The New Mutants has already been pushed back to 2019 and it was revealed earlier today that not only is it coming even later than expected but X-Men: Dark Phoenix is going to join it next year too. So, what's up with the delay? Well, it's now being reported that after testing the movie, Fox has decided to order weeks of reshoots in what must be a sign that the movie hasn't been particularly well-received.
It is, of course, possible that these could be harmless enough but every movie undergoes reshoots and it's pretty much unheard of for a blockbuster to be delayed because of them (that hasn't even happened to Solo: A Star Wars Story). As for The New Mutants, that too is now undergoing even more significant reshoots to "add a few new characters to round out the movie, as well as make it scarier, overhauling the majority of the film." Clearly, Fox execs weren't at all happy with that first cut.
So, this really isn't good news for either project and you have to believe that both movies are going to end up disappointing unless these reshoots are able to completely turn things around. Still, with Disney in the process of acquiring 20th Century Fox, it won't be long until the Fantastic Four and X-Men are part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, making Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants a distant memory...