While Logan will rectify the comic book version of the character Wolverine, it will also be the last time that audiences might see the character in action on film. After the huge announcement of Hugh Jackman retiring from the role of Wolverine, many fans could not fathom the world without the mutant. Wolverine had been a part of the X-Men world since the first film in 2000.
However, there have been speculations that the Wolverine moniker might not be gathering dust even with the absence of Hugh Jackman. The comics saw X-23 take on the moniker after Logan had died. She did this in honor of the man who was both a mentor and a father figure (literal father) to the character. Would Logan’s Laura Kinney aka X-23 be doing the same?
In an interview with We Got This Covered, Mangold gave fans a sliver of hope about the Wolverine moniker’s survival even after Jackman’s retirement. The site asked which superhero he would be interested in tackling after Logan, to which Mangold answered:
“I think Dafne [Keen] is incredible in the film and I would love to see another film about that character and that’s certainly something I’d be involved in. For me that was one of the big additions I brought to the table, this decision to try to make the film about family and to try to insert Laura and the pressures that would put and the idea about Charles ailing.”
James Mangold has been a great boon to the Wolverine franchise, having made two solo Wolverine films that have rebuilt the character of Wolverine for films, sticking close to the source material. The fact that he is still interested in making a film with just Laura Kinney/X-23 may lead to possibilities. The Wolverine moniker did not die with the demise of Logan in the comics, so why should that be the case for the films.
