The New Mutants, the most recent Fox X-Men picture, was met with widespread disapproval from moviegoers and reviewers alike. This new Marvel special will join other October releases on the streaming service, such as the previously mentioned Werewolf By Night. Filmed in the X-Men movie world, The New Mutants follows a group of five teens with mutant abilities who are imprisoned in a secret medical facility led by Dr Cecilia Reyes (Alice Braga). Magik, Cannonball, Mirage, Wolfsbane, and Sunspot, five teenagers with superpowers, were promised training in the use of their skills.
They are all put through treatments that are meant to help them, but as time passes and their memories fade, they begin to doubt whether or not they should have stayed in the medical facility. The cinematic adaptation of the Marvel Comics series New Mutants began production in 2017, aiming for a release in 2018. However, due to a number of delays—including extensive reshoots, an issue with Disney and 20th Century Fox combining, and the increased incidence of COVID-19—the film wasn’t released until 2020. The X-Men picture inspired by the horror films of the 1990s failed to impress audiences and brought in only $49 million at the box office, further damaging the franchise’s finances.
Although it features a number of promising newcomers like Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Blu Hunt (Another Life), Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things), and Henry Zaga (Trinkets), The New Mutants only managed a 35% critical score and a 56% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Fans have always adored the first several X-Men movies, but the last two, Dark Phoenix and Apocalypse, were widely panned by critics. Reports have surfaced that the X-Men would be given a reinvention in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Patrick Stewart’s Professor Charles Xavier showing up in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
However, true believers in the X-Men will have to wait until more announcements are made. The New Mutants was directed by Josh Boone and was written by Boone and Knate Lee. As a result, viewers’ anticipation for The New Mutants has only grown over the past decade, making it one of the most often delayed releases. Despite the lacklustre reception, Disney+ is giving the show a second chance.
Synopsis
“The New Mutants is an original horror movie produced by 20th Century Fox and Marvel Entertainment about a group of adolescent mutants who are institutionalised for mental observation. When odd things start happening, the group will have to rely on each other and on their new mutant talents to survive.”