Here's my theory:
Disclaimer: I do know that there are a lot of things that could go against this, but with everything we've been getting thus far about an "alternate" version (as has been all but proven with conflicting advance screenings), I believe that there is a hint to possibility here
Fox is using this whole "unfinished effects" and "cut effects scenes" as an excuse to show a near final version, but not quite.
They could use the excuse that effects were needed to still be tweaked.
Warning: I will post spoilers, if you don't know of the details we've gotten regarding the end of the film, and don't want to know, do not continue reading, as I will not use spoiler tags
Simon Kinberg did say more mutants would join the battle, if I recall correctly. And really, the only mutants left to join the battle are Cyclops, Angel, and Rogue. None of which we've seen any kind of footage of at the final battle, and no reports have come in saying they were there. Nightcrawler was never officially an X-Men team member, and was never promoted in a team uniform, however, Angel is being promoted that way. It does imply that he will join the team.
I believe that these extra mutants, whoever they are, all come in at once, and will be at least Angel and Cyclops.
The whole Dark Phoenix seducing Wolverine thing could actually work in the storyline. She continues to seduce him, and spiral out of control, and he believes that his love for her is growing stronger and stronger. She thinks that she killed Scott (as does everyone else), so with someone else not there, it's easier to give into your desires in the case of Wolverine, and play with someone else's desires in the case of Jean Grey / Phoenix.
The writers have stated "many surprises" for Cyclops. Well, we all knew he was gonna get blown up at Alkali Lake, and they knew we knew that.
There was one TV spot that showed, what appeared to me, to be Angel inside of the Mansion.
So work with me here...
Not shown in these press screenings are:
-Cyclops coming back to the mansion
-Meets Angel
-Angel briefs Cyclops on what the X-Men are up to
-Cyclops gives Angel a uniform (people at one point talked about Angel wearing Scott's uniform... perhaps they could pull a remake of a deleted scene from X-Men when Scott gave Logan one of his old uniforms)
-Angel and Cyclops go to Alcatraz
For an even more dramatic entrance, we don't see anything of that until Angel flies Scott into Alcatraz.
Cue TOB's theory:
After Wolverine stabs Phoenix with his claws, thinking he killed her, she rises again. Afterall, if rushing waves of flooding water, and being submerged underneath said waters of a period of months, doesn't kill her, how could being stabbed by some metal claws?
She rises again, but this time Cyclops is here to bring her back.
I honestly think that killing off Phoenix again is redundant. As much as they make an attempt, I don't think it will have the lasting emotional impact, because it will be thought by the general audience "won't she just come back again? She died once already"
I think for the purposes of good storytelling, she MUST come back.
But they could use the excuse of any effects needed for Phoenix re-rising, Angel flying Cyclops into Alcatraz, or any optic blasts, being incomplete as to why they were cut.
Fox toyed with us once already. I wasn't around for X2, but the word is that they pulled a fast one with Jean Grey. And granted, that was a much larger plot point than whether or not Cyclops dies, the fan hysteria over Cyclops' supposed death has caused an overwhelming impact.
I find it hard to believe that people who talk such a big game about being such big fans, could be attacked with the outrage from the fans over the fate of a particular character, with time to change it, and still not make any changes to it and leave him dead in the water. Adn then have the nerve to talk about how great of allies they've been to the fan community.
We never saw the AICN 3rd act... scenes are obviously being cut and / or tweaked for these screenings. Fox has a perfect oppourtunity to pull a fast one on us, when they've been playing the super secret game for so long.
I can't give up all hope yet. I mean, honestly, I know it's not very likely, all this fuss over one character that obviously isn't even a major player. But I refuse to believe that the parameters were to just up and kill Cyclops, and get him out of the way so Hugh Jackman's Wolverine can shine, when we have just as small name actors playing characters who ARE getting their moments.
There has got to be something going on with Cyclops that everyone but us knows about. Fox, Simon, Zak, Brett, Lauren, they all must just be thinking "Neener neener neener, we know something you don't!" about this whole Fox situation.
I mean, we never see him killed?! That's just SCREAMING for a return later on in the movie.
There's an oppourtunity there to keep us all in suspense, and it just might be working. I just can't believe that with everything else these guys are getting right (fixing Storm, Beast's character, continuing the brilliance of Magneto's character, the great Cure plotline, Angel's introduction, the final battle) that they'd **** up something so major in the most beloved story arc in X-Men history in the Phoenix Saga, and one of it's most important characters in Cyclops.
To me, something like that is a role that the writers are proud of, within the parameters, and something the fans will be proud of.
It might not be what we want, in Cyclops being the movie's leading man, but it'd at least be what we need, in keeping the basics of the storyline intact (the strength of Jean & Scott's love)
We've had James talk about wearing the uniform. We've seen a picture that heavily implies him in uniform in the Alcatraz complex. We've seen Patrick Stewart talk about how Scott & Jean's relationship is different from Logan & Jean's, or Xavier & Jean's. We've seen the writers talk about surprises for the character, being proud of the performance, and the fans being pleased with the character. And we've seen them make comments about not all fates being what they appear.
Again, I know it's not likely. But I think there's a chance. And the death of Cyclops, never to return for the rest of the movie, does in fact conflict with things we've seen and heard.
Call me a sucker. Call me naiive. And say I'll be disappointed come May 26th for thinking like this.
But I just CAN'T give up the good fight. I've been beaten, I've been bruised, and I've pulled the white flag out of the closet. But I'll be damned if I've waved it yet. I'm gonna hold on for dear life by my fingernails if I have to, but just like Scott would never give up on Jean, I won't give up on Scott.
