Logan was finally released in theaters this past weekend, and its primary purpose was to bid an emotional farewell to Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Jackman has been playing the character since 2000's X-Men, and his final outing not only showed the clawed mutant at his most ferocious, but has also become one of the most positively-rated superhero movies ever. However, Logan came with an excellent bonus: it introduced audiences to Laura, a.k.a. X-23, Wolverine's daughter. Even though Wolverine was the center of attention in Logan, many will agree that X-23 was a scene-stealer, as actress Dafne Keen did an excellent job channeling Wolverine's style of fury. While Logan easily serves as a one-and-done tale, now that X-23 is on the table, it would be wise for 20th Century Fox to green-light an spinoff centered around her as soon as possible.
Warning: there are SPOILERS for Logan from this point forward. You have been warned!
When we left off with X-23 at the end of Logan, she had tearfully said goodbye to her father after he succumbed to the wounds he received from X-24. After she and the other mutant children buried Wolverine, Laura turned the cross at his grave on its side, with the X to honor him as one of the X-Men. She then rejoined her fellow mutants as they crossed the border to find safe haven. If the X-Men franchise wanted to, they could leave it at that. Let Laura and her friends live out their lives in peace in Canada in the Eden sanctuary, where they're free from persecution. That decision, though, would be a waste of potential. Dafne Keen (pun slightly intended) killed it as X-23. Not only was her dynamic with Hugh Jackman great to watch, but she was a natural at acting out the blood-charged rage that we've seen Jackman's Wolverine unleash for nearly two decades. A performance like that deserves to be reprised. Now that X-23's origin story has been handled in Logan, we can see her go off on her own and get into similar shenanigans as her good ol' dad did.
For those not familiar with the comics, X-23 isn't a mere one-off character. First seen in the X-Men Evolution animated series, she debuted in the comics not long after and has been a mainstay in the mutant corner of the Marvel universe. There's more than enough material that can be picked out to form a good cinematic story. With the other mutant children from Transigen by her side, there's already a cool supporting cast ready to accompany her. Hell, if they're following the recent comic books, Laura could even become Wolverine somewhere down the line. She would be inheriting her father's legacy and using her abilities for good as a hero rather than a weapon like Transigen intended. That said, it'd probably be for the best if she didn't receive her own special costume, especially the yellow and blue one that Hugh Jackman never got to wear.
Another important reason to make an X-23 spinoff is it's just about the only way we'll ever get an X-Men movie set in the post-Logan era. Think about it. Thanks to Transigen suppressing the mutant gene, the only mutants that have been born in approximately two decades are ones that were genetically engineered by the scientific organization. It was all about selection and control for them. Even if the company was completely dismantled, the mutant species is still heading toward extinction, and it would take a miracle for their numbers to start growing again. X-23 and the group of mutant children are among the few still alive on Earth. Then there's the X-Men team itself, which clearly isn't around anymore either due to the Westchester Incident or something that occurred before that. Right now, all the upcoming X-Men-related movies that have been officially announced are either prequels, like X-Men: Supernova, or aren't concerned with adhering to continuity, like the Deadpool movies. Those certainly could be entertaining, but only an X-23 spinoff can directly move forward off the events of Logan and pave the way for a more hopeful future in this universe. That's assuming, of course, that we don't see a scenario where Cable brings X-23 to the present. Hey, it's not impossible!
X-Men movie producer Simon Kinberg has said that Fox's plans for future X-Men movies include an X-23 spinoff. Of course, plans can change, but for now, seeing such a movie is a question of when more than if. From an artistic standpoint, it's fine if the aftermath of Logan is never followed up on, but after seeing Dafne Keen's performance, it would be a shame if we didn't see more of X-23 to watch her grow and move closer to becoming the superhero she is in the comics. Does X-23 need her own franchise? Not necessarily, but at the very least she deserves a movie where she can have the spotlight all to herself.
Logan is now playing in theaters, and let us know in the poll and comments below whether or not you agree that an X-23 spinoff should be made.
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