Following the success of the "Second Genesis" X-Men storyline of the late '70s which added new characters like Wolverine, Storm and Nightcrawler to the team, Marvel was looking to expand its world of mutants. The company took aim at a slightly younger audience by debuting The New Mutants in 1982, which saw a group of  mutant "superheroes-in-training"come together under the tutelage of Professor Charles Xavier once again. The original lineup included Cannonball, Sunspot, Mirage, Karma and Wolfsbane, but would later go on to include fan favorites like Magik, Magma and Warlock. The original run ended after issue #100, however, a majority of the characters would stay together and become part of the initial X-Force militant team, and some would eventually become full-fledged X-Men.

With the X-Men film trilogies getting longer and longer in the tooth, audiences are ready for fresh new characters (younger versions of the same characters don't count). Marvel Studios wrangled The Fault in Our Stars director Josh Boone to direct the movie with Knate Lee joining Boone in writing the script. An all-star cast was revealed in late 2017 as well. CBR takes a look at what we know about the upcoming X-Men film and a few things we've heard that we hope are true.

15 FACT: MORE GROUNDED

We are used to X-Men films having a lot of action and, consequently CGI, but we haven't really seen much character growth in the past 15 years. Fox has tried to infuse new blood into the trilogy by bringing in younger versions of former characters, but it's just not the same thing. In order for the X-Men franchise to thrive, it needs to grow to include new and nostalgic characters.

Early reports have indicated that The New Mutants is going to be much more grounded than the usual X-Men movie, with a concentration on character development instead of fight scenes. It's been described as more of a horror movie than anything else, which would certainly bring a new angle to the franchise. We can't wait to see what the kids have up their sleeves.

14 RUMOR: KARMA HAS A CAMEO

Xi'an Coy Manh was a founding member of the New Mutants, and one of the oldest, with the mutant ability to psychically possess someone as well as limited telepathy. She was the only character previously introduced before the initial run of the series and was the team's first de facto leader. Karma grew up to become a full-fledged X-Man along with her former teammates Cannonball, Magik and Moonstar. She is also known to be one of the first major lesbian characters in a mainstream comic book.

When the roster of characters for the New Mutants movie was announced, fans were disappointed that Karma wasn't included, since she was one of the original five. However, director and co-screenwriter Josh Boone has stated that Karma is a character that they plan on featuring at some point, possibly in a sequel or possibly in a cameo at the end of the first movie.

13 FACT: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET WAS A BIG INFLUENCE

10 Movie Monsters Who Still Scare (And 10 That Should Stay Scarce)

Superhero movies are usually pretty straight forward:  an ominous villain shows up and starts wreaking havoc, heroes come together to defeat said villain, awesome action scenes ensue and (mostly) everyone survives. We've definitely seen this repetition in the X-Men movies so far, even with Deadpool, but The New Mutants is looking to change all of that by making itself a horror movie set in the X-Men universe.

Although the pitch of The New Mutants trilogy was based off of Bill Sienkiewicz and Chris Claremont's run with the series, known for its darkness and surrealism, director/co-writer Josh Boone has stated that multiple movies of the '80s were a heavy influence on the set. These films included Jack Nicholson's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Stephen King's The Shining and 1987's Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

12 RUMOR: SUNSPOT'S FATHER WILL APPEAR AS AN ANTAGONIST

13 Reasons Why actor Henry Zaga has been cast in the role of Roberto da Costa/Sunspot, a Brazilian mutant with the ability to absorb and manipulate solar energy. Roberto would go on to become a member of X-Force and, most recently, a member of the Avengers. With a temper as fiery as his powers, Roberto is the literal hothead of the team with a long history of daddy issues.

A ruthless and tyrannic businessman, Emmanuel da Costa later joined the villainous Hellfire Club as the White Rook. His obsession with power would split his marriage and family apart, leaving father and son on opposite sides of the same fight. Boone has stated that he would like to introduce Roberto's father as a future antagonist in one of the sequels. We could definitely get on board with a mutant horror movie involving estranged family members.

