Director of The New Mutants Josh Boone says the team will become the one fans know from Marvel Comics by the end of his movie. The long-awaited film focuses on the titular group of young mutants, confronting their powers while held in a top-secret facility. It boasts an all-star cast, featuring Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, and others. The New Mutants is part of the X-Men world, though it's releasing after Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox. X-Men: Dark Phoenix, with Williams' GoT co-star Sophie Turner, did the same last year. As a result of Disney purchasing Fox, the mega studio now owns the X-Men characters, including the New Mutants.
The acquisition contributed to a delay for The New Mutants, which was filmed three years ago. Planned reshoots by Fox also played a role, though those ultimately didn't end up happening once the film moved to Disney. Originally set to release in April 2018, The New Mutants has been moved around the release schedule multiple times. However, despite the delays, interest has remained since the film was initially announced. In fact, in some ways, the long wait from when the movie was filmed to now has only created more anticipation, with fans eager for any piece of information about the film.
Now, Boone has delivered, discussing The New Mutants in an exclusive interview with Screen Rant. While promoting his movie for this weekend's Comic-Con@Home, Boone spoke of the state of the team at the end of the film, revealing, "I'd say the movie ends with heroic acts of friendship that sort of make them be the New Mutants of comic lore."
This statement from Boone should make those who enjoy the New Mutants comics happy. It speaks to Boone's commitment to the spirit of the source material, which bodes well for the film. It also suggests the development of the team over time, an essential component to any superhero ensemble movie. Though much of The New Mutants still remains a mystery, Boone's comment implies an exciting end for the film that will also satisfy fans of the comics.
Coming off the disappointment of X-Men: Dark Phoenix, it will be interesting to see how The New Mutants performs. The 2019 film was either an anomaly or a sign viewers are losing interest in the X-Men. The New Mutants could well be the movie that helps form Marvel's plans for the characters going forward. If it does well, there's a chance the X-Men will appear sooner in the Marvel Cinematic Universe than they otherwise would have. However, the studio will have to wait and see how The New Mutants does first.
