The New Mutants always had the deck stacked against it. The X-Men spin-off released back in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and also happened to be the final Marvel movie distributed under the 20th Century Fox banner following the Disney acquisition.
Fans remained hopeful after a couple of decent trailers, but the muddled and inconsistent adaptation of The Demon Bear Saga failed to find an audience, and critics were even less impressed (the movie sits at 36% on Rotten Tomatoes).
Writer/director Josh Boone has previously spoken about his experience working on the movie, and has now explained why he ultimately found the whole thing "unfulfilling."
"I was one of the writers on New Mutants. It's so hard because it was so traumatic," the filmmaker told The Direct. "The studio was sold, and we hit a pandemic... The studio was sold during the shooting, and then the pandemic happened when they decided to release it. And it just was such a — I had a wonderful time. I love the cast so much, but making that... It took so many years, and it was so unfulfilling, ultimately."
The movie introduced a number of characters - Illyanna Rasputin, aka Magik, in particular - that went on to become staples of the X-Men comics for years to come after initially forming the core team of New Mutants, so there's a decent chance that at least some of them will eventually find their way into the MCU.
Would Boone have any interest in revisiting these characters down the line should the opportunity arise?
"We didn't really get to make the movie we wanted to make. We made half the movie we wanted to make. And the release was so compromised by the pandemic... I'd rather just never do it again, just to be honest."
What did you make of The New Mutants? Drop us a comment down below.
"In this terrifying, action-fuelled film based on the MARVEL comic series, five young people who demonstrate special powers are brought to a secret institution to undergo treatments they are told will cure them of the dangers of their powers. Included are Danielle Moonstar aka Mirage (Blu Hunt), who creates illusions from other people’s fears; Rahne Sinclair (Maisie Williams), who transforms into the werewolf Wolfsbane; Sam Guthrie (Charlie Heaton), who, as Cannonball, can fly at jet speeds protected by a force field; Roberto da Costa aka Sunspot (Henry Zaga), who absorbs and channels solar power; and Illyana Rasputin aka Magik (Anya Taylor-Joy). The younger sister of Colossus, Magik becomes encased in armor at will and wields a soulsword that amplifies her multiple superhuman and psychic abilities. Invited by Dr. Cecilia Reyes (Alice Braga) to share their stories about when their powers first manifested, the five “patients” come to understand that they are in a class of people called mutants, who have historically been marginalized and feared.
As they relive their origin stories, their memories seem to turn into terrifying realities. Soon, they question what is real and what isn’t, and it becomes clear that the institution isn’t what it seems. Now the question is — why are they being held captive? And who is trying to destroy them? The tension and horror mount in this white-knuckle thrill ride directed by Josh Boone and co-written by Boone and Knate Lee.”