Be still our beating hearts! EW has reported that the Marvel character Alison Blaire (a.k.a. Dazzler) will make a small appearance in next year’s X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX. No casting has been announced as yet.
The appearance of Dazzler has long been rumoured since the first photo of actors discovering one of her records surfaced in the pre-publicity for X-Men: Apocalypse. The scene was subsequently cut, but not before rampant speculation of Taylor Swift’s casting in the role. (Fun fact: that record art was based on the Bill Sienkiewicz cover for Dazzler #29).
Marvel has previously tried to bring Dazzler to the screen. In the early 1980s, Bo Derek was cast in a film based on the character, with a screenplay commissioned by Gary Goddard. The project was subsequently cancelled. She has, however, turned up in several animated series and videos games.
First appearing in Uncanny X-Men #130 in 1980, the character was originally a multi-media creation between Casablanca Records and Marvel Comics with the intention of actual records and cross-promotions. These didn’t eventuate, but she did get her own series that lasted for 42 issues, a limited series, and an original graphic novel called Dazzler: The Movie. She has recently been a bigger part of the Marvel Universe as a member of the all-female A-Force.
Directed by Simon Kinberg, the film is expected to commence shooting in the next few months, starring returning cast members Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Alexander Shipp, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan and Kodi Smit-McPhee. X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX is due for release on 1 November 2018 in Australia, and on 2 November 2018 in the US, from Fox.
