Delayed release dates, reshoots, and Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox have been amongthe many reasons that prevented The New Mutants from hitting theaters as scheduled. The film was finally set to be released on April 2, but with the coronavirus pandemic having closed theaters, Disney pulled the film from its schedule in March. While the studio reshuffled the release dates for Black Widow, Mulan, and other blockbusters, New Mutants has yet to be put back on the calendar.
With the future of The New Mutants once again up in the air, here are a few options for how and when Disney might release the film.
Will New Mutants come to Disney+?
At the moment, Disney+ seems like the best and most likely way to go and fans are already clamoring on social media for the (ostensibly cursed) film to be released on the streaming service. With Disney forgoing Artemis Fowl's planned theatrical release and sending the film straight to streaming later this summer, it’s possible New Mutants could get the same treatment. However, there’s a chance the film’s horror and mature themes may keep New Mutants off of Disney+ altogether.
Will New Mutants come to Hulu?
With Disney+ potentially off the table, the next viable option would be Hulu, now majority-owned by Disney. After all, Hulu is where a lot of Disney’s less family-friendly shows and movies end up. The most recent example of that shift happened earlier this year when Disney+ sent the Love, Simon spinoff series to Hulu. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hollywood insiders wondered whether Disney would send The New Mutants to either Disney+ or Hulu instead of giving it a theatrical release, so if the former isn’t an option, Hulu could be the answer.
Will New Mutants come to HBO?
On the surface, sending New Mutants to Disney+ or Hulu sounds like a logical idea. However, HBO has been the first home for Fox movies following their theatrical run for three decades now. Currently, the HBO-Fox deal is still active and isn’t set to expire until 2022, which means that New Mutants has a better chance of showing up on the premium cable network than the aforementioned streamers. This deal is likely why Dark Phoenix debuted on HBO instead of Disney+ or Hulu last year. However, HBO CEO Richard Plepler predicted that Disney would take back ownership over all Fox movies once the deal is done. Long story short, New Mutants isn’t likely to show up on either Disney+ or Hulu if it’s tied up in previously held contractual obligations. That said, it’s possible that the film will debut on HBO at some point in the near future.
Will New Mutants come to VOD?
Disney could simply make The New Mutants available to buy on iTunes, Amazon, and the like. However, there's another snag. Disney can't release the film to VOD without a theatrical release. Per Variety, that was part of the deal when Disney acquired Fox. The studio can find away around this obligation, but Disney would have to renegotiate contracts with director Josh Boone and the cast and sign a new deal for that to happen.
Will New Mutants come to Netflix?
New Mutants landing on Netflix is admittedly a long shot considering that all of Disney’s content — including the entire MCU slate — is leaving the streaming service and heading to Disney+.
Will New Mutants come to theaters?
It’s still possible that The New Mutants will find its way to theaters. The film's been delayed long enough at this point, so what's another few months, or even a year, right? That said, considering that Disney's rescheduling didn't already include the X-Men spinoff, it's possible the studio will ditch a theater release altogether and figure out another way for fans to see the film. Either way, the long wait continues.
