The New Mutantswas easily one of the least popular superhero films to ever come from Fox, but it did debut one of the best characters from the comics. With theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)coming down from their spectacular filmAvengers: Endgame, the Fox universe of stories was fizzling out after being acquired by Disney in 2019. And it was at this point, when Fox had already prepared to say goodbye to theirX-Menfranchise, thatThe New Mutantswas released in 2020.
Prior to that point, Fox had put a lot of effort andconsideration into theirX-Menfranchise, and saw great success with films likeDeadpoolandX-Men: Days of Future Past. In this environment,The New Mutantswas planned to kick off a new branch of their universe, but due to the unfortunate timing, the finished film was released as kind of a legacy title, similar toAquaman 2, prior to the end of its franchise.
Magik Is A Truly Great X-Men Character
Magik Has Made Her Mark On The X-Men Universe In Comics
Within the bounds of this film, Illyana Rasputin was introduced on the big screen, played by none other than the incredible Anya Taylor-Joy. She was joined by an equally talented cast, with Maisie Williams and Charlie Heaton being two other notable stars who played other members of the team. Rasputin, aka Magik, is one of the most powerful mutants in this formation, andshe displays incredible powersthat include teleportation, time-travel, sorcery, and a connection to demons and hell that further enhances her powers and abilities.
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Magik is one of the most innovative and original characters to come out of Marvel Comics, and one with an insane amount of potential. Between the visuals that accompany her powers, her ability to wield magic, and several other details, she would also have been an incredibly compelling character to see return in several different outings alongside mutants like the X-Men. Unfortunately, however, theintroduction inThe New Mutantswas less than favorable, andit may have put a dampener on the chances of seeing the character return in live-action any time soon.
The New Mutants Wasted Magik’s Debut In Its Worst Received Movie
The New Mutants Was Doomed To Fail From Early In The Production
The thing is, becauseThe New Mutantswas no longer going to be a part of a larger franchise, and it was simply the last of a dying race of films, it lost out on the care and affection that other titles under the Fox branding received. The marketing for the film was minimal, and there was generally no enthusiasm about this throwaway film being released. And unfortunately, thelack of enthusiasm only grew when the film came out and began to receive negative reviews. But the fact that it was made at such a weird moment for Fox heavily contributed to the movie’s failure.
The issue is, the movie was originally shot back in 2017. Three years before it would ever see the light of day. And when the movie wrapped initial shooting, there wereplans to do some reshoots and tidy it up in the following year, but withDisney acquiring Fox, progress on the project ground to a halt. Ultimately, the movie went forward without any more reshoots, which meant that years after the footage was collected, the movie was pieced together, and thrown out with minimal endorsement in an effort to avoid simply writing it off. This is an abysmal way to create any superhero story, but it’s particularly upsetting that Magik was introduced with so little care.
Why Magik Appearing In Fox’s Other X-Men Movies Could Have Worked Better For The Character
Beyond that,Magik is a character who could have inserted herself quite well into literally any otherX-Mentitle. When the series rebooted with a new younger cast of heroes, it looked to less well-known characters to fill out the team. Magik could have been a great fit. Likewise, inDeadpool, the film introduces numerous other comic book characters as allies, teammates and rivals. Magik has a rich backstory, and has gone through periods of being heroic, and occasionally less moral.
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Even the fact thatAnya Taylor-Joy was cast in the rolecould have been really solid if handled correctly. Taylor-Joy has gone on to be an incredible action star in movies likeFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga, and she possesses a mystique about her that makes her a great fit. ButThe New Mutantsmovie ended up being one of the worst possible places where the character could make her debut. It’s highly likely that if Magik appeared anywhere else beforeThe New Mutants, the character could have left a better impression.
