X-Men: James Mangold Confirms X-23 Spinoff in the Works

Though Wolverine is officially dead in Fox’s Marvel universe of movies and Hugh Jackman has sworn off playing the mutant berzerker again, even in movies set in the years leading up to Logan, that doesn’t mean the saga of the most popular member of the X-Men is over. Just as Wolverine’s story continued in the comic book narrative following his death with X-23 picking up the mask and the mantle, so too does Fox have plans to continue the story of Wolverine’s clone-daughter, Laura (Dafne Keen).

In a recent interview with THR, Logan co-writer and director James Mangold confirmed that he is “working on a script” that centers on Laura with the character’s creator, Craig Kyle. Mangold went on to say that the success of Patty Jenkins‘ Wonder Woman at the box office has proven that there is a market for female superhero movies.

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.

For his part, Jackman, who also acted as a producer on Logan,  said that he “won’t be a producer on” the a X-23 spinoff, but he is excited to see young Laura’s further adventures.

I will be lining up on the Thursday night at 10 p.m. to watch it though. [Dafne] is just phenomenal.

Fox recently wrapped production on its latest superhero movie, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, earlier this month. It is slated to open on November 2, 2018. Before that, The New Mutants will usher in a whole new slew of mutant heroes in a horror-tinged spinoff movie opening April 13, 2018.