The New Mutants feels like a movie that was cursed from the start. With four delays since its original release date, the movie has been in a state of limbo for so long it's become something of a punchline. It's a shame because superhero horror is a concept that is criminally underused, making The New Mutants have the potential to be a one of a kind movie. So, with things continuing not to go its way, it feels like it's time for Disney to release the movie using its shiny new streaming service.
One of the reasons people continue to be fascinated by The New Mutants is that it's the last entry in a franchise that's been going since before the MCU. The X-Men films have had their ups and downs but they're still regarded as some of the best projects in the superhero genre, with Logan even taking home an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Unfortunately, in recent years, movie-goers haven't shown up for mutants the way they did in the past.
With the exception of the Deadpool films, the X-Men franchise is no longer a box office dominator. In 2019, Dark Phoenix took home a measly $254 million after being critically panned, leading many to believe audiences were suffering from X-Men fatigue. And if a movie starring some of Hollywood's biggest stars with the Marvel logo slapped on it couldn't succeed, it's hard to believe something like The New Mutants could blow up the box office.
Regardless, even after Dark Phoenix's disappointing run, Disney still planned to release The New Mutants in April. However, with the coronavirus pandemic causing theaters to close, the film was pulled from the release schedule, once again putting its fate in limbo. Now, with the world seemingly against it and more and more movies finding their way into homes before their theatrical run would've ended, it's time to allow people to watch the final entry in the current X-Men franchise from the comfort of their couch using Disney+.
The New Mutants sounds looks a fascinating project, but one that could hurt Disney's bottom line if it continues to stew without a release date. Fox’s franchise had been in a decline, with the exception of individual character films for a long time now, so it would be a much lower risk for Disney to just release the film on their streaming service. As much as The New Mutants may have deserved to have its run on the big screen, the odds have been stacked against it for too long.
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 was originally scheduled to arrive in theaters on April 3.