LOGAN Director James Mangold Still Wants To Make An X-23 Movie But Doesn't Think It Will Happen

Logan set the stage for an X-23 spinoff to happen, and while James Mangold would love to take the helm of a follow-up, he acknowledges that it's unlikely thanks to the Disney/Fox merger. Check it out...

By JoshWilding - Oct 16, 2019 01:10 PM EST

Filed Under: X-23 (Wolverine)

Many fans credit James Mangold with directing one of the best Marvel movie to date in Logan, and while the critically acclaimed film brought Wolverine's story to an end, it set the stage for a spinoff revolving around X-23.

Played by Dafne Keen, the door was wide open to explore what came next for the X-Man's female clone, but thanks to the Disney/Fox merger, the door has been closed on that happening...right? Alas, Mangold certainly seems to think so based on some recent remarks.

During a chat with The Playlist to promote Ford v Ferrari, he said: "Do I have an interest? Yes. Will it happen? At least in the near future, I doubt it." Well, that's the end of that then it seems!

Marvel Studios is planning to reboot the X-Men franchise for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so they're obviously not going to continue X-23's story in a future where the team has been wiped out.

Still, it's interesting to consider what might have been, don't you think? Sound off below.

Hit the "View List" button to find out how we think Marvel Studios
could restore the X-Men to their former big screen glory!

The True "First Class"

I loved X-Men: First Class, but that wasn't really the true "First Class." Comic book fans will know that title actually belongs to Cyclops, Jean Grey, Angel, Iceman, and Beast.

Putting the focus on them would be a smart move, especially as we've never really explored Scott Summers and Jean Grey's romance beyond a weird love triangle, Beast was turned into a werewolf by Bryan Singer and Simon Kinberg, and neither Angel nor Iceman have been given the attention and screentime they're worthy of.

Other mutants could definitely appear, but I don't think it would be a bad thing for Marvel Studios to hold off and save the likes of Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Storm for the sequel.

No, Professor X Isn't Supposed To Be British

Patrick Stewart was a great Charles Xavier, but something many people seem to forget is that his comic book counterpart isn't actually British! While this isn't a huge deal, it would be much better for Marvel Studios to skip the character's origin story and just deliver an accurate version who is less of an outsider and has kept an eye on America's political climate for many years.

Professor X should definitely be part of this reboot, but some sort of reinvention is needed and going back to his roots would be a good start. If the X-Men are going to be portrayed as teens, having Xavier be in his 20s or 30s would certainly make him feel more contemporary and means we won't have to talk about how creepy it is for him to have a house of minors at his beck and call.

Explain Where They've Been All This Time

Mutants suddenly appearing really wouldn't make sense, especially as some of them need to be older than others. Having all of them be teenagers would be a mistake, as would much older people gaining powers out of the blue. There can definitely be a trigger for why mutants are suddenly widespread, but it's all going to take some explaining!

The best possible explanation is that they've been in hiding or that they've been operating in the shadows (similar to Spider-Man). That's assuming the team has even formed before the movie starts, of course, and if not, then revealing that these scared teens have been keeping their newfound abilities to themselves wouldn't be too challenging.

As for mutants who may have had their powers for years like Wolverine, Professor X, and Magneto, it's hard to say how that can be touched on and it will likely be one of Marvel's biggest challenges.

Make Wolverine A Supporting Character, Not The Lead

Wolverine is a great character and Hugh Jackman did a fantastic job with him, but it's definitely time for a new version of Logan to arrive on the big screen and, assuming that happens in this reboot, he should be a supporting character rather than one of this reboot's lead stars.

Whether the team meet "Patch" in Madripoor or he's working for Department H in Canada, Wolverine's story shouldn't be rushed, and a solo outing should actually be a bigger priority for Marvel.

Oh, and it goes without saying that Wolverine needs to don a comic accurate version of his costume! If anyone can make that work, it's Feige's extremely talented team of concept artists.

Modernise Magneto's Origin Story

Magneto being a Holocaust survivor is an iconic trait of the character and something that plays into his hatred of humans. However, it's also something that makes absolutely no sense these days because he would have to be a very elderly man (unless, of course, he somehow also has the power to stay young and has been in hiding for decades).

Marvel Studios could choose to root his origin story in another conflict or simply make it so that his family were victims of the Nazis, something that might still affect him in a major way. Even then, though, we'd be talking about his grandparents, so some changes need to be made.

There's nothing to say Magneto will appear in the reboot - especially as he's been in every single X-Men movie to date - but seeing a comic accurate version of his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants would be awesome, and it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for him to initially be a good guy who is in charge of the X-Men alongside Professor Xavier.

Make Them Feared And Hated

Marvel Studios took an interesting approach to Spider-Man being labelled a "menace," as it wasn't until the end of Far From Home that he was accused of being a criminal by The Daily Bugle.

Now, it's going to be interesting to see what they do with the X-Men as a huge part of being a mutant is being feared and hated by the world. Something huge is going to have to happen to make that the case in a world where superheroes like Iron Man and Captain America are mourned, and a national tragedy of some sort could explain why people are okay with Sentinels and the like.

