X-Men: Dark Phoenix - 21 Easter Eggs & References Explained

12. Skrulls?

When the decision was made to change the final third of Dark Phoenix, it was apparently down to similarities with another superhero movie. James McAvoy revealed that the film was extensively reshot because "there was a lot of overlap and parallels with another superhero movie that came out... a while ago".

Despite the qualification at the end, it's clear he means a recent film and that can only be Captain Marvel.

Not only is the hero a cosmically powered superhero who clashes with a male mentor, but she also works with an alien race who disguise themselves as humans and whose pasts included the destruction of their planet and them seemingly being skattered across the universe. If you're getting serious Skrull vibes, it's no accident - there's definitely some very close parallels here, even with the third act (which was initially set in space) changed.