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- The Animated Origins of X-23
- X-23 and Her History in Film
- Why Is X-23 In Deadpool & Wolverine
As a longtime fan of the X-Men and Wolverine in particular, I’ve always been intrigued by the character development of Laura/X-23. Her story resonated with me deeply when I watched “Logan,” and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness as I thought about the potential spin-off film being canceled along with the rest of the Fox X-Men projects.
Within just a few days of its premiere, Deadpool & Wolverine chose to unveil an additional trailer, surprising fans with the announcement that X-23 (Laura Kinney), portrayed by Dafne Keen, would be making an appearance in the movie. This third Deadpool installment serves as a unique blend of transitioning from the 20th Century Fox X-Men universe to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and acting as both a heartfelt tribute and a fond farewell to over two decades worth of non-MCU Marvel films. The cast includes Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Aaron Stanford as Pyro, Tyler Mane as Sabretooth, Jennifer Garner as Elektra; however, the latest sneak peek has introduced another hero into the mix.
X-23, who made her debut approximately two decades ago, gained significant recognition among the public through her notable performance in the highly praised film “Logan.” The announcement of her appearance in “Deadpool & Wolverine” and Dafne Keen’s reprisal of her role are major events. The teaser trailers hinting at her presence suggest there could be even more impressive cameos yet to be revealed. However, it might also represent another layer of meta humor regarding Fox’s abandoned plans for the character. Here is a comprehensive look into X-23.
The Animated Origins of X-23
Laura Kinney, also known as X-23, is part of an exclusive group of beloved superhero characters, such as Harley Quinn, who were introduced through external sources like animation before making their way into comics. Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost brought her to life in the animated series “X-Men: Evolution,” debuting in the Season 3 episode “X-23” with Andrea Libman providing her voice on August 2, 2003. X-23 resurfaced in the Season 4 episode “Target X,” voiced by Britt Irvin. The writers introduced this character as a clever solution since “X-Men: Evolution” was a revamp of the X-Men story with teenage protagonists. However, Wolverine was still an adult in this adaptation. By introducing X-23, they added a teenage version of the Wolverine character and created an intriguing contrast – a young girl against the gruff, macho Wolverine persona.
Young viewers were quickly drawn to X-23 in X-Men: Evolution, as seen in X-23‘s debut on Marvel Comics in NYX #3 in February 2004, just half a year after her appearance on the show. Her storyline has remained consistent across animated series, comics, and films, with minor adjustments. Born as a clone of Wolverine, X-23 is equipped with two adamantium claws that extend from her wrists for attacking and one retractable claw on her foot for self-defense. Like Wolverine, she possesses the remarkable ability to heal. Initially trained as a lethal weapon, X-23’s bond with Wolverine eventually leads her to embrace heroism and even assume his identity as Wolverine when he passes away in the comics for a brief period.
X-23 and Her History in Film
In August 2003, which was three months after the release of “X2: X-Men United” in theaters, X-23, portrayed by Laura Kinney, made her first appearance. Although the “X-Men” films had already produced two installments and boasted an abundance of tales and figures to adapt, there was a growing demand from fans for this character to be featured on the big screen. Fast forward 14 years later, in 2017’s Logan, X-23 finally graced the silver screen. In this rendition, Dafne Keen portrayed a younger version of the character. While most depictions of X-23 present her as a teenager or young adult, Logan chose to cast Laura as an 11-year-old girl to emphasize even further the already strong father-daughter connection between her and Wolverine.
In the thrilling world of X-Men, I’ve come to realize that in the aftermath of X-Men: Apocalypse, Logan unveiled a surprising truth about Laura – she was brought to life with Wolverine’s DNA, as hinted at in the post-credit scene. Initially, the plan was to introduce Mister Sinister as the main antagonist for the X-Men series. However, Logan took a different approach, making Laura a creation of Alkali-Transigen instead.
In an unexpected turn of events, Laura, who exhibits great fighting abilities but remains undeniably a young girl, survives with other mutant children after Logan’s selfless act of shielding them from danger at Alkali-Transigen. Logan implores her not to see herself as a weapon and breathes his last, leaving her an opportunity for a life he never truly experienced. Laura lays Logan to rest in the woods, marking his grave with an X instead of a cross.
Why Is X-23 In Deadpool & Wolverine
It has been widely speculated since the initial announcement of Deadpool and Wolverine that Dafne Keen would reprise her role as Laura/X-23. This theory gained more credence with the first trailer, during which Wolverine refers to someone out of sight as a kid, who is later revealed to be Laura in the new trailer. Despite keeping silent about her participation in the movie, Dafne Keen had been coy with the media much like Andrew Garfield was regarding Spider-Man: No Way Home. With the confirmation of Laura’s presence in Deadpool and Wolverine, the question remains as to why she is part of this film.
In the comic series “Deadpool & Wolverine,” it seems that the Wolverine portrayed is having a conversation with Laura, who could be the same Laura from “Logan,” but older. Since Dafne Keen, who plays Laura in “Logan,” is now seven years older than when the film was released, she can bring a more authentic representation of the character to the comic. This version of Laura may offer inspiration and healing to this alternate Wolverine, much like she did for him in her universe. With the announcement that “Deadpool & Wolverine” will introduce various Marvel characters from different universes, including those outside of the MCU and Fox X-Men films, Laura might team up with Deadpool and this damaged Wolverine to battle Cassandra Nova as part of a resistance in the multiverse.
Dafne Keen’s portrayal of Laura in the film serves as a nod to the earlier plans of making an X-23 movie following Logan’s success. However, in late 2018, Disney started negotiating to buy 20th Century Fox, leading to the cancellation of all X-Men films under development by 2019. This seemed to signal the end of Dafne Keen’s brief tenure as X-23. Surprisingly, the Multiverse Saga was on the horizon and provided an opportunity for her character’s return. The majority of Deadpool & Wolverine is set in a realm beyond time itself, where timelines are eliminated. This creates a layer of textual commentary. Like X-23 and its potential spin-off, all other 20th Century Fox Marvel productions were effectively erased to make room for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
If the movie’s storyline permits, Laura may rejoin the Multiverse Saga in the future. There have been whispers that Avengers 5 could be transformed into Avengers vs. X-Men, and Laura could potentially adopt the Wolverine costume. In the comics, Laura took on the role of Wolverine back in 2015, which was two years prior to Logan’s release. With rumors swirling around Avengers: Secret Wars being a massive multiversal event, Laura and other Fox X-Men characters might make an appearance in that film. She could even become part of the MCU X-Men movies. Given the extensive promotion for Deadpool & Wolverine emphasizing that there’s only one Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman, Marvel Studios might introduce some excitement to their upcoming X-Men movie by showcasing Laura as their Wolverine. Deadpool & Wolverine is scheduled to premiere on July 26.
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2024-07-22 03:31