Marvels did a great job of explaining this and that's definitely somewhere we would like to see Marvel Studios turn for inspiration.

Bring In The Sentinels

We mentioned the Sentinels in the previous slide, but after X-Men: Days of Future Past's underwhelming take on the mutant hunting robots, it's about damn time we get to see the real deal in the MCU.

They need to be portrayed as something mutants will truly fear, while also being powerful enough to stop the likes of Cyclops and Wolverine in their tracks. Visually, sticking to the comics is the right idea and someone like Bolivar Trask could easily make good use of stolen Iron Legion technology in order to create robots formidable enough to take on the X-Men.

Ultimate X-Men did a really good job bringing the Sentinels into a contemporary setting, and they could very easily end up being the movie's big bad - assuming there's someone else pulling the strings.

Mutants Need To Matter

One of the most infuriating things about Fox's X-Men movies were the many nameless, generic mutants who became glorified background extras. Be it all those kids in Xavier's mansion (who looked oddly human) or the boring bad guys who usually weren't even based on characters from the source material, that's really got to stop.

Yes, there are a lot of mutants out there and not every one of them needs a backstory, but they all need to matter and should have names, a defined set of powers, and comic book counterparts! Luckily, this probably isn't something we should worry about with Marvel Studios in the driving seat, and it helps that the people in charge are now familiar with the comics Singer banned on set!

Colourful Costumes Are A Must

Regardless of how the public perceive them, the X-Men are superheroes and they should be portrayed as such on screen. That means costumes, and the less black leather we see the better. Kevin Feige must be aware that this is something fans want, and based on the visuals we've seen in the MCU to date, boring, non-costumes simply wouldn't work.

Whether we're talking about completely different suits or uniforms like the ones you see above, a bit of colour is a must and it helps give the characters an identity just like in the comics.

As we mentioned earlier in the post, Wolverine getting a comic accurate costume is essential and that mask really won't be that hard to pull off. If we are going down the "First Class" route, look no further than the source material for inspiration for how the rest of these heroes should look on screen.

F**k The Phoenix

Seeing the Phoenix Force in the Marvel Cinematic Universe would obviously be a lot of fun, especially if it goes up against other powerful cosmic forces like Galactus or the Annihilation Wave.

However, it's a plot thread that's been played out across a number of movies, and it's now time to take a break. It could be re-introduced somewhere down the line, but shouldn't even be hinted at for the time being.

Now, if Marvel Studios wants to take the X-Men down other cosmic routes, that definitely wouldn't be a bad thing. For example, the Starjammers and the Shi'ar would be awesome additions to this shared world.
Continue reading below to see which 10 villains
we would like to see appear in the X-Men reboot!

Nimrod

Nimrod is an Omega Sentinel from a future (the "Days of Future Past" timeline, to be specific) where mutants and superheroes have either been killed or imprisoned. Nimrod has also made his presence felt in the present day, and has been reimagined with a very unique new personality in Jonathan Hickman's Powers of X series.

Honestly, Marvel Studios should ditch all the time-travel malarkey as that's something they can delve into down the line. Instead, making Nimrod a being that has gained sentience and is determined to destroy mutantkind alongside its fellow Sentinels would be awesome. Plus, I'm sure Marvel Studios could somehow tie this into Ultron's emergence in 2015!

Cassandra Nova

Charles Xavier's twin sister seemingly died in the womb, but she actually remained dormant in her brother's body for years, before ultimately taking on her own form and laying waste to mutantkind (she killed billions on Genosha by unleashing a Sentinel on Magneto's nation). Every bit as powerful as Professor X, this would make the X-Men's first battle very personal.

What if the leader of the X-Men in the MCU isn't just Charles Xavier, but his sister as well? In a Mysterio-style plot twist, she could be revealed as a villain fairly early on as her hatred for her brother and mutants in general leads to her outing them to the world and ensuring that they're despised by humans. This character has a lot of potential and there are many directions Marvel could take.

Proteus

The son of Moira MacTaggert (who we recently learned is a mutant herself), Proteus has the ability to warp reality and is forced to hop from body to body because his immense powers quickly burn out those he inhabits. Whenever he faces the X-Men it's a big battle, and he's pushed the team to their limits on multiple occasions. The Ultimate version was actually Professor X's son!

What if the reason no one has heard of mutants is because Charles Xavier has used Proteus to hide them from the rest of the world? Him learning that he's been manipulated could set Proteus on the path to becoming a villain, and what better way to out the X-Men - and Charles' shadier side - than having him attack the world, thereby forcing the X-Men to go after him?

The Brotherhood Of Evil Mutants

Typically portrayed as a villainous team of mutants led by Magneto, the Brotherhood was initially formed to battle both the X-Men and to take the fight to humanity. If you're going to introduce mutants to the MCU and head down the "hated and feared" route, then there's really no better way to do that than by unleashing this evil group on the unsuspecting residents of this world.

The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants has taken many forms over the years, but I think it's fair to say that leaving Mystique out of this iteration would probably be for the best, especially as that character has taken centre stage in so many movies now. There are plenty of other possibilities, though, and seeing a villainous team in the MCU is definitely something that feels long overdue.

