moves on to the Wolverine spin-off. The storyline I laid out merely provided a reason for Wolverine not being in the film. As for Jean turning to evil again, without a compelling storyline for her character which follows up with some continuity on the altered D.P. Saga we're getting in the movie-verse...how does she just pickup and carry forward? Not to mention without some sort of chunky storyline, Famke and Halle very likely will not return for a fourth (according to press quotes). So minus some meaty material for those key characters, and an explanation for Wolverine's likely absence...how do you create a story that works for an X4 that has both action/development?

 

[Jack Phantom]

^ That's why I posted before that if the fanbase isn't interested in exploring what the writers/producers have left at the end of X3 to work into an X4 ... maybe Cyclops fate and that of many other key characters from this first trilogy should unequivicably answer the question of where those characters are for future reference in other films. Not to mention the dramatic possibilities involved. Then fans could have an X4 that sort of begins fresh with new characters telling stories from other X books that would be brand new.

 

[X-Maniac]

That's pretty much at the heart of what I was pointing out. There are many other stories...what I proposed was one possibility...taking into account that we've probably seen the last X-Film with Jackman (Wolverine) for quite some time as he moves on to the Wolverine spin-off. The storyline I laid out merely provided a reason for Wolverine not being in the film. As for Jean turning to evil again, without a compelling storyline for her character which follows up with some continuity on the altered D.P. Saga we're getting in the movie-verse...how does she just pickup and carry forward? Not to mention without some sort of chunky storyline, Famke and Halle very likely will not return for a fourth (according to press quotes). So minus some meaty material for those key characters, and an explanation for Wolverine's likely absence...how do you create a story that works for an X4 that has both action/development?

I think we'll have seen the peak of Jean Grey's development and characterisation in X3. It would be difficult to keep her alive and have her normal again... although it would be good to see her alive as the team telepath/telekinetic and the one to operate Cerebro. I really don't know how they will deal with Phoenix at the end of X3. Does she vanish from earthly reality in a fiery flash; does she use up all her power defeating Magneto and return to normal; will she be reunited with Scott and marry him to have their child (Cable or Rachel)?

I'd like a future movie to show Storm finding romance (with Bishop, Forge or Black Panther), Gambit appearing, Colossus developing in some way (Russian government operatives such as Darkstar and Omega Red coming to try to capture him), and maybe the appearance of Hellfire Club, Sinister, Apocalypse or Magneto's vengeful children (Polaris, Scarlet Witch or Quicksilver). Sinister, Hellfire Club and Apocalypse could be hugely reinterpreted as villains.. rather than fighting the government/society from the outside as Magneto has done, these could be villains trying to rise to power within society to create a secret goverment to protect the mutant gene pool.. much more conspiratorial, subversive.

There are so many possibilties, but human drama has to be at the centre of it.

How do you think Jean's story will be dealt with in X3? Could she return to being a normal X-man, having redeemed herself (of the death of Xavier, perhaps even Cyclops too) by using all her suped-up power to kill Magneto (or revert him to childhood)? Would the X-Men welcome back someone who has (possibly) killed Xavier, the founder of the X-Men?

It would be nice to see an X4. Harry Potter has proved that a fourth movie can work without seeming at all tired or overdone. The X-Men have many more stories to tell than there are Harry Potter books. An X4 means finally seeing Gambit for a start!

 

[liverlips]

several marvel comics have been made to the big screen, only spidey and x-men have succeeded. the x-universe has so many characters and stories that it would be dumb of them not to continue.

i wish the movie would end much like the dark phoenix ended in the cartoons. jean sacrifices herself but lives and is safely back in cyclops arms.

having wolverine take on a leadership position is just so far out there. storm is acceptable, but logan ?!

He's supposed to be ex-military right? I think it makes sense for him to lead the charge...just hope he dies so other characters can get some screen time in X4.

 

[Jack Phantom]

Absolutely! While I doubt that I'm the biggest Gambit fan out there, IMO he would fill the personality void left by Wolverine's absence perfectly! To me, it makes a lot of sense to see Hank move into the Headmaster's role at the school and, if they could convince Halle to return, Storm in the field leader's position (Scott being gone). As for Jean, I for one, could be satisfied with her using her powers to win the battle for good in X3 and leaving herself powerless - leaving options open down the road. But like I was saying in the other posts, if the writers/producers go the route that rumors have them taking...Jean sacrificing her life to make things right might well be the only completely viable solution. In which case, the other scenerios we've batted around would still work...

