Brandon Sanderson recently compared his Allomancy magic system to Marvel’s supervillain, Magneto, and it raises an idea for a compellingMistbornmovie director. The possibility of aMistbornmovie has been in various stages of discussion for years, with 2023 seeing it almost come to fruition before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The author revealed in his annualState of Sandersonblog post that theMistbornmovie is currently scrappedand back to square one, but that just means more time for speculation on the most appealing ways to see his story developed.
Out ofBrandon Sanderson’s Cosmere universeand numerous other works of fiction,Mistbornis still his most widely read work.Elantriswas his first published novel, but the originalMistborntrilogy was the saga that put him on the map, allowing him to progress forward with his interconnected storytelling across other titles likeThe Stormlight Archive.A common praise forMistbornis that it has one of the most intricate and fascinating magic systems in fantasy, which is a huge element of what would make it appealing in visual media.
Brandon Sanderson Compared Mistborn’s Allomancy Magic System To X-Men’s Magneto
Allomancers Share Some Similarities With The Famous Mutant Villain
On Brandon Sanderson’s YouTube channel, the author has been sharing clips from his lectures, providing viewers with insights into how he approaches writing novels. In a recent clip, he speaks about the unavoidability of having tropes in stories and how,despite trying his best to create something unique inMistborn, his publishers immediately noted the similarities toX-Men’sMagneto.With thepowers of Allomancyinvolving the moving of metals, this is a fairly simplistic but appropriate comparison to make.
Readers have long speculated about how Allomancy might look in live-action. Combat in theMistbornseriesis naturally cinematic, involving high-octane movements across Luthadel’s urban landscape. Wire-fu movies likeCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragoncould be an interesting style to pursue, but there’s more to it than that. The Magneto comparison is oversimplified, but there are some aesthetic choices to consider that have proven to be effective in movies before, particularly in the superhero prequel movieX-Men: First Class.
X-Men: First Class Proves Matthew Vaughn Could Be Great As Mistborn’s Director
First Class Showcases Superpowers As Part Of Its Narrative
Matthew Vaughn is a celebrated filmmaker known for his work on theKingsmanfranchise and 2011’sX-Men: First Class, the first in the FoxX-Menprequel series. It’s not the most talked about superhero movie ever, but there are attributes that make it compelling as a blueprint forMistborn, mostly surrounding its usage of powers.Vaughn does a phenomenal job at making each ofFirst Class’smutants exciting to watch, including the ones audiences were already familiar with from the previous trilogy. Magneto even uses a coin as a weapon, though admittedly in a different way than an Allomancer would.
Magneto doesn’t just look cool with metal from the start; he progresses in his abilities like Vin would in the Mistborn movie.
Book readers already know how fun Brandon Sanderson’s magic systems can be, but the film adaptation needs to make them appealing to broader audiences.Mistborn’saction can’t be generic if the intention is for the film to stand out and start a franchise; the powers have to feel fulfilling to watch. Matthew Vaughn finds theperfect formula inX-Men: First Classin making powers not only fun but also narratively crucial. Magneto doesn’t just look cool with metal from the start; he progresses in his abilities like Vin would in the Mistborn movie.
How Mistborn’s Magic System Differs From Magneto’s Mutant Powers
Allomancy Is Much Different Than Magneto’s Abilities
As mentioned,Mistborn’smagic systems and Magneto’s powers share the quality of manipulating metal, but there are major differences. First, an Allomancer inMistborncan’t just move metals around freely like some sort of telekinesis. Each of themagic functions inMistbornhas a push/pull mechanism that’s far more stiltedthan what Magneto can do. That being said, they can also gain strength, manipulate emotions, increase their senses, and more, so Allomancers have some abilities in their bag that Magneto can’t access.
The Mistborn Movie’s Most Likely Replacement Sounds Great (But Won’t Be Enough To Start The Cosmere)
The Mistborn movie isn’t happening for now, though one Cosmere project seems to have some potential. Here’s what it means for Sanderson’s adaptations.
TheMistbornmovie will also have to incorporate the element of metal consumption, asan Allomancer expends resources as they use their abilities. This is something that an extraordinarily powerful mutant like Magneto doesn’t have to worry about, creating heightened stakes for magic users in the Brandon Sanderson adaptation. The Magneto comparison is just one of many components of his series, but the Matthew Vaughn idea is certainly interesting for bringing theMistbornbooks to life, at least whenever another movie opportunity comes around.
