The New Mutants is the comic book film I’ve been most excited to see in recent years. With superhero cinema becoming so unified in tone thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was exciting to see that first trailer lean so heavily into the realm of horror. The idea that superhero movies are becoming so prolific that we’re starting to see them play with genre is invigorating.
But, I’m extremely worried about the fate of The New Mutants. For a number of reasons, but a big one is the upcoming merger between Disney and Fox. That’s because some news just came out that has potentially put The New Mutants on the chopping block.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
According to some recent rumors involving some of the big decision makers at Disney, X-Men: Dark Phoenix is slated to be the last X-Men film under the Fox banner. As of now, X-Men: Dark Phoenix is set to release on February 14, 2019. Meanwhile, The New Mutants is scheduled for August 2, 2019. So, if this rumor is true, does this mean The New Mutants is getting completely shelved?
There is a lot to parse with this info. From Fox’s standpoint, it probably makes sense to close out their X-Men franchise with a flagship title. Plus, the Dark Phoenix story is possibly the most well-known and beloved X-Men story in the franchise’s history. Ending the series on that narrative sounds like a good way to close the door on that chapter.
However, it’s possible that The New Mutants isn’t considered part of the regular X-Men franchise and is branching out on its own. That means it might not fall victim to this cancellation of the Fox X-Men universe. Regardless, the info is still sparse and it’s too soon to assume any particular decisions have been set in stone.
With that said, this is a plea to Disney to keep The New Mutants alive because we need more comic book films like it.
Variety Is the Spice of Life
If you talk to people who love the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they’ll say that the movies are all very different. They’re not wrong; the plots and narrative drives of their films are varied. But, it’s clear that the MCU has cultivated a very specific tone to their franchise and haven’t deviated from it in a significant way. That’s why you don’t see R-rated films or horror movies coming out of Marvel Studios.
With the X-Men universe now falling under the Mouse House, it’s presumed that the X-Men and their corresponding characters will be folded into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This has some people anxious that the new version of the X-Men will become a homogenized product in order to better align with the MCU.
From what we’ve seen, there is no way that The New Mutants will feel like it fits in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The tone, visual style, and story feel incredibly distant from the jovial and bright world of the MCU And that’s great! We need superhero cinema to be diverse when it comes to the kinds of stories we see on the big screen. And if The New Mutants becomes absorbed into the MCU, will it feel too out of place for audiences expecting the usual MCU experience?
There Is Hope
Supposedly, The New Mutants went back into production to reshape the movie. It’s reported that these reshoots were partially to inject even stronger horror elements into the movie. If Fox is already going to spend this much money on the film, it’s unlikely that Disney will scrap the entire project.
And supporting The New Mutants would be a great way for Disney to show that their Fox/Marvel projected will skew towards more mature audiences with films like Deadpool 2, and the upcoming X-Force movie. If Disney wants to show that they aren’t only in the business of PG-13 fare, showing confidence in The New Mutants would be a strong way to send that message.
With so much time, talent, and money already spent on The New Mutants, it’s hopeful that we’ll see it on the big screen. Let’s pray it’s still the horror movie it’s intended to be.