A stunning new photo from New Mutants teases the dramatic confrontation between Magik and the Demon Bear. Josh Boone's New Mutants was a labor of love; Boone is a comic book fan in his own right, and he approached Fox with the idea of a trilogy inspired by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz's classic New Mutants run.

Unfortunately, New Mutants has proved one of the unluckiest superhero films of all time. It's been subject to constant delays, winding up in development limbo during Disney's Fox acquisition; Disney pulled the film from its last release date due to the coronavirus pandemic, and are yet to indicate when they expect it to come out. There's some speculation New Mutants could ultimately skip theatrical release altogether, and simply be dropped on Disney+.

Ironically, because Disney had intended New Mutants to come out in April, some of what should have been promotional content has slipped through the cracks. The latest issue of Cinefex magazine - dedicated to special effects in the film industry - contains a full-length feature on New Mutants, and one image has already made its way on to the Internet.


It's a beautiful still from New Mutants, and comic book readers will easily recognize the influence of Bill Sienkiewicz's art. The image shows Anya Taylor-Joy's Magik confronting the Demon Bear, the film's supernatural antagonist. The location corresponds to Limbo, the Hell Dimension connected to Magik in the comics, and she's wielding the Soulsword - a blade forged from a shard of her soul, the weapon that defeated Demon Bear in the comics. Trailers for New Mutants had teased a major battle between Magik and the Demon Bear, most likely part of the film's third act, and this is likely a part of that fight. It's easy to miss, but Magik isn't alone; on closer examination, her small pet dragon Lockheed is attacking Demon Bear as well and can be seen attempting to get to one of the monster's eyes.

Nobody is really sure what to expect from New Mutants. This is essentially the last of Fox's X-Men films, and it's become a standalone, so much so Boone dropped a planned post-credits scene. It clearly isn't your traditional superhero fare; instead, it's more akin to a supernatural thriller, with an emphasis on the "super." Hopefully, soon Disney will either set a release date or else choose to drop New Mutants on Disney+, finally giving audiences a chance to see Josh Boone's X-Men spinoff.