Sophie Turner as Jean Grey
When Turner was cast as Jean Grey for 2016’s X: Men – Apocalypse, it made sense for the franchise from an economic and marketability perspective.
Turner was one of the principal players in Game of Thrones, inarguably the most popular show on television at the time.
But in terms of synergy between character and actor, particularly considering the Dark Phoenix storyline, Turner wasn’t exactly a nailed-on choice.
Her American accent was wildly all over the place, and more substantially, her stoic mannerisms and stiff expressions, which assisted her in essaying Sansa Stark’s character arc, did not serve her interpretation of Jean Grey.
But Apocalypse had bigger problems, and Turner’s wanting performance was neglected under the rubble of Apocalypse’s many lapses.
Then, Dark Phoenix happened. The film was awful, to put it mildly, and that certainly did Turner no favours.
But considering she was the film’s ostensible lead, her performance had a considerable bearing on its outcome. And boy, it wasn’t a performance that worked on any level for me.
The Dark Phoenix storyline, botched as it may have been in the film, offers the titular actor plenty of scope to flex their muscles. There is a strong central character arc at play, and Turner wasn’t up to the task.
She was either completely flat and emotionless or ridiculously over the top. But I must temper this criticism against the fact that this was a movie that made Jessica Chastain come across as a poor actress.
She, along with Jennifer Lawrence, was merely cashing in her paychecks and nothing more. But we know what the two are capable of; we’ve seen them carrying films on the strength of their performances.
That being said, they didn’t have to carry Dark Phoenix. Turner did, and she failed to do so.
Come to think of it, Jessica Chastain would have been a near-perfect pick to play an adult Jean Grey.
It seems fairly safe to presume that Sophie Turner was cast primarily because of her popularity and without considering whether she could shoulder being the lead in the eventual Dark Phoenix movie.
Here’s who was in the running for Jean Grey in Apocalypse, before Turner was eventually cast: Elle Fanning, Hailee Steinfeld, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Saoirse Ronan.
I repeat. Saoirse Ronan. Saoirse goddamn Ronan. The cream of the crop. Goodness me.
I hope it was she who rebuffed the role and not the other way around.
All due respect to Turner, but if indeed both Ronan and Turner agreed to the part, and they went with Turner, then the world is broken. An actual apocalypse might be incoming.
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