The upcoming X-Men horror-adventure spinoff The New Mutants almost featured actor Sacha Baron Cohen in a pivotal role. The comedian, who shot to fame thanks to his lead roles in Borat, The Dictator and Da Ali G Show was set to play the New Mutants member Warlock until budget constraints got in the way.
Director Josh Boone revealed the details of the role in an interview with Nerdist. The character of Warlock was present in many early drafts of the movie's script. Boone had spoken to Cohen about taking on the role, which would have involved a motion-capture performance similar to what Andy Serkis did with Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Unfortunately, the movie's budget did not allow for the VFX required to bring both Warlock and the Demon Bear into the story, and Fox asked Boone to make the choice between the two. While the filmmaker chose to go with the Demon Bear for The New Mutants, he teased that a follow-up sequel would finally introduce Warlock into the franchise.
Warlock was created by X-Men writer Chris Claremont and New Mutants artist Bill Sienkiewicz, and was one of the original members of the New Mutants superhero team. The character came from an alien race of mechanical organisms that survive by infecting living creatures with a techno-virus, before draining the life energy of the infected organism.
The revised synopsis for The New Mutants can be found below.
In this terrifying, action-fueled 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.
Directed and co-written by Josh Boone, The New Mutants stars Maisie Williams as Rahne Sinclair/Wolfsbane, Anya Taylor-Joy as Illyana Rasputin/Magik, Charlie Heaton as Sam Guthrie/Cannonball, Henry Zaga as Roberto da Costa/Sunspot, Blu Hunt as Danielle Moonstar/Mirage and Alice Braga as Dr. Cecilia Reyes. The film arrives in theaters Aug. 28.