A nightmarish new teaser for Fox’s New Mutants promises to face Samuel Guthrie a.k.a. Cannonball (Charlie Heaton) with his greatest fear. Described as “a haunted house movie,” New Mutants is set to be unlike any other superhero film to date. Fox intends to launch a trilogy of superhero horror films, each one facing teenage mutants against terrifying threats, and the latest teaser has suggested just how personal those threats could be.
The scene in the teaser below is chilling even for those who know nothing about the character, but it carries extra significance for X-Men fans. In the comics, Cannonball grew up in a mining family in Kentucky. Tragedy struck when his father died in the mines, and Sam was forced to follow in his father’s footsteps. The young mutant’s powers (he can release thermo-nuclear energy through his skin, enabling him to fly at great speeds while encased in a “blast field” that protects him from harm) manifested on his first day in the mines, when he and another miner were caught in a cave-in.
Understandably, the experience was deeply traumatizing for Sam Guthrie. This teaser suggests that the villain of New Mutants will force Cannonball to confront his deepest, darkest past once again. Intriguingly, it’s just the latest hint that the chief antagonist is not, as we’d initially believed, the Demon Bear. The Demon Bear has never been able to make a hero face their worst fears. That power set actually lies with Sam’s fellow New Mutant, Dani Moonstar.
The marketing for New Mutants is clearly focusing in on the idea of terror and fear. Dani’s power is the ability to project illusions, making those around her face their worst nightmares. That’s definitely the concept evoked by this latest teaser, suggesting Cannonball will wind up terrorized by his teammate. It’s too soon to tell whether or not Dani will actually be the villain, or just another pawn.
If this is just an illusion, the disturbing question is whether or not it will coax Sam into using his powers. He’s able to project a powerful blast field around himself. Cannonball is invulnerable while surrounded by this blast field, but it’s highly explosive and could easily kill if Sam didn’t realize he was blasting towards another person. A nightmarish illusion could easily turn lethal. Whatever the case may be, it’s clear that the stars of New Mutants are about to face their greatest fears. For Sam Guthrie, that will mean revisiting the place where his father died, and where his own powers manifested to dramatic effect.
MORE: New Mutants Poster Brings Fear to the X-Men Universe
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