The New Mutants Director Confirms Lockheed Is In the Movie

The upcoming New Mutants movie will introduce the X-Men's dragon companion Lockheed on the big screen. While the film did not undergo any reshoots, director Josh Boone did return to the editing bay to add effects like Lockheed and Magik's Soulsword and armor. Boone confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that Lockheed did appear in the most recent trailer for the movie after being teased with an Easter egg in some the earliest footage from the film. "You see a little bit of him there," Boone says. "I wouldn't say too much more, but I was pleased with how we had him in the world and had him as part of Illyana's story."

In the comics, Lockheed is a dragon-like alien who bonded with Kitty Pryde during one of the X-Men's adventures in space. He has remained by Kitty's side throughout most of her superhero career. Her loyal companion was once thought of as a pet, but more modern X-Men comics revealed that he's an alien of human-level intelligence who has collaborated with government organizations to keep his homeworld safe.

While Kitty Pryde isn't in The New Mutants, her best friend Magik is. The first trailer for The New Mutants had a sly Easter egg referencing Lockheed. There was a shot of Magik as a child holding a purple dragon toy that resembles Lockheed. An older Magik, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, was holding the Lockheed toy in the first group photo of The New Mutants cast.

Perhaps its more than an Easter egg, but foreshadowing. Magik's mutant gift allows her to create teleportation discs into the hell-dimension called Limbo. This dimension is where Magik grows up in the comics and is forced to learn the sorcerous arts at the foot of the realm's demonic ruler, Belasco. Perhaps in The New Mutants, instead of being an alien, Lockheed is a dragon from Limbo who comes through one of Magik's portals. Or it could be that Magik animates her stuffed animal using her mystic powers.

The New Mutants is directed by Josh Boone and written by Boone & Knate Lee. The film stars Maisie Williams a Wolfsbane, Anya Taylor-Joy as Magik, Charlie Heaton as Cannonball, Alice Braga as Dr. Cecilia Reyes, Blu Hunt as Mirage, and Henry Zaga as Sunspot. The film is produced by Simon Kinberg, Karen Rosenfelt, and Lauren Shuler Donner and executive produced by Stan Lee and Michele Imperato Stabile.

The New Mutants opens in theaters on April 3rd.