 

[Jack Phantom]

Depending on how clear cut Mystique's fate is in X3 it would add an interesting storyline later in another film down the road to see a movie-verse version of the "New Brotherhood." That would create a chance to see characters from the Brotherhood's comic history that heretofore haven't been screened...like Blob...Avalanche...maybe a mix of characters older and newer that haven't been seen. Then, of course, there's the Hellfire Club with the chance to see Emma Frost...which would be a good way to find a new psychic to take Jean's place eventually.

 

[X-Maniac]

Absolutely! While I doubt that I'm the biggest Gambit fan out there, IMO he would fill the personality void left by Wolverine's absence perfectly! To me, it makes a lot of sense to see Hank move into the Headmaster's role at the school and, if they could convince Halle to return, Storm in the field leader's position (Scott being gone). As for Jean, I for one, could be satisfied with her using her powers to win the battle for good in X3 and leaving herself powerless - leaving options open down the road. But like I was saying in the other posts, if the writers/producers go the route that rumors have them taking...Jean sacrificing her life to make things right might well be the only completely viable solution. In which case, the other scenerios we've batted around would still work...

Yes, I agree. I think Jean has to a) vanish from the earthly plane in a fiery Phoenix flash b) return to normal power levels. To have her appear to visibly, physically die again doesn't feel right at all. It would have to be a Phoenix firebird sacrifice, as was envisaged at the end of X2 before Sentinels were ruled out... a disappearance in a massive burst of energy with a gigantic firebird effect... This is a little like the original comicbook when Dark Phoenix launched into space with a huge firebird (witnessed by the Hellfire Club!), and leaves the door open for an 'X-Men in space' story (as Brett mentioned) if that's the way the franchise goes.

She could redeem herself - before the fiery flash - only by stopping/defeating Magneto and other Brotherhood members that haven't already been defeated.

Ironically, it was Magneto who twice defeated Phoenix in the comics (once he siphoned off her cosmic lifeforce in a 'magnetic bottle' - a containment system used to control plasma energy.. plasma being the energy of the sun and stars; a second time, he gave her a lethal stoke by channelling the planet's electromagnetic energies into her; both times she was caught offguard).

But for movie purposes, Jean defeating Magneto would work well as a redemption, especially if she has killed Xavier and even Cyclops earlier on. I rather like the idea of her reducing him to infancy (as happened to him in the comics when a mutant he created turned on him)... but that may be a bit 'far out' for the movies.

If she were to be returne to normal, rather than the fiery disappearance, defeating Magneto in a supreme effort of her power could burn out her excess power (burn out that part of her brain) and return her to normal in a sort of naked, amnesiac confusion. Not easy to work with the character after that though... hard to have her sashay back into the school after all that has happened, life would never be the same...how would X-Men and students be with someone who had destroyed the professor, sided with the enemy. Which is why i think a fiery goodbye from the earthly plane works best.

This leaves Magneto's children (at least Wanda and Pietro, if not Polaris) to plot revenge on the X-Men in a future plot (they could join, or create, a new Brotherhood), and the cure story and the deaths of several leading mutants (including Xavier) is a good trigger for Sinister/Apocalypse/Hellfire to spring into action on protecting/enhancing the gene pool. Bring in Gambit and Bishop as good mutants, Emma Frost as the double agent perhaps, secretly working for the Hellfire Club.

 

[neemer5]

They all gather around the dinner table for Thanksgiving dinner.

 

[tonytr1687]

Yes, I agree. I think Jean has to a) vanish from the earthly plane in a fiery Phoenix flash b) return to normal power levels. To have her appear to visibly, physically die again doesn't feel right at all. It would have to be a Phoenix firebird sacrifice, as was envisaged at the end of X2 before Sentinels were ruled out... a disappearance in a massive burst of energy with a gigantic firebird effect... This is a little like the original comicbook when Dark Phoenix launched into space with a huge firebird (witnessed by the Hellfire Club!), and leaves the door open for an 'X-Men in space' story (as Brett mentioned) if that's the way the franchise goes.

She could redeem herself - before the fiery flash - only by stopping/defeating Magneto and other Brotherhood members that haven't already been defeated.

Ironically, it was Magneto who twice defeated Phoenix in the comics (once he siphoned off her cosmic lifeforce in a 'magnetic bottle' - a containment system used to control plasma energy.. plasma being the energy of the sun and stars; a second time, he gave her a lethal stoke by channelling the planet's electromagnetic energies into her; both times she was caught offguard).

But for movie purposes, Jean defeating Magneto would work well as a redemption, especially if she has killed Xavier and even Cyclops earlier on. I rather like the idea of her reducing him to infancy (as happened to him in the comics when a mutant he created turned on him)... but that may be a bit 'far out' for the movies.

