'Logan' Spin-Off Focusing on Laura/X-23 Is in the Works, James Mangold Confirms

The filmmaker reveals that he's 'just working on a script' for the planned movie focusing on the young mutant, who was portrayed by Dafne Keen in last spring's 'Logan'.

A "Logan" spin-off focusing on Dafne Keen's Laura Kinney a.k.a. X-23 is in the works. James Mangold, who directed the last spring movie which marked the final appearance of Hugh Jackman as the clawed mutant Wolverine, has confirmed that the spin-off film is in early stage of development, saying, "We're just working on a script."

The filmmaker didn't reveal much about the planned solo X-23 film. But he did admit that he took inspiration from Patty Jenkins' "Wonder Woman". "Patty's success with that film only solidifies more for studios that there's less to fear with a female protagonist," Mangold told The Hollywood Reporter.

"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," the helmer added.

Producer Hutch Parker, clearly blown away by the success of "Logan", stressed that the spin-off would be very different. He said, "It may not be in the same exact tonality or with the same genre orientations as 'Logan', but I think part of what has been opened up in this universe to all of us now is, drawing on different genre traditions, there are new pathways to be opened for new characters that populate this universe."

As Fox is gearing up for the release of three "X-Men" films next year, the studio has shown interest in exploring the Marvel mutants through different film genres. With Josh Boone's "The New Mutants", due out on April 13, being "a full-fledged horror movie," it's possible that the X-23 solo film could branch out from the western-noir-tinged "Logan".

"Yes, there are other facets of that character and some others potentially to explore in their own way," Mangold said. "It may not be in the same exact tonality or with the same genre orientations as 'Logan', but I think part of what has been opened up in this universe to all of us now is, drawing on different genre traditions, there are new pathways to be opened for new characters that populate this universe."