11 FACT: IT'S PART OF A PLANNED TRILOGY

new mutants movie

Apparently three is the magic number when it comes to superhero movies; with Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Wolverine and the X-Men all having completed trilogies. Avengers will hit their third film later this year with the addition of the highly anticipated Avengers: Infinity War. So, it comes as no surprise that the same is planned for our favorite group of junior X-Men.

The trilogy was presented to Fox as a set of horror-themed movies that take place in the X-Men universe. Each is said to be their own distinct kind of horror movies, with the first one being the "rubber-reality" supernatural film. The next will be a completely different type of horror movie, but still drawing on big events from the New Mutants' comic series.

10 RUMOR: MAGMA WILL APPEAR IN THE SEQUEL

Magma from the New Mutants using her mutant abilities to destroy robots

Amara Aquilla is originally from Nova Roma, a fictional city and colony of the Roman Republic, and is a mutant with the ability to generate lava, manipulate fire and generate earthquakes, earning her the name Magma. A fan favorite, Amara has been a mainstay member of the New Mutants for decades over several iterations. She's also known for her somewhat controversial and star-crossed relationship with the Hellion Empath.

Boone has stated that he is interested in featuring all the major New Mutants characters throughout the trilogy at some point. Magma has been an integral part of the team and has been a part of many X-Men storylines, most recently in the pages of X-Men: Gold as a brainwashed member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. We're hoping that she'll come back around to the side of good by the time she appears on the big screen.

9 FACT: NO COSTUMES (YET)

Characters in modern-day superhero movies generally wear one of two costume options: either all black leather or something close to comic book accuracy that is also usually made out of leather. Fans are typically divided when it comes to this, with some preferring a look more closely aligned with the source material and others saying that it makes sense to adapt a different look for a different type of medium. However, that's all about to change.

Similar to the street-level heroes of Marvel's Netflix shows (save for Daredevil), the characters in The New Mutants will be clad in civilian clothing. Since this is an origin story, we haven't really gotten to the point of them suiting up to officially become a world-saving team. This movie isn't about the end of the world and people coming together to save it, it's about trying to save your friends and is more performance-driven.

8 RUMOR: COLOSSUS WILL APPEAR

Colossus in Deadpool

Piotr "Peter" Rasputin is one of the most recognizable X-Men in history. Joining the team in the late '70s, Piotr is able to turn his skin into organic steel and become Colossus. He is also the older brother to the New Mutants Illyana Rasputin/Magik, who is extremely protective of his younger sister. Her death at the hands of the deadly Legacy Virus nearly drove him mad, but the X-Men brought him back and she was later resurrected.

Given his multiple appearances in the X-Men movies and Deadpool, it's a pretty safe bet he'll appear at some point, especially since all of the movies are set in the universe. We've seen reports that a younger version of Illyana was cast as well, indicating there will be flashbacks at some point. These will more than likely include Colossus.

7 FACT: CECILIA REYES IS THEIR MENTOR

Raised in the Bronx, NY, Cecilia Reyes became a doctor after seeing her father gunned down in front of her as a child. She's also a mutant, with the ability to generate a force field around her body and has been a somewhat reluctant member of the X-Men. While she has no interest in superheroics, she has been an active on-and-off member of the team and continues to aid them with her skills in medicine today.

While we don't know exactly all of the details to Dr. Reyes' character in The New Mutants, we do know that Rosario Dawson was originally cast in the role but had to drop out and was replaced by Alice Braga. We know she will be the physician looking after the teens in the institution they are being held at against their will, and trying to help the mutants gain control of their powers.

6 RUMOR: WARLOCK WILL APPEAR

warlock from new mutants

Warlock is a member of an alien race of mechanical organisms that survive by infecting living creatures with a "techno-organic" virus, before draining the energy out of the infected organism. However, unlike his brethren, he gained the ability to feel compassion and remorse. He soon fled to Earth and joined the New Mutants, becoming particularly close to team member Doug Ramsey/Cypher.

