Exclusive: Alice Braga On Joining The Marvel Family With ‘The New Mutants’

Finally hitting theaters on August 28 after long delays from Twentieth Century Studios, in association with Marvel Entertainment, in “The New Mutants.”

Directed by Josh Boone (“The Fault in our Stars”) and written by Josh Boone & Knate Lee, the film is an original horror thriller set in an isolated hospital where a group of young mutants is being held for psychiatric monitoring. When strange occurrences begin to take place, both their new mutant abilities and their friendships will be tested as they battle to try and make it out alive.

“The New Mutants” stars: Maisie Williams (“Game of Thrones”); Anya Taylor-Joy (“Glass”); Charlie Heaton (“Stranger Things”); Alice Braga (“Predators”); Blu Hunt (“The Originals”); and Henry Zaga (“13 Reasons Why”). The film is produced by Simon Kinberg, p.g.a., Karen Rosenfelt  and Lauren Shuler Donner with Stan Lee and Michele Imperato Stabile serving as executive producers.

Braga plays Dr. Cecilia Reyes, the Puerto Rican medical doctor who is mentor to the group and can generate protective fields around herself. Best known for her film roles in City of God, I Am Legend, Predators, Elysium, and Blindness, she’s having fun on TV playing Teresa Mendoza in the crime drama-thriller television series Queen of the South.

BlackFilmandTV.com spoke with Braga about her role in The New Mutants, working with Josh Boone and the return of her TV series. 

What led you to say yes to this film?

Alice Braga: Definitely the call that I had with Josh Boone when he was telling me about the project. I was a big X-Men fan, even way before this film was happening, because I always believed how talks about outcasts, it talks about difference, it talks about acceptance, and I always loved this genre and this style. And as soon as they know that call came in, I was onboard. It's a completely different character than anything that I've done before. So it was exciting.

The good thing about the character you're playing is that she's not only she from the comic book, but she's also of Latin descent. Did you do your homework on the character? How would you best describe her in regards to the film?

Alice Braga: Once you do a character that it is from a book or a comic, reading is the best thing they can do because you have the material to study. I actually play on a TV show that is based on a book so it's wonderful. I did a film called Blindness is that also from actually a writer that I love, but you can have that as a material. I definitely went to the comics. I studied her but mainly I focused with Josh to understand what Josh wanted because she's not from the New Mutants world. She was brought from a different comic. I wanted to understand more than anything what Josh wanted her to be in The New Mutants, meaning what she would cause in their lives and how she would propel them to go into this journey of these characters in this movie specifically.

But definitely, by her being Latin from Puerto Rico and being a doctor, all those characteristics and then spine from her I definitely got from the comics and brought to the to the film. Mainly I was focused on Josh and what he needed specifically from this character to be so it was exciting. It was a great choice that Josh decided for a character since it's not from The New Mutants to bring a Latin descendant from another comic to this. He could have brought anyone but he chose a Latin so I think it was great.

How was working with this cast?

Alice Braga: It was wonderful. They're so talented. They're one of the best actors of their generation. Charlie and Macy and Anya have been doing amazing work and to see them creating such dark characters, and even Henry Zaga. This is his first big film and Blu Hunt as well. They were stepping into characters that had a lot of darkness, and a lot of pain, a lot of background story and to create that journey to become a superhero, it was such a beautiful challenge. To be able to be creating with them and exchanging with them is super exciting. I learned a lot. It was very inspiring as well, like, for me, it was great and hanging out with them was just adorable. You know, they were they were born, we were in the woods. So we would go to the movies and we'd go out for partying and all that so it's great.

You said you learned a lot. Having done TV shows and films and other projects, what did you do with this movie that was new for you? 

Alice Braga: I think definitely having to learn how to act having a power. That was something that I've never done. I've done like action films, apocalyptic films and science fiction, but I've never had power that would come out of my arm. That was super exciting. I remember having fun with it. Definitely joining a film that was a lot of genres in one and I think that's something very great about this one. It was great that they decided to do something like this, to do a superhero film with horror and thriller and a lot of action and I think it's exciting. I'm a fan of this genre myself, so I hope people feel the same.

What goes into saying yes to the projects you take?

Alice Braga: I think the first thing that I always try to do is what can I do with this character? How can I like try to envision myself in it? Not in the sense of judging the character or if I like it or not, but more like, how can I challenge myself with it? How can I grow with it and bring something interesting or challenge myself? Those questions are always the first ones that I tried to ask myself, so I can not only grow as an actress, but experience something new. 

What do you take from Josh's direction that you can bring to your next project?

Alice Braga: That's a great question. He's very prepared. He's a director. He's a comic book and for sci fi thriller fan. He was so prepared and he was so generous and honest that I definitely think getting ready and doing your homework is something that makes him a great director. He's always carrying his books. He’s always reading in between takes, which is super cute. He's always reading and I already love to do that. But it's really inspiring to work with someone because then you’re a journalists and my dad is a journalist and it's one of the professions that I actually admire the most. My dream is to play another journalist. I played it once and I want to play again. That idea of studying into the idea of getting your best self out of it to tell people about that. So I think that's something that Josh brought me for sure.

Are you coming back with Queen of the South?

Alice Braga: We are. Hopefully, we're going to come back soon. We were filming episode one and two when the pandemic came. We're already have the entire season written. I know everything that's going to happen in the season and so it's exciting.

How was filming The Suicide Squad?

Alice Braga: It's going to be fun because James Gunn is a brilliant director. I'm a huge fan of his work. Whoever watched Guardians of the Galaxy knows James' energy, but with Suicide Squad, it's going to be funny and fun.