Dafne Keen Reportedly in Talks to Return as X-23 in Marvel’s X-MEN Reboot

Marvel Studios may already have one of its coolest mutants lined up for the MCU’s new X-Men, and it’s someone fans have been hoping to see stick around.

Dafne Keen is reportedly in talks to reprise her role as Laura/X-23 in Marvel’s upcoming X-Men reboot. If the report pans out, Keen could make the jump from the old Fox universe into Marvel Studios’ new generation of mutants after her awesome return in Deadpool & Wolverine.

According to @MyTimeToShine on X, Keen is “in talks” to play X-23 again in the MCU’s X-Men. Nothing has been officially announced by Marvel Studios, so this remains a rumor for now, but it’s easy to understand why fans are excited about the possibility.

Keen first unleashed the claws as Laura in 2017’s Logan, where she managed to hold her own alongside Hugh Jackman and delivered one hell of a performance at a young age.

She finally returned to the character in Deadpool & Wolverine, giving fans another taste of what she could bring to the MCU if Marvel decides to keep her around.

Personally, I love Keen as X-23, and it would be awesome to see her join the new X-Men team. It would feel like such a missed opportunity if Marvel didn’t find a place for her, especially after bringing her back for Deadpool & Wolverine.

But I also don’t think Laura needs to replace Logan. There’s absolutely room for X-23 and a new Wolverine in the MCU, and having both characters on the board could create some great storytelling opportunities.

Marvel eventually has to figure out what it wants to do with Wolverine, and that’s going to be one of the trickiest casting decisions connected to this reboot.

Hugh Jackman has been associated with Wolverine since the original X-Men arrived 26 years ago. He’s become so closely connected to Logan that whoever follows him is inevitably going to be compared with his performance.

That doesn’t mean another actor can’t pull it off. We’ve seen multiple actors successfully take on Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, and other iconic characters. Wolverine can certainly be reinvented as well.

The challenge is that Jackman keeps returning to the role, and he’s even rumored to appear in an Avengers movie. Every additional appearance keeps his version of Logan fresh in audiences’ minds and makes Marvel’s eventual transition a little more complicated.

The joke in Deadpool & Wolverine about Jackman playing the character until he’s 90 was hilarious, but Marvel obviously can’t build its long-term X-Men plans around that idea. Eventually, another actor will have to pick up the claws.

One option would be to make Laura the MCU’s primary Wolverine, and there’s a strong argument for doing exactly that. Audiences already know Keen in the role, and Logan gave her a great introduction. Making X-23 a major member of the MCU X-Men would also allow Marvel to explore a Wolverine story that doesn’t simply revisit Logan’s familiar history.

The Fox X-Men movies spent a huge amount of time with Wolverine, his past, his trauma, and his relationships with the other mutants. Laura gives Marvel a chance to explore similar themes through a completely different character with her own personality, history, and problems.

