Those of us who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know that some titles are stronger than others. And when ranking the X-Men movies, James. Mangold's Logan (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) is usually at the top of fan lists. The movie was an instant classic when it hit theaters in 2017, and fans wanted more of Dafne Keen's Laura/ X-23. Now that actress has revealed how close the X-23 movie got to actually happening, and I've officially got FOMO.
The final trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine revealed that Keen is finally reprising her role for the upcoming Marvel movie, although the size of her role is unclear. While speaking with EW about this return, she explained that a X-23 movie got pretty damn close to production ahead of Disney acquiring 20th Century Fox an its properties. In her words:
It was very much a reality that then kind of fell through. There were talks of a script being made. I'd heard it was an X-23 [movie]. I dunno how much of what I'm saying is true because I was 11, but this is what I'd heard through the grapevine.
There you have it. Per her recollection from that time, Keen thinks that a X-23 movie very nearly got made. But in the end that didn't happen, and it would be a number of years before she finally got to reprise that role. And fans are no doubt going to freak seeing her and Hugh Jackman back on the screen together.
The ending of Logan saw the title character perish to protect Laura, which definitely set up her taking over as the next Wolverine in a solo flick. Unfortunately that project never came to be. During the same interview, Keen spoke about her disappointment at the time, offering:
I was quite sad. I was like, 'Oh well, I guess that's it. That's life, and I'll have to move on' — even though this is one of the greatest characters I'll ever get to play, and annoyingly, I got to play her at 11! I peaked at 11.
In the years that have passed Keen has continued doing genre work, including roles in HBO's His Dark Materials and Star Wars' The Acolyte. The latter included some dizzying lightsaber choreography, proving how thrilling an X-23 flick could have been if the studio actually produced it.
While the size of Laura's role in Deadpool & Wolverine is still a mystery, maybe if fans respond strongly enough to Keen's return, then Marvel might decide to keep her around for more projects. Only time will tell, but her inclusion in the threequel feels like a very good sign.
All will be revealed when Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters on July 26th. In the meantime, check out the 2025 movie release dates.
