Never say never, especially in Hollywood. Most times that an actor, writer or director claims they will not return to a role or a franchise, we count down the months (or years) until they are back. The latest example happens to be Hugh Jackman, who hung up his Wolverine claws in the 2017 sendoff drama Logan, but was convinced to step back into the suit for the upcoming Marvel movieDeadpool and Wolverine, arriving on July 26. Apparently, though, Jackman very much was saying “never again” while on the Logan set… at least, according to his co-star, Dafne Keen.
In the neo-modern Western superhero film Logan, Dafne Keen plays X23, a mutant with similar powers to Wolverine who gets caught up in his final adventure. Keen is shifting focus from Marvel to Star Wars this month, joining The Acolyte as a Jedi Padawan named Jecki Lon. And while speaking with CinemaBlend about the upcoming season, available to anyone with a Disney+ subscription, Keen mentioned how she felt seeing Hugh Jackman back in the role of Wolverine. Said Keen:
I was so shocked. Because when we were shooting, Hugh was like, ‘I’m never…’ He was like, ‘I love it, but I’ve been doing this for 17 years, and I want to leave this behind.’ So it was a real shock to see it. But the trailer looks incredible, so I’m just really excited to see it when it comes out. I will be in the cinema, for sure.
Some might argue that Dafne Keen not only will be in the cinema, she might be in the movie. That’s a prevalent rumor, and I can easily see it. Deadpool and Wolverine is rumored to be chock full of cameos from characters in the Fox universe. Set photos captured the potential appearance of a classic Wolverine villain. And the trailer that Dafne Keen mentioned (shared below) has more than a few recognizable cameos in it. Not X23… at least, not yet.
Ultimately, though, Dafne Keen’s reaction mirrors our own, in that I think we were all more than a little surprised that Hugh Jackman, now 55, slipped on the Wolverine claws once again and decided to play alongside Ryan Reynolds in the actor’s first official MCU movie. It’s expected that this movie is going to bridge the gap between the mutant movies of the former 20th Century Fox and the plans that Marvel Studios has for the CX-Men moving forward. Maybe that includes Dafne Keen and her X23, but if not, she also has The Acolyte on her resume, and could stay busy in the Star Wars universe for years to come.