Highlights
- Dafne Keen may reprise her role as X-23 in Deadpool 3 after negotiating a deal, potentially appearing alongside Hugh Jackman's Wolverine.
- X-23, who debuted outside of Marvel comics, has gained popularity and played an important role in Logan's legacy and the death of Wolverine.
- The inclusion of X-23 in Deadpool 3 could be a precursor to the future introduction of the X-Men into the MCU, marking the beginning of a new Marvel phase.
The Deadpool 3 cast was rumored to include X-Men star Dafne Keen as X-23. However, negotiations were allegedly paused due to the actors' strike. Now that the conflict is finished, significant progress may have been made.
In the first two Deadpool movies, Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) unfortunately had little to do with Professor X's (Patrick Stewart) school for gifted youngsters. Partly due to budget reasons, Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) was the biggest X-Men name to fight alongside Wade. But after Fox merged with Disney, rumors have swirled about who will appear in Deadpool 3. Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is already confirmed to return in the film, and it would make perfect sense if one of his most significant scene partners joined him.
According to reputable scooper DanielRPK, Dafne Keen will reprise her role as Laura Kinney, a.k.a X-23, in Deadpool 3. Earlier this year, it was reported that Marvel Studios had entered negotiations with Keen to appear in Deadpool 3 right before the 2023 actors' strike started, hoping schedules would line up once the labor dispute ended. If DanielRPK is correct, Keen has seemingly closed a deal, and her schedule allowed her to appear in Deadpool 3. Previous reports claimed Keen's X-23 role would be little more than a cameo, though it remains to be seen if this is correct. Keen has not portrayed the character in live-action since James Mangold's Logan in 2017.
Unlike many of the flagship characters in X-Men, X-23 debuted outside of the Marvel comics. The character first appeared in the animated series X-Men: Evolution. The show was aimed at a younger demographic and put many of the mutants in high school, save for Storm and Wolverine. Created by Christopher Lee Yost, X-23 first appears as a clone of Logan created by Weapon X. Since then, she gained massive popularity and was included in the comics. This story led her to be an integral part of Logan's legacy, resulting in her inclusion in the movie featuring the death of Wolverine.
In the comics, X-23 has joined teams such as X-Force and even took on the mantle of Wolverine herself. While her inclusion in Deadpool 3 could be a cameo, it may also be a precursor of what's coming. The MCU is planning on eventually bringing the X-Men into the fold. While keeping this under wraps, the studio has already put the moves into motion. Kelsey Grammer reprised his role as Beast at the end of 2023’s The Marvels. If Keen is also returning, it could bode well for the future of the X-Men and kick off the conflict of the new MCU phase.
Marvel Studios is keeping everything about the X-Men closely under wraps, but viewers can only hope that what they have in mind will be epic. The X-Men deserve a huge homecoming when they are finally inducted into the MCU. They were one of the first big comic franchises to make it to live-action successfully, and many of the portrayals are iconic. It would be a shame if X-23 made it to Deadpool after the big schedule shuffle only to be shoved by the wayside.
Deadpool 3 is slated for release on July 26, 2024.
Deadpool
Deadpool is a franchise focused on the Marvel antihero Deadpool, the cheeky red masked mutant famous for often breaking the fourth wall. Initially a terminally ill cancer patient, Deadpool was given a serum that activated a gene in his body to heal his illness. This left him severely disfigured, hence his trademark outfit.
Source: DanielRPK