While it was initially announced that Warlock would play a part in the first installment, director Josh Boone has stated that he has plans for the character but that they are saving him for the sequels. Another fan favorite character, it will be interesting to see how they bring the character in. Even though it's already been established through Guardians of the Galaxy that other races exist throughout the universe, we have yet to see any other aliens appear in the X-Men movies.

5 FACT: DEMON BEAR IS THE VILLAIN

Every superteam usually comes with a supervillain, like the Avengers have Loki, Fantastic Four has Dr. Doom and the X-Men have Magneto. These villains are usually depicted as the deadliest adversary the heroes have ever faced, which makes them all come together as a team to defeat him or her. The same can be said about the villain of The New Mutants, Demon Bear, but with a slight twist.

Originally, the Demon Bear existed only in Danielle Moonstar's mind, similar to when the Shadow King's relationship with Professor X, but eventually found the power to break free, entering the real world and killing Danielle's parents. The evil entity draws strength from negative human emotion and was a frequent enemy of the New Mutants and X-Force. We've seen in the trailers that someone is turning the team's pasts against them, leading us to assume it's at the hands of Demon Bear.

4 RUMOR: X-23 WILL MAKE A CAMEO

dafne keen x 23 logan laura kiney

A character who has become quite popular over the past decade or so, Laura Kinney, aka X-23, is a genetic clone of Wolverine, right down to the adamantium claws. She grew up to become part of the X-Men and X-Force and recently assumed the mantle of Wolverine after the main continuity's Logan died. She doesn't always get along well with others, but she's always on the right side of a fight.

Actress Dafne Keen portrayed Laura in 2017's Logan, depicting her as a genetically modified orphan who Logan takes under his wing. The ending left open the possibility to have Laura appear in future films. Fans have speculated that she will somehow find her way into the institution where the New Mutants are being held and help them escape, similar to Wolverine in X-Men: Apocalypse.

3 FACT: IT TAKES PLACE IN THE X-MEN CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

fox x-men movies

With so many mutant movies happening at once (X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Deadpool 2, The New Mutants) and given the X-Men's past continuity issues, fans have been concerned about what happens when and if they're connected. Director Josh Boone has confirmed that The New Mutants will be part of the shared universe that includes Deadpool and the X-Men.

What does this mean exactly? We could see other heroes show up in feature installments, and vice versa. We may actually get a few meaningful scenes between Magik and her brother, Colossus. We may see the eventual progression of members of the New Mutants growing up and becoming X-Men (or Avengers now) for that matter. Time will tell how this will all play out, but we can't wait to see all of these heroes interacting with each other.

2 RUMOR: THE TEAM WILL END UP AT XAVIER'S SCHOOL

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters

The New Mutants were created by Professor X to help train them to be the next generation of X-Men. Just like the X-Men, he was their teacher, mentor and confidante. Many of members of the team grow up to become faculty members at Xavier's School for Higher Learning, while also passing the torch by training younger mutants in their powers just like Xavier did for them.

Since we've been told that The New Mutants will happen in the same universe as the X-Men movies, it stands to reason that after escaping a mental institution they would all need a safe harbor and Professor X's school is the perfect place. Or, following the Fox/Disney merge, maybe they pay an homage to the road trip phase of X-Force and have them travel across the country in the second sequel and then end up at Xavier's in the third.

1 FACT: IT STAYS TRUE TO THE CHARACTERS AND THEIR POWERS

new mutants movie

Every time a new superhero character is introduced, fans automatically get nervous over how accurately the portrayal will be. This is especially true for comic book fans who have grown up with most of the characters we've seen on the big screen by now. While some things are changed out of necessity like the X-Men wearing all black leather costumes in the first movie. There's also some changes that feel like they cheapen a character, like a less-powerful Scarlet Witch in Avengers or Vanessa not being introduced as Copycat in Deadpool.

Boone has stated that the film would stay true to each character and their power set. The reason that they're locked up to begin with is because each one has dangerous abilities that they have yet matured enough to control properly. They even made sure there were comics always available on set for inspiration.