'Dark Phoenix' Stars Sophie Turner and Jessica Chastain Talk Strong Female Characters

It looks like Jessica Chastain and Sophie Turner are having a blast promoting Dark Phoenix. Jessica's character ends up being highly influential on Sophie's Jean Grey. And the same appears to be happening IRL: The two have a sweet chemistry in interviews together and talk honestly about what their powerful female characters have meant to them.

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It looks like Jessica Chastain and Sophie Turner are having a blast promoting Dark Phoenix, including some very real foot blisters thanks to their seriously high heels. In the film, Jessica's character (who doesn't have a name and is very mysterious as of yet) ends up being highly influential on Sophie's Jean Grey. And the same appears to be happening IRL: The two have a sweet chemistry in interviews together and talk honestly about what their powerful female characters have meant to them.

"Growing up, I didn't really feel like...I'd seen a superhero movie with a really strong female at the helm," Turner said in the interview. "Now, it's so great that young girls and young boys and your daughter [pointing to Jessica] can grow up and watch this movie and look at it and say, 'Oh wow, what a strong, well-rounded, accurate representation of a woman."

"Also, all women are strong and all women are incredible and powerful," Chastain added. "It'll be nice, when we get to the point too when we make these films, that we don't have to say, 'It's great to see a strong female character, well, it's just normal.'"

"Yeah," agreed Turner. "It's just a character."

In a cover story with Marie Claire, Jessica touched upon sexism and the work that has led her to Freckle Films, an all-women production company.

Dark Phoenix comes out in June:

And I can't wait.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York TimesParentsInStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLEHarper’s BazaarSeventeenGood Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeanshow sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.