Maisie Williams actually filmed the X-Men movie The New Mutants before the end of Game of Thrones. Its original 2018 release date would have preceded the series finale, but that was the first of many delays. At least when Game of Thrones fans saw the last of Arya Stark, they could look forward to more Williams as mutant Rahne Sinclair, aka Wolfsbane.
Williams was on the San Diego Comic-Con@Home panel for New Mutants along with director Josh Boone and costars Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Blu Hunt, Alice Braga and Henry Zaga. She compared Rahne to Arya. Fans can see for themselves when New Mutants finally comes to theaters Aug. 28.
‘New Mutants’ gave Maisie Williams a break from being a badass on ‘Game of Thrones’
Arya was a contender for the Iron Throne for eight seasons on Game of Thrones. Rahne is more of a wallflower, at least to the extent she lets other mutants have the spotlight.
“I was really thrilled to play someone like Rahne because I’ve always kind of seen myself as more that character,” Williams said. “I think she’s very uncomfortable in her own skin. She wants to speak up and wants to say what she feels but she’s constantly treading lightly.”
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Arya may be an empowering character for viewers to watch, but it’s not easy to be Arya for eight seasons.
“When I play Arya, I always have to command the room and be really brave and strong,” Williams said. “That’s kind of exhausting and I don’t really feel like that. It was really lovely to play someone like Rahne who really is just sitting and watching and listening.”
Maisie Williams has a love story in ‘New Mutants’
A major part of the New Mutants storyline is the love story between Rahne and Dani (Hunt), aka Mirage. Fans have eagerly anticipated the inclusion of a same sex female relationship in an X-Men movie.
“I met with Josh a while ago and then ended up getting the part for Rahne,” Williams said. “Then we did a bunch of chemistry reads to find Dani, Just from the first audition that we did together, we got on so well.”
Romance gives Maisie Williams a different experience than ‘Game of Thrones’ too
Sure, Game of Thrones had romances and partnerships, but everyone had to watch their back. No one could be sure any relationship didn’t have another agenda. In New Mutants, Dani allows a different side of Williams to come out in Rahne.
“It was really wonderful to be able to see a relationship like this in the typically quite masculine world of superheroes,” Williams said. “It was just lovely to see these two fragile women who just protect one another and bring light out in each other. She comes to life when she is with Dani but in the group she’s somewhat quiet and to herself.”
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Boone said the relationship between Rahne and Dani is “the spine of” New Mutants. Williams agrees.
“At the heart of it is this lovely love story,” Williams said. “It just brings it back to reality. I’m glad the fans are so excited for it because I think it’s really important to see relationships like this.The whole X-Men fan base have just been increidbile, the New Mutants fan base, I don’t know if they’re the same. They’ve just been so welcoming. I guess this whole superhero world is just bonkers but I clearly loved it before so I’m back again.”
