Marvel Favorite Opens Up About MCU Future Amid X-Men Rumors (It Would Solve a BIG Fan Worry)
Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s record-breaking box office run is the biggest story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe right now, but the web head isn’t the only superhero making headlines. As Spidey rewrites the box office history books, Marvel Studios is putting together the cast for its highly anticipated X-Men reboot. Outside of Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, no official announcements have been made yet, but reports state Samara Weaving will play Emma Frost and Kit Connor will be Cyclops. In lieu of updates straight from Marvel, the rumor mill has been working overtime with casting possibilities, including the potential of Dafne Keen reprising her fan-favorite role of Laura/X-23.
Amidst the speculation, Keen has commented on the possibility of a return to the Marvel universe. “Absolutely. I mean, she’s such an interesting kind of tormented character, and she has so much more story to live. I mean, the comic books are incredible,” Keen told MovieWeb when asked if she believes there’s more to do with Laura on screen. “There’s so much to pull from, and yeah, I mean, if they wanted to, there is so much material, and I’d always be willing.”
Dafne Keen’s Return Would Solve a Major X-Men Reboot Problem
Casting has always been one of Marvel’s biggest strengths, but recruiting the next generation of X-Men will be a tall task even for them. Not only do the X-Men rank among the most important and popular characters in Marvel lore, many prominent mutants were previously featured in Fox’s X-Men series, films that continue to resonate with fans to this day. Even if some of those veterans weren’t returning for Avengers: Doomsday this year, they’d be tough acts for any actor to follow. And there’s one character in particular who’d be extremely difficult to recast: Wolverine. Since first playing the iconic character in 2000, Hugh Jackman has been synonymous with the role.
The X-Men rumor mill has been mum on possible Wolverine actors recently, but since Logan is one of the most significant players in X-Men lore, it’s hard to imagine the character won’t appear in the MCU’s reboot at some point. That means finding a suitable replacement for Jackman, putting a younger actor in a rather unenviable position. Whoever dons Wolverine’s claws next will undoubtedly be compared to Jackman’s memorable portrayal, and that could make or break the X-Men reboot. This isn’t to say nobody can play Logan after Jackman (Tom Holland is the third live-action Spider-Man and is doing a great job), but it might be the safer move to bring back Keen and have Laura take the Wolverine spot on the new X-Men roster.
There would probably be some backlash from fans who would prefer a new take on Logan’s story, but the pros here arguably outweigh any cons. Keen’s X-23 is already a fan-favorite, making an impact as a child in Logan before she returned two years ago in Deadpool & Wolverine. Keen is also only 21 years old, placing her right in the age rage that Marvel is targeting for the X-Men cast (they want the team to be younger so the actors can grow into their roles over the next MCU saga). Plus, prior to the Disney/Fox merger, Logan director James Mangold was developing a spinoff film for X-23, so this would be a way to bring everything full circle and give Laura a chance to shine alongside other mutants. The Fox movies focused so heavily on Logan that using a different character in his place for the reboot makes sense.
If Keen does indeed become the MCU’s Wolverine, there’d be a touching meta angle that connects to Logan. During that film’s emotional ending, Laura buries Logan before setting off on her own path to help lead a new generation of mutants to safety. Even if Keen doesn’t play the Logan variant of Laura in the MCU’s X-Men, the symbolism of her filling the Wolverine role on the new team would be apparent. Keen would be carrying Jackman’s legacy, looking to leave her own mark on a new generation of moviegoers — much like how Jackman became a legend for those who grew up with the Fox films. Hopefully there will be some sort of confirmation regarding Keen during D23 this weekend.
