With 'Dark Phoenix,' 'X-Men' architect Simon Kinberg knew he was making a grand finale
LOS ANGELES - It seems fitting that the title of the new X-Men movie includes the word "phoenix," because for its director, Simon Kinberg, the film represents both an ending and a new beginning.
"Dark Phoenix," in theaters Friday, is the final installment in the mutant-superhero franchise produced by 20th Century Fox; it caps the end of an era for the series that began with 2000's "X-Men" as it heads into uncharted territory under the stewardship of Disney, which acquired Fox earlier this year. For Kinberg, who has played a key role in steering the X-Men universe at Fox as a screenwriter and producer for more than a decade, the film also marks the launch of a new career as a director.
On a recent afternoon, Kinberg, 45, sat in a darkened edit bay near his office
