Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) was always a tentpole character for Marvel, so it’s no surprise he grew into such a major force in Bryan Singer’s X-Men-centric universe. Logan led fans through multiple stand-alone films and appeared in every single X-Men picture, aside from Deadpool (unless you count Wade Wilson’s opaque references).
However, Jackman is set to make his final appearance in The Wolverine 3, which begs the question: who will carry on Weapon X’s legacy? Well, one of Singer’s possible directions for the character might surprise some fans, as at one point, he apparently tried to bring a female Wolverine into the long-percolating X-Force movie.
When questioned about the rumors circling the character by Fandango, he had this to say:
“I have discussed that with the studio. I actually initially pitched the X-Force and the female [Wolverine].”
Although X-Force has been in the works for years, the success of Deadpool likely prompted Fox to renew focus on the gritty team. The Merc with a Mouth proved a surprising standalone character, adding another big name to the X-Men pantheon.
As we all know, the studio also hired director Josh Boone to put together its New Mutants spinoff. Both films, in addition to The Wolverine 3, would be a great introduction for Laura Kinney, the Wolverine clone known as X-23.
As female superheroes are finally getting their due, Kinney would be a terrific addition to the slowly diversifying comic book movie world. With Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel on the way, and a Black Widow solo pic not far behind, former assassin X-23 would be an intriguing new direction for the Wolverine storyline. Marvel clearly felt confident enough to make Kinney the new Wolverine in All-New Marvel – perhaps preparing for Jackman’s departure – and if Fox follows suit, they could solve their re-casting woes as well.
Of course, some fans may not like the idea of a male Logan-free universe. With the right casting, though, a female Wolverine might be easier than trying to replace the iconic Jackman. Only time will tell if Fox has enough chutzpah to cast X-23 as the new Weapon X, but we’re hoping that she’ll at least get her claws dirty when X-Force finally comes to theaters.