The New Mutants was supposed to be released in 2018, but due to the Disney/Fox merger and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Marvel movie didn't arrive in theaters until 2020.
A leftover from when 20th Century Fox was in charge of the X-Men franchise, there was speculation that the movie might be scrapped and never see the light of day. Crucial reshoots didn't take place and with Marvel Studios planning to reboot these mutant characters, it was obvious from the start that a sequel wasn't ever going to happen, regardless of its eventual performance.
Ultimately, The New Mutants' fate was sealed when it opened to negative reviews and dismal box office numbers. The latter were to be expected given its release in the midst of COVID, but it appears Disney was happy to just cut its losses and let the Marvel movie fade into obscurity after meeting contractual obligations to give it a big screen release.
Now, though, with Halloween fast approaching, it's been revealed that Josh Boone's movie will arrive on Disney+ in the U.S. on October 14. That makes it the latest of many X-Men movies to slowly arrive on the streaming service, though it's been available in other parts of the world for some time now.
It's a shame The New Mutants was a flop because that cast is massively talented and Boone is a good filmmaker. Hopefully, Marvel Studios will consider bringing back at least some of these actors if and when the likes of Magik and Cannonball are rebooted for the MCU.
"The New Mutants fails as a horror film, but compared to Dark Phoenix, it's a huge upgrade," we said in our review a couple of years ago, "and the young cast delivers in a way that ensures these characters get the big screen treatment they deserve...even when the movie lets them down."
Will you be watching the movie when it arrives on Disney+ next month?