Update: May 31, 2017
STRANGER THINGS Star Charlie Heaton Cast as Cannonball in NEW MUTANTS
Stranger Things star Charlie Heaton is joining the
X-Men family. The actor, who plays brooding outsider Jonathan Bryers on the Netflix phenomenon, is in negotiations to join the cast of Fox’s
New Mutants.
The Witch and
Splitstar Anya Taylor-Joy and
Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams are already signed up for the ensemble young adult superhero movie being directed by Josh Boone. Rosario Dawson is also in negotiations to join the cast.
Heaton will play Sam Guthrie, also known as Cannonball, a teen who propels himself into the air (…like a cannonball) and is invulnerable while doing so.
Taylor-Joy is playing Illyana Rasputin, code-named Magik, a girl who has learned sorcery and uses teleportation discs to travel. Williams is Rahne Sinclair, aka Wolfsbane, a girl struggling to reconcile her religious beliefs with her power to turn into a wolf. Dawson is to play a mentor figure, a medical doctor who has the ability to generate a protective bio-field around herself.
The studio is looking to redefine the superhero genre as it did with
Deadpool and
Logan, and is focusing on giving the spinoff a horror thriller bent. It will tell of diverse group of teens learning to cope with their super powers. The group also includes Native American Danielle Moonstar and a Brazilian ladies man code-named Sunspot. Also in the mix is an alien named Warlock. These new mutants find themselves held in a secret facility against their will and must battle the dangers of their powers, as well as the sins of their pasts
New Mutants has a release date of April 13, 2018. Boone and his writing partner, Knate Lee, wrote the script for the project, which will shoot in Boston in July.
Heaton was one of the breakout stars of
Stranger Things and
New Mutants marks the first feature project he’s signed on for since the show was released. He starred in two films, the thriller
Shut In with Naomi Watts and the Sundance indie
As You Are, which were made prior to
Stranger Things.
'Stranger Things' Star Charlie Heaton in Talks to Join 'X-Men' Spinoff 'New Mutants' (Exclusive)