‘Logan’ Spin-Off Focusing On X-23 In Early Stages Of Development

Now that Hugh Jackman has hung up his claws as the iconic hero Logan, attention has turned to giving his "daughter" Laura (a.k.a. X-23) her own story.

Logan Hugh Jackman Wolverine

Logan was one of the great surprises for me this year film-wise. It defied expectations as it stretched the definition of what it means to be a superhero movie these days. It would be a crime if the film does not receive nominations for at least Patrick Stewart (his first Oscar nom) and Hugh Jackman. One of the reasons for the film’s huge success was due to the introduction of Logan’s daughter, Laura (a.k.a. X-23, played by Dafne Keen), who in actuality is cloned from his DNA.

Now in a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, director James Mangold, Hugh Jackman and X-Men producer Hutch Parker discussed a possible spin-off for X-23, with Mangold revealing that they’re “working on a script” for the project. Touching on the success Patty Jenkins had with Wonder Woman, Mangold had this to say about female-fronted films.

“Patty’s success with that film only solidifies more for studios that there’s less to fear with a female protagonist. The more that keeps getting hit home, that ends up giving me more space turning around and going, ‘Well here we are with a female protagonist. That’s incredible. And what are we going to do with her?’ And that’s where we are with that [the Laura script] right now, dreaming.”

With Fox’s visible commitment to expanding the X-Men universe — the studio is releasing three films next year — a X-23 spin-off seems like a natural extension of the western-themed Logan. While wrapping production on X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Parker added this to the speculation.

“Yes, there are other facets of that character and some others potentially to explore in their own way. It may not be in the same exact tonality or with the same genre orientations as Logan, but I think part of what has been opened up in this universe to all of us now is, drawing on different genre traditions, there are new pathways to be opened for new characters that populate this universe.”

One person who won’t be involved in a spinoff is Jackman, who not only has hung up the claws, but also rules out staying on as a producer. It seems Jackman wants to explore other avenues of creativity.

“No, I won’t be a producer on a Laura sequel,” says Jackman. “But I will be lining up on the Thursday night at 10 pm to watch it though. She is just phenomenal.”

Will X-23 pick up the mantle for Logan? With the film grossing $616 million worldwide, the answer is most likely yes. There are plenty of interesting places a X-23 film could go.  Will she try to set up a new team of X-Men? Will she be a loner like her dad? I can’t wait to find out. Logan is currently available on Blu-Ray and digital. If you haven’t seen it, see it. It’s great.

Source: THR