While comic book properties seem to be just about everywhere, there is still clearly room for improvisation. Because although superhero fatigue has become a looming threat over the genre, a few unique films have been challenging the expectations. One of these is James Mangold's Logan, an R-rated gritty drama featuring Hugh Jackman's final run as Wolverine. Logan also introduced young actress Dafne Keen as Laura/ X-23, who quickly garnered critical attention for her riveting and high energy performance. Fans are now looking for Laura to lead her own silver screen adventure, and director James Mangold has put in his two cents about the possibility.
Logan recently premiered its black and white version, aka Logan Noire, at the Alamo Drafthouse. During the event's Q&A, James Mangold responded to the possibility of an X-23 movie, saying:
Anything's possible. I've certainly talked to them about it. I even talked to them about it before we made the movie. I thought she was just such a great character, but with what Dafne did, I think that certainly that's possible.
From James Mangold's comments (via Coming Soon), it seems X-23 movie is still a possibility, although nothing concrete has been planned. But given the massive critical and financial success of Logan, I doubt that the studio will wait long to make a sequel announcement.
Part of what made Logan such a breath of fresh air was how capsulated and intimate it was. The X-Men franchise mostly produces large ensemble projects, but Logan focused on three runaway mutants, and the strange family unit they formed through the runtime. And while the hardcore fandom was thrilled to see franchise staples like Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart together on the silver screen, Laura's introduction kept things fresh, while also providing some brutal action sequences.
Dafne Keen has become quite the popular figure in the comic book world, due to her performance as Laura/X-23. Her audition tape alongside Hugh Jackman recently surfaced, where she was seen improvising with the A-lister, switching between languages in the middle of her confrontation.
X-23 is a relatively new incarnation in the X-Men world. She actually made her debut in the animated series X-Men: Evolution, which aired from 2000-2003. A female clone of Logan with a unique set of adamantium claws, Laura quickly transitioned to the X-Men comics, giving her new life on the page. Since then, X-23 has only continued become more popular, even taking over the mantle of Wolverine. And since her story is far more flexible and fresh, 20th Century Fox will be able to make more ambitious changes to the character through future films.
We'll be sure to update you on all things X-Men, as well as the possibility of an X-23 film.
