Hugh Jackman will be returning as The Wolverine one last time in Logan, and based on what we’ve seen so far, it’s going to be a stark change of pace, the least of which is signaled by the film’s expected R-rating. Inspired tonally and thematically by films like Unforgiven and Paper Moon, the film looks radically different from anything superhero-related from Marvel Studios or Warner Brothers’ DC offerings. Since it’s first chapter in 2000, the X-Men universe has always seemed a tad embarrassed by the more colorful and flamboyant aspects of its comic book heritage. Logan looks to lean away from these aspects completely.
Very loosely based on the setup of the Old Man Logan comics, the film focuses on an aging Wolverine who is attempting to care for the fragile Charles Xavier, while also protecting a young girl (Laura Kinney, a.k.a. X-23) who shares his power set.
Now YouTube personality, Philysteak, has provided some perspective by placing the audio of Logan’s recent Red Band trailer against footage from X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men Evolution (see above).
Besides the amusing conjunction of Saturday morning animation and adult dialogue, the video highlights X-23’s little-known origin. Like Harley Quinn, X-23 first originated in a cartoon series before being adapted back to the source comic books, and eventually movie appearances. Laura Kinney first appeared in the third season of X-Men: Evolution (featured in the video). If nothing else, it’s an interesting example of just how radically a property can be reimagined from its original source.
It will be interesting to see what direction Fox takes the X-franchise moving forward. Both Logan and its Deadpool are huge departures from their previous X-Men formula. Both are geared toward “mature” audiences, but while Deadpool fully embraced the style of its comic book heritage, Logan seems to be eschewing it completely. Assuming Logan is a similar success for Fox, it’s possible that the brand could eventually diverge into multiple lines - both the extremely cartoony, and the extremely serious. Either way, this would definitely help them stand out from the increasingly crowded superhero genre.
Are you disappointed that the Wolverine of the films never fully embraced his comic book/cartoon style? What would you like to see from his inevitable live-action return? Let us know in the comments section, and stay tuned to Screen Rant for updates on Logan as they hit.
Source: Philysteak (via YouTube)
- Wolverine 3 Release Date: 2017-03-03
