Leaks from the upcoming New Mutants film have revealed the truth about a terrifying new threat; the Smiley Men. Josh Boone's ill-fated New Mutants has been delayed four times now, most recently because of the coronavirus pandemic. It doesn't currently have a release date at all, and there's growing speculation Disney will choose to drop it on Disney+.
Ironically, because New Mutants was supposed to come out in April, some of what should have been promotional content has slipped through the cracks. That includes an issue of Cinefex magazine, which is dedicated to special effects in the film industry. It featured a still from the movie showing Anya Taylor-Joy's Magik in pitched battle with Demon Bear, the film's primary antagonist. But Cinefex also discusses some plot elements as well - and presents a thrilling glimpse of a new villain.
Cinefex #170 (via ComicBook.com) includes two stunning images of one of the Smiley Men, monstrous beings who were previously glimpsed menacing the heroes from the shadows in the trailers. According to the magazine, these creatures are somehow tied to Magik's past, and are brought to life through Dani Moonstar's uncontrolled ability to make a person's worst fears manifest.
Josh Boone is a comic book fan, and New Mutants is particularly influenced by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz's unforgettable run. For all that's the case, though, the Smiley Men don't have any direct precedent from that era of the comics. The best guess is that Boone has drawn this idea from the so-called "Inferno Babies," children who were trapped in the Hell Dimension of Limbo and who were mutated by the energies there. Magik is strongly tied to Limbo, and it's possible she unwittingly trapped people there as part of the killing spree she brags about in the trailers.
Meanwhile, this latest leak will support theories the real villain of New Mutants is Blu Hunt's Dani Moonstar. Her power reshapes reality, giving a person's worst fears physical form. That would fit with shots in the trailers showing Cannonball reliving the mine collapse that triggered his powers; Wolfsbane hiding in a church confessional, remembering the abuse she suffered at the hands of a reverend; and even Dani's own desperate flight through a snowswept forest. If this theory is correct, Dani is a newfound mutant whose powers are flaring out of control, and who unwittingly poses a terrifying threat to everyone around her. Hopefully it won't be long before Disney choose a way to release New Mutants, and viewers are actually able to see whether these theories are correct.
Source: Cinefex #170 (via ComicBook.com)