Dafne Keen is open to reprising her X-Men role as X-23 for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In a recent interview with ComicBook.com, Keen said that she would “100 percent” play X-23, aka Laura, again if given the opportunity to bring the character into the MCU.
Keen appeared as X-23 in the 2017 film Logan, starring Hugh Jackman in the title role. Artificially created by Alkali-Transigen to use as a soldier, X-23 is a mutant with similar powers as Logan, aka Wolverine. Having been created with DNA samples of Wolverine, X-23 shared her “biological father’s” healing abilities and retractable claws.
Keen’s portrayal of X-23 was praised by critics and audiences alike, so it isn’t that surprising to see several fans campaigning for the actress to reprise the role should the X-Men character cross over to the MCU.
Forreal I wanna See X-23 she did a great damn job so I definitely wanna see her continue in her role
— Darnell”Into the solo-verse”Solomon (@MrReinvention23) July 13, 2020
Yeah I do really hope she returns, she was great in the role with a great character and I hope she returns somehow
— Loki Is God (@LokiIsGod4) July 13, 2020
Dafne was fantastic as X-23. She deserves a spinoff film or miniseries pic.twitter.com/PWcD4T7LQO
— jelevision (@jelevision) July 13, 2020
pls, dont erase her. I really like her character. She is really interesting.
— ☕ ᑕ ᗩ Ð Ð ϒ ☕ (@mlk_bananistico) July 13, 2020
I’m here for it ???????? pic.twitter.com/URvgnOuCXC
— infiniteRAID (@_marcusturner_) July 13, 2020
Let her do it. She could be X23 even if they don’t follow Logan. You got JK playing another version of JJ so do this too
— Godspeedzilla (@Dsncurry6) July 13, 2020
Y’know… that’d be a whole lot more entertaining than trying to find a new actor to play Wolverine! ??
— Joshua Stone (@JoshuaS1979) July 13, 2020
We want her too. She was beyond excellent. An absolute perfect fit for the role. She even over shadowed the leading men. Totally need her back. That’s the future of wolverine.
— Catherine O’Reilly (@SeptimaKCD) July 13, 2020
Hell yeah!! She did it for I don’t care! Kevin Feige can either get her onboard or not she’ll still be the best X-23 I know.
— Mr Ntissa (@NtissaM) July 14, 2020
Even Jackman himself and Logan director James Mangold were impressed by Keen’s performance as X-23. During ComicBook.com’s Quarantine Watch Party of the X-Men movie in May, Jackman shared, “When [Mangold] came up [with] the character of Laura, and that the movie was in essence about family we were worried about finding the right fit. Until we met [Keen]. The first day we auditioned her … she punched me in the arm so hard, I was literally bruised the next day. Hired.”
Mangold, meanwhile, acknowledged how Keen amazingly carried the second half of the film. “There’s no way this film works without the remarkable Dafne Keen. By the film’s second half, the tables have turned and she is carrying the entire movie as Logan has retreated in sickness and self-doubt. And of course, she holds the final frame,” Mangold wrote.
Despite Keen’s lauded performance as X-23, there are still some X-Men fans who don’t want to see her reprising the role.
I don’t see her character cracking jokes during the entire movie. I don’t think she would fit with them
— Bryan (@RavensFreak00) July 13, 2020
Need Logan not x 23 just yet… his story has yet to be done
— Liquid Smoke (@brianknockin) July 13, 2020
And even though Disney had already acquired 20th Century Fox, a number of fans think that Marvel will more likely reboot the characters introduced in recent X-Men movies than bringing them into the MCU, making Keen’s reprisal of X-23 unlikely.
I truly don’t see Marvel using any of the same Fox cast. I’m pretty sure they’re only interested in their crafting own vision and beyond that there’s just no real function to tying themselves to somebody else’s creation. Also X23 specifically is not likely to appear right away.
— ArArArchStanton (@ArArArchStanton) July 13, 2020
god please no. we need a clean break from the fox x-men franchise. something completely new, no stars from the old series whatsoever PLEASE.
— Press Start to POLICE REFORM NOW #BlackLivesMatter (@PressStartLock) July 13, 2020
Keen currently stars as Lyra Belacqua/Silvertongue in the BBC/HBO television series His Dark Materials.