Details from the original script of The New Mutants reveal just how much was changed over the years. For the longest time, it seemed as though The New Mutants was cursed. Fox’s final X-Men film was initially scheduled for release in 2018, but a series of delays cast doubt on whether it would debut at all. Finally, though, The New Mutants was able to roll out in theaters this past weekend, scoring $7 million in its first three days with most theaters operating at a lowered capacity.
The New Mutants centers on five troubled teenagers who are being held at a secretive facility for psychiatric monitoring. Under the watchful gaze of Dr. Cecelia Reyes (Alice Braga), the teens start to unravel the mysteries of their powers, especially as strange occurrences threaten their survival. While The New Mutants takes place within the X-Men universe, it is largely a standalone tale. However, that wasn’t always the case, as early iterations of the script featured characters like Professor X (James McAvoy) and Storm (Alexandra Shipp). Storm in particular could’ve held a pivotal role in The New Mutants, as revealed through these new details.
As shared by EW, Josh Boone and Knate Lee’s original script for The New Mutants is very different than the finished film. The New Mutants would have been set three years after X-Men: Apocalypse and taken inspiration from Barry Windsor-Smith’s 1984 X-Men: Lifedeath comics, which see Storm lose her powers. As a result, the draft featured Storm grappling with PTSD when she comes upon a destroyed Native American reservation and meets Dani Moonstar (Blu Hunt).
The original New Mutants would’ve still included the five teens at the creepy facility, but it was viewed as an offshoot of the Institute for Gifted Youngsters for those who can’t control their powers and could therefore harm others. Xavier appointed Storm as the caretaker for this facility. Previous reports suggested the original New Mutants script depicted Storm as a sadistic jailer, but EW said that does not match the draft they read. They also verified that Warlock was included in the team (with Sacha Baron Cohen in talks), something Boone had previously confirmed, and that the Demon Bear was always an inspiration.
Clearly, Storm was poised to play a big part in The New Mutants, but she was later removed from the film entirely. Some parts of The New Mutants remain the same from that original draft, with Dani’s start in the reservation’s remains and the Demon Bear storyline. However, Cecelia Reyes was never intended to be in charge, and the original script makes the facility sound a little less menacing. It isn’t clear if the original draft would have been better than the finished product, but The New Mutants has been slapped with some pretty scathing reviews. Which version would actually be preferred?
