The New Mutants director Josh Boone confirms his terrifying X-Men film originally featured the comics villain Warlock. Fans have been waiting a long time to see The New Mutants, as it was once scheduled for release back in 2018. However, as many know by now, The New Mutants is arguably one of the unluckiest films in recent years and has been delayed multiple times. At this current moment, it's set for August 28, and many are hoping this date will finally stick. For his part, Boone has stood by The New Mutants and insists the version fans will eventually see is what he always set out to make.
The core cast of The New Mutants is comprised of Maisie Williams (Wolfsbane), Anya Taylor-Joy (Magik), Charlie Heaton (Cannonball), Blu Hunt (Mirage), and Henry Zaga (Sunspot). However, there were once rumors of other characters being included among the team, including Warlock. Back in 2018, it seemed like reshoots were going to occur for the purpose of adding a new character, but Boone revealed they never actually happened.
During an interview with Screen Rant before The New Mutants' Comic-Con@Home panel, Boone discussed how the original script for the film actually did include a few notable characters. Warlock was a part of this first draft, but, as Boone explained, he had to be removed:
Josh Boone: Actually, the original scripts for this had Warlock in it, and we had to take Warlock out to be able to make the movie because he was so expensive. But we always had lined up for Cypher, Karma, and Warlock.
Warlock and Karma are two characters that have been mentioned more than once during The New Mutants' lengthy development process, and Boone has previously said he always intended to introduce the two in a potential New Mutants 2. Boone had plans for three New Mutants films in total, though whether they will ever come to pass remains unclear. The biggest reason for The New Mutants' many delays is the Disney-Fox merger, and Disney's plans to incorporate mutants into their MCU puts the future of Boone's franchise into question. Boone still hopes to make his additional films, but it will all depend on how well The New Mutants performs when it comes out in theaters.
There were brief rumors earlier this week that The New Mutants will be released on Disney+ in September, but Disney confirmed they were false. Of course, there is still a chance The New Mutants will get delayed yet again, but fans are hopeful that they will eventually see this long-awaited film. Boone and his cast have showered praise upon the final cut, further heightening fans' expectations. While it might not include certain characters (sorry, Warlock), The New Mutants still promises to have plenty of tricks up its sleeve.