Shi'ar Empire

The Shi'ar Empire has been a huge part of the X-Men's adventures over the years and are led by Empress Lilandra, a character who has actually been portrayed as love interest of sorts to Charles Xavier. The Imperial Guard is a formidable group and having the mutants protect the Earth from a cosmic threat could help immediately establish them as heroes and a force to be reckoned with.

Dark Phoenix didn't have the guts to take the X-Men into outer space, so if Marvel Studios really wants to do something different with the team, that's definitely an option for this reboot. Having them clash with the Imperial Guard would be fun, while this could also lead to the introduction of the Brood and a long overdue look into Cyclops' past by having the Starjammers appear.

The Hellfire Club

Matthew Vaughn did a decent enough job with The Hellfire Club in X-Men: First Class, but didn't really delve into what makes the team so great. A new take on Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost would definitely be welcome, while the introduction of characters like Madelyne Pryor and Mastermind is something that could open the door to a long list of very exciting stories.

A group of mutants who use their influence to alter world events for their own gain, The Hellfire Club are interesting for a lot of reasons, and seeing the X-Men square off with them would be a lot of fun, especially as there's lot of drama to be had from showing the heroes torn between helping a world that fears and hates them or joining a group who use their powers to their advantage.

Mr. Sinister

19th Century scientist Nathaniel Essex had a great deal of interest in Social Darwinism, and is both an immortal and someone with a vested interest in genetics. That's led to him developing a very unhealthy interest in the Summers bloodline and he's cloned, created, and enhanced many a mutant over the years. Plus, we know Bryan Cranston is desperate to play him!

If Marvel Studios wants to introduce the X-Men with a bang, someone like Sinister is the way to do it, and his interest in Scott Summers could mean that Cyclops finally gets the screentime he deserves. This is a villain who could have a recurring presence in all future X-Men adventures and someone who obviously hasn't been soiled by Fox's misuse of X-Men bad guys over the years.

Apocalypse

Is it too soon for another take on En Sabah Nur? It was only three years ago that X-Men: Apocalypse was released, but even more time will have passed when this reboot finally arrives, and there's no denying that there's a lot that could be done with this character that Bryan Singer and Simon Kinberg failed to do due to their apparent lack of interest in the comic books he hails from.

A constant thorn in the side of the X-Men, Apocalypse even clashed with Thor once upon a time and his obsession with making sure the strong survive could be what leads to his appearance in the MCU, as mutants finally become known to the world. The villain should definitely be brought to life with CGI like Thanos, and Marvel could even gender-swap him if they really wanted to!

The Juggernaut

The Juggernaut was re-introduced to moviegoers in Deadpool 2, and while we know Disney and Marvel Studios is mulling over how to balance his R-Rated adventures with PG-13 team-ups, there's really no reason why this unstoppable villain can't be softly rebooted for the MCU and turned into a threat so massive that the X-Men are forced to come together to stop him.

Thus far, we've not delved into the mystical side of his powers or his relationship with Charles Xavier (they're step-brothers), and that's material with a lot of cinematic potential. Even if Juggernaut is once again used as a secondary antagonist, Marvel Studios should definitely flesh him out and make him someone capable of taking on an entire team of heroes.

Magneto

At this point, you probably don't need us to tell you who Magneto is. The Master of Magnetism has taken centre stage in literally every X-Men movie released by Fox (outside of the Wolverine movies, anyway) and returning to that well for this reboot might be a mistake - even if he's portrayed in a far more comic accurate manner, or simply as the truly powerful mutant he really is.

Iit would be nice to get a new take on Magneto, though, and a good place to start would be to make him the co-leader of the X-Men. His slow descent into villainy is something Marvel Studios could spend years building towards. Then again, these past few years have seen him portrayed in a heroic light in the comics, so maybe the reboot could follow suit.

LOGAN Star Dafne Keen Is 100% On Board With Returning As X-23 In The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Recommended For You:

X-23 Creator Craig Kyle Will Work With James Mangold On The Script For The Planned LOGAN Spin-Off

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

76 Comments

1 2



dracula - 10/16/2019, 1:14 PM Let him do an mcu wolverine trilogy Login to report abuse












DannRamm113 - 10/16/2019, 1:14 PM I wish. I wish. Disney division is gonna throw out this gem because it won't fit. Shame. OT: I'm going to see Ford V Ferrari this friday at CIFF, I can't wait! I've been excited for Mangold/Bale Login to report abuse



GhostDog - 10/16/2019, 1:15 PM I’d watch it. Keene was great Login to report abuse



















1 2

Related Headlines

X-23 (Wolverine)

LOGAN Star Dafne Keen Is "100%" On Board With Returning As X-23 In The Marvel Cinematic Universe

JoshWilding

Jul 13, 2020 10:07 AM

Logan

LOGAN: X-23 Fan-Art Puts Dafne Keen In That Familiar Yellow And Blue Comic Book Costume

JoshWilding

Jun 03, 2020 05:06 AM

X-23 (Wolverine)