WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for The New Mutants, now playing in theaters.
The New Mutants hit theaters as the final movie in the Fox X-Men series.The film itself takes on the task of telling the "Demon Bear Saga" by Chris Claremont, Bill Sienkiewicz, Glynis Wein and Tom Orzechowski. Despite a lot of moments paying homage to that classic storyline, there are significant differences between the two tales, including the following.
The Setting
The entire setting and overall plot of the movie is different from the comic books. In The New Mutants, the five teenagers are held captive in an abandoned hospital and cared for by one solitary doctor who says she is trying to help them control their powers, but this backfires. While Dani sleeps, her powers manifest and summon the Demon Bear. In the comics, this event takes place while the New Mutants are at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, where they are not prisoners. Where the comics feature the Demon Bear as the main threat, the film and its setting present other antagonistic forces, from the doctor to the asylum itself.
The New Mutants' Abilities
The powers of the New Mutants in the movie are nearly the same as those in the comic books; however, there is one significant difference. In the comics, when the "Demon Bear Saga" begins, the New Mutants are already heroes who've trained with their powers extensively. In the movie, the New Mutants don't know how to use their powers. For instance, Cannonball struggles with his confidence, and Roberto has no idea what he is capable of, so they are far from the established heroes seen in the comics. In the movie, they are simply kids who want to be left alone; however, they are forced to fight.
Magma
There is one member of the New Mutants that is missing in the movie. Magma is one of the original members of the team, and while she doesn't last as long as the others, she is still a massive part of the "Demon Bear Saga" in the comics. However, the director, Josh Boone, has a reason behind this decision. Magma is from an ancient Roman world that exists in the Amazon; however, this has yet to be established in the film universe, and Boone wasn't going to go there in the movie.
Lockheed
Lockheed is mostly known as a purple alien dragon that serves as Kitty Pryde's sidekick in the comic books. However, in the "Demon Bear Saga," he is at Illyana's side. Meanwhile, in the movie, he is a hand-puppet that Illyana carries as a mental defense mechanism. He does come to life when she goes to Limbo, but he is only real when she brings him out for the final battle of the movie.
Illyana Rasputin
The most significant change in The New Mutants movie compared to the comics comes with the origin of Illyana Rasputin. In the comics, she is Colossus' sister. When she was six, she was kidnapped and whisked away to the realm of Limbo, where she remained for seven years. In the X-Men's world, she returns only seconds later; however, she is 13, the Queen of Limbo and skilled in black magic. In the movie, Illyana is a young girl abused by older men who take advantage of her powers, so she creates Limbo, where she teleports herself to hide from the pain. She is there for so long that Limbo eventually becomes real, but it is not the pre-existing dimension from the comic books.
Dani Moonstar
In The New Mutants movie, Dani Moonstar is a new prisoner/patient for Dr. Cecilia Reyes. She has no idea what her mutant powers are, and she is alone after her family and neighbors die in a mysterious attack. In the comics, she is already a fully-fledged member of the New Mutants team. There are also differences in the role she plays. In the movie, Dr. Reyes tries to kill her to stop the Demon Bear attacks, and Dani is out of action due to this. In the comics, Dani takes the fight to the Demon Bear and ends up beaten and almost dead, which is how she is taken out of action in the books.
The Final Battle
The "Demon Bear Saga" from the comic books and The New Mutants movie have the same overall message when it comes to the final battle. In the comics, Rahne reaches into Dani's mind and learns that the team has to learn to work together to cut out the heart of the Demon Bear. The movie also plays on the idea of trusting each other and working as a team to survive; however, the end of the battle is drastically different. In the film, it is Dani who stands up to the bear and proves its scare tactics don't affect her. Meanwhile, Dani doesn't return for the final battle in the comics, and the ending is more finite. Illyana uses her Soulsword to split the Demon Bear in half, destroying it once and for all.
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 is now in theaters.