11) Imperfect Healing Factor
It’s not just cosmetic changes that Logan’s advancing years have caused. The passing of time seems to have had an effect on his powers, too. In a shocking, powerful moment in the trailer, Logan examines his wounds in front of a bathroom mirror and we discover that Wolverine’s healing factor is not as strong as it once was. Where his skin used to reform without a scratch, his body is now veined with scars that have not fully healed.
Here’s how director James Mangold explained his thinking behind the decision:
“In order to make a different Logan, and a different tone of a Wolverine movie, we felt like we couldn’t hold on to every tradition established in all the movies religiously, or we’d be trapped by the decisions made before us. So we questioned whether Logan’s healing factor causes him to heal without even a scar. We imagined that it may have when he was younger, but with age, he’s getting older and ailing. Perhaps his healing factor no longer produces baby-soft skin. So we imagined he heals quickly, still, but it leaves a scar.”
This change will come as a shock to comic fans as well, as the weakening of Wolverine’s powers is completely new and not featured in the “Old Man Logan” storyline. It’s a canny addition, though, as it really helps to sell that this is not the same Logan we’re used to.
