'X-Men: Dark Phoenix' Will Introduce Us To Dazzler — The X-Men's Pop Star Sensation

There ain't no party like a Dazzler party! #Marvel's very own superhero pop star, Dazzler, was created as part of a cross-promotional deal between Marvel Comics and Cassandra Records back in 1980—the tail end of the disco era. Her concept was a pretty cool one: Dazzler has the power to transform sound into light, turning her concerts into psychedelic light-shows like no gig you'll ever see on Earth.

We almost got a nod to Dazzler in last year's X-Men: Apocalypse, but — much to the frustration of #XMen fans — that brief scene was eventually cut. Last weekend, though, a leaked casting call suggested the character is going to turn up in the next X-Men tentpole film, X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Now, excitingly, that's been confirmed by Entertainment Weekly, who report that she'll have a small role in the film.

What version of dazzler will appear in X-Men: Dark Phoenix?

If the casting call is to be believed, we're about to meet a Dazzler who's fairly early on in her career. Here's the description:

"Brittany. Female 18 to play younger (15-17) Caucasian. Very attractive, charismatic, and confident. Possibly a bit edgy with a fiery personality, Brittany is a born entertainer. Strong singing skills are a plus, but not mandatory. SUPPORTING."

So it seems this version of Dazzler is a teen sensation, a fiery character who's a "born entertainer." It's very much a description of the #Dazzler we first met in the comics, and the great thing for Fox is that she'll be easy to adapt as a pop star for the '90s. The character's look and style have been redesigned throughout her comic book career; she's gone from disco queen (complete with roller blades) to Goth.

Fans have often campaigned for present-day pop sensation Taylor Swift to play the part, but according to Entertainment Weekly there are currently no plans for that. Even if the part is a small one, I suspect Taylor Swift will be outside Fox's pay grade.

Why including Dazzler is a smart move on Fox's part.

That leaked casting call has left X-Men fans more than a little concerned. Fox has a bad habit of over-stuffing films with too many characters, none of whom really get the chance to shine. Ironically, that mistake was most visible in 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand, which marked the studio's last attempt to tackle the Dark Phoenix Saga storyline. In the case of Dazzler, though, it's a risk worth taking.

Dazzler was introduced in Uncanny X-Men #130, back in 1980. The X-Men were on something of a recruitment drive at the time, with some of their members attempting to get Kitty Pryde to join up, while the others checked out a mysterious new mutant power signature. They stumbled on one of Dazzler's gigs, and promptly realized the pop star herself was their new mutant. Unfortunately for the X-Men, their sales pitch to Dazzler was interrupted by a new group of enemies, the Hellfire Club, who had been lurking in the background for some time. Dazzler helped the X-Men rescue Kitty Pryde from her captors.

This was the beginning of the Dark Phoenix Saga, as the X-Men clashed with the Hellfire Club, and #JeanGrey came under the influence of the psychic Mastermind. Dazzler may not have played a major role in the arc, but her introduction is still considered to be an important part of the story. We don't yet know how #DarkPhoenix will adapt the plot (the casting call mentions 'President Anderson,' suggesting there's an intriguing new international dimension to this adaptation). Still, the fact remains that Fox is choosing a very appropriate film to introduce us to Dazzler.

Before we get too excited, though, we should remember that we don't yet know how important a role this is. It may well just be a cameo, of the kind we saw for Lana Condor's Jubilee in X-Men: Apocalypse. As fans of the Mall Rat know, so much of that character's potential wound up cut during the editing process. The same, I'm afraid, may yet happen for Dazzler.

Whatever the case may be, though, it looks as though #Fox's X-Men are about to gain their very own mutant pop sensation. Bring it on!

(Source: Entertainment Weekly)