First appearing in 1983's The New Mutants #8, Amara Juliana Olivians Aquilla/Magma has been a classic member of the titular team since its earliest iterations. However, Magma is not slated to appear in the upcoming The New Mutants film. Now, director Josh Boone has explained why.
During a press conference for The New Mutants, Boone revealed that, while he's a big fan of the original comics, certain aspects of the original stories needed to be streamlined, simplified and grounded in order to work for the film.
"It's why we chose not to focus on a character like Magma," Boone explained, "because she comes from, like, an ancient Roman world that still exists in the Amazon somewhere now, and it was like, 'Yeah, I'm not gonna do that.'"
Magma is originally from Nova Roma, which is hidden in the Amazon rainforest. In addition to controlling tectonic plates so as to generate earthquakes, Magma has the ability, as her name suggests, to control and create lava.
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.