What an absolute rollercoaster the Fox universe of X-Men films has been, from the highs of 2000’s X-Men and James Mangold’s Logan to the lows of X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Dark Phoenix to the Deadpool series that looks set to cap off its trilogy by beheading this entire franchise, this is one canon that has elicited a fair share of emotions from generations of comic book film fans, and while it’s probably for the best that it gets absorbed by the MCU, a small part of us may shed a tear at its departure.
Of course, the franchise’s legacy is sure to be plagued with some troubling memories, as its final film sans Deadpool 3 (which some would argue is hardly a Fox film) was none other than The New Mutants; a superhero horror film whose respectable ambitions were sadly beaten to a pulp in the development pipeline, resulting in a 90-minute shadow of what could have been one of the boldest comic book movies we had ever seen.
For some, then, it’s possible to adore The New Mutants not for what it is but for what it could have been, and some of that scarce, retroactive love is finding a home on r/Marvel.
With such pieces as Stranger Things‘ Charlie Heaton, Game of Thrones‘ Maisie Williams, and resident MVP Anya Taylor-Joy spearheading the cast, it’s clear that the parts were there to craft a great movie, but it simply couldn’t escape unrealized reshoots, a pandemic-era theatrical release, and a handful of other bumps in the road brought on by Disney’s then-ongoing process of acquiring Fox.
And even if The New Mutants didn’t reach the heights it could have, things could have gone a whole lot worse considering what Disney’s been up to in recent months.
Of course, with Deadpool 3 going as far as to drag Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Colossus, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and even Jennifer Garner’s Elektra into the MCU, it’s entirely possible that whispers of The New Mutants could sneak into the Feigeverse as well, especially if Taylor-Joy continues her well-deserved run as one of the more in-demand actresses of the moment; Magik for Secret Wars, anyone?
Published: Jul 30, 2023 10:40 pm