If she were to be returne to normal, rather than the fiery disappearance, defeating Magneto in a supreme effort of her power could burn out her excess power (burn out that part of her brain) and return her to normal in a sort of naked, amnesiac confusion. Not easy to work with the character after that though... hard to have her sashay back into the school after all that has happened, life would never be the same...how would X-Men and students be with someone who had destroyed the professor, sided with the enemy. Which is why i think a fiery goodbye from the earthly plane works best.

This leaves Magneto's children (at least Wanda and Pietro, if not Polaris) to plot revenge on the X-Men in a future plot (they could join, or create, a new Brotherhood), and the cure story and the deaths of several leading mutants (including Xavier) is a good trigger for Sinister/Apocalypse/Hellfire to spring into action on protecting/enhancing the gene pool. Bring in Gambit and Bishop as good mutants, Emma Frost as the double agent perhaps, secretly working for the Hellfire Club.

"How would X-men and students be with someone who had destroyed the professor, sided with the enemy?"

You just answered your own question as to what should happen to Jean. None of you find this situation at all more interesting and provocative than Jean merely dying again like she did in X2? I mean come on, that would provide great future stories and character development if Jean is forced to live with what she has done, as well as the shake-up in her relationships it would cause. Everyone would be cautious of her. Imagine her and Scott's relationship. Very intriguing stuff if you ask me and the very reason why I want Jean to survive X3 and return to normal.

 

[freshandclean]

I think it might be wise to take account how some of these actors will look/age in the next 3-5 years. Famke is a beautiful woman but her age is starting to show. She might not look young enough to play Jean by the next film and I'd rather not recast a major character.

I like the idea of the younger cast "taking over". Rogue/Bobby/Kitty could replace the Scott/Jean/Storm trifecta. Enter Gambit as the "Wolverine". And it'll be a good way to introduce the New Mutants (Cannonball, Rahne, etc.) to take over the roles of the last generation (Rogue, Bobby, Kitty). The key will be to cast Gambit either as an up and comer (Hugh Jackman) or an already bankable star (i.e. Halle Berry) as I feel Gambit will be a big selling point. They also need to keep casting great actors. Real actors. Not just stunt casting (i.e. Jessica Simpson as DAZZLER!!!111).

 

[X-Maniac]

"How would X-men and students be with someone who had destroyed the professor, sided with the enemy?"

You just answered your own question as to what should happen to Jean. None of you find this situation at all more interesting and provocative than Jean merely dying again like she did in X2? I mean come on, that would provide great future stories and character development if Jean is forced to live with what she has done, as well as the shake-up in her relationships it would cause. Everyone would be cautious of her. Imagine her and Scott's relationship. Very intriguing stuff if you ask me and the very reason why I want Jean to survive X3 and return to normal.

It's one option to have her alive with the turbulence of the events of X3 rippling through the school's X-men and students... but I don't know if it feels like dragging on the story too much if the repercussions of Jean's actions in X3 form a substantial part of X4.

The other option I didn't mention is to have Wolverine carry out a mercy killing, as he did in the comicbook story when he and Jean were on a spaceship hurtling into the sun.

All of these options work in some way. Each has advantages and disadvantages. I'm sure they have considered it and come up with the best option that suits the storyline.

If Wolverine does kill her, then it does set up his leaving (ready for the events of the spin-off) as he wouldn't be able to live with himself and carry on fighting with the X-Men. His absence in an X4 would open up a space for Gambit.

 

[Cryostar1177]

Are they going back on there not being an X4? Last I heard, this was the end of the line, so they could spin Wolvie and Mags into their own movies.

 

[WorthyStevens]

It's one option to have her alive with the turbulence of the events of X3 rippling through the school's X-men and students... but I don't know if it feels like dragging on the story too much if the repercussions of Jean's actions in X3 form a substantial part of X4.

The other option I didn't mention is to have Wolverine carry out a mercy killing, as he did in the comicbook story when he and Jean were on a spaceship hurtling into the sun.

All of these options work in some way. Each has advantages and disadvantages. I'm sure they have considered it and come up with the best option that suits the storyline.

If Wolverine does kill her, then it does set up his leaving (ready for the events of the spin-off) as he wouldn't be able to live with himself and carry on fighting with the X-Men. His absence in an X4 would open up a space for Gambit.

But the spin-off is a prequel.

 

[X-Maniac]

But the spin-off is a prequel.

That was the original thought, yes....

But they may change that. Far better to have present-day Wolverine discovering his past than have the events of the past unfolding at the time they happened. The drama is in Wolverine's discovery of what happened in those 15 lost years, not in just showing it to the audience.