TheX-Menfranchise has been on a weird and uneven ride through its several years of storytelling at 20th Century Fox. Ever since the original X-Men trilogy,trying to squeeze in a large number of characters to make it feel like a real ensemblesometimes ended up backfiring. Thus, many important mutants or mutant teams were reduced to mere cameos. This is one of the reasons whyThe New Mutants, as an idea, was a welcome addition to the lineup. Shining the spotlight on one of the most important teams in X-Men lore—with most of its original members nonetheless—seemed a step in the right direction to reinvigorate the film series.
But bothThe New MutantsandDark Phoenixwere stomped on by Disney’s acquisition of Fox. After it was decided that the franchise would end with these films, the twoended up being very different productsfrom what was originally intended. Critical reception went fromlackluster for the firstto appalling for the latter. Despite this,there were some highlights inThe New Mutants.So if there’s something to be salvaged from the pulseless franchise, it should beAnya Taylor-Joy’s portrayal of Illyana Rasputin, a.k.a. Magik.
Magik Is One of the Few Highlights in ‘The New Mutants’
Illyana’s brother, Piotr Rasputin, a.k.a. Colossus, made several appearances in the X-Men franchise—mainly throughDaniel Cudmore’s portrayal inX2,X-Men: The Last Stand, andX-Men: Days of Future Pastand then throughStefan Kapičić’s voice inDeadpoolandDeadpool 2. Contrary to him, Illyana only made a single appearance inThe New Mutants. A mutant with so much potential got relegated to the tail of X-Men releases. WhereasThe New Mutantsdared to venture into unknown territory with characters like Magik, Wolfsbane (Maisie Williams), and Dani Moonstar (Blu Hunt). But ultimately, it didn’t add much to the X-Men universe, fizzling out duringthe wave of pandemic releasesnonetheless—while putting the final nail in the coffin of the 20th Century-helmed franchise.
Illyana was thrust upon this cinematic universe already wielding her magical powers and the Soulsword; even when she’s just a teenager, her fearlessness makes her a worthy bearer of the mystic weapon. Although Magik’s abilities could’ve been complicated to translate into live-action,the film succeeds in showing how she masters the use of magic thanks to her connection to limbo—allowing her to make use of her teleportation powers as well. At the times whenThe New Mutantstries to be scary, it’s Magik who stands as the reassuring figure. She might not have asked for it, but she ends up being the more leader-y presence in the group. Even when she’s not the main focus of the film,Magik is the badass MVP ofThe New Mutants.
Marvel Shouldn’t Let Anya Taylor-Joy’s Talent Go to Waste
InThe New Mutants, Taylor-Joy breathes life into a fierce Illyana—one that has been through enough trauma to know how to make her way in the world. Taylor-Joy knew how to make the role hers, fully embodying the demonically mystical mutant. This is noteworthy because understanding Magik’s complexity is no easy feat, and considering how important Magik is for the X-Men—and giventhe reboot needs to differentiate itselffrom the mutants that have come before—Marvel Studios shouldn’t let Taylor-Joy’s talent go to waste.
The MCU would benefit greatly from having Taylor-Joy’s Magik in the upcoming X-Men reboot; considering the universe as a whole is in disarray, Magik would serve a greater purpose—bridging the relationship between mutants and magic itself. WithElizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch currently M.I.A., the mystical magical mutant seat has been left vacant. In comic books, Magik has been known for being botha pupil and a colleague of Dr. Strange, so it’d only be natural for her to work alongsideBenedict Cumberbatch’s Stephen Strange to bring order to the forthcoming chaos the MCU will face.
Anya Taylor-Joy Gives a Must-See Performance in This Period Drama Miniseries
Alex Hassell also stars in this captivating mystery.
Taylor-Joy’s Magik should survive the inevitable mutant purge that will followAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars. It’d be a total waste to let her version of Magik fade into oblivion. She is a force of nature, andher casting as Illyana is one of the most spot-on 20th Century Fox’s X-Men universe saw. Since Magik’s powers cover dimension-hopping, the possibility of them making her end up on Earth-616 is not far-fetched at all. It’s up to Marvel Studios to take advantage of this, grab the (Soul)sword by its handle, and keepTaylor-Joy’s undeniably appealing flairin their X-Men ranks.
The New Mutants
Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.
