The first X-Men debuted back in 2000 and, while it wasn't a blockbuster on the same scale as contemporary superhero movies, it exceeded all expectations for a comic book movie that didn't focus on a famous character like Batman or Superman, paving the way for other comic book adaptations like Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and Daredevil. Nearly two decades later, the franchise comes to an end with X-Men: Dark Phoenix, which held its world premiere earlier this week. To honor the accomplishments of the franchise and to celebrate its titular character, the City of Los Angeles confirmed that June 4th, 2019 was known as "Dark Phoenix Day."

During the official World Premiere live stream, Kevin James, Director of Film and Television Production for the Los Angeles Mayor's Office, joined director Simon Kinberg to make the announcement, which begins at the 37-minute mark in the video above.

"For as Dark Phoenix is the culmination of the groundbreaking, hugely successful X-Men series and one of the most iconic stories in comic book history, and whereas Dark Phoenix, with its main character, an emboldened female, is a tribute to the world's X-Women, female superheroes, role models, and strong women everywhere," James shared from an official certificate. "And whereas Dark Phoenix upholds the X-Men tradition of celebrating the notion that what makes you different makes you strong, and whereas the message of Dark Phoenix is about the importance of family, being there for each other, and putting aside personal differences in order to fight for what is right and for the future of the planet, and whereas I urge all citizens and mutants to celebrate the conclusion of the X-Men franchise and its tremendous global impact on popular culture."

The certification continued, "Now, therefore I, Eric Garcetti, Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, do hereby recognize Dark Phoenix for its portrayal of empowered females and as the concluding chapter of the immensely popular, long-running X-Men film series for nearly 20 years."

In Dark Phoenix, the X-Men face their most formidable and powerful foe: one of their own, Jean Grey. During a rescue mission in space, Jean is nearly killed when she is hit by a mysterious cosmic force. Once she returns home, this force not only makes her infinitely more powerful, but far more unstable. Wrestling with this entity inside her, Jean unleashes her powers in ways she can neither comprehend nor contain. With Jean spiraling out of control, and hurting the ones she loves most, she begins to unravel the very fabric that holds the X-Men together. Now, with this family falling apart, they must find a way to unite - not only to save Jean's soul, but to save our very planet from aliens who wish to weaponize this force and rule the galaxy.

Fans can check out X-Men: Dark Phoenix when it lands in theaters on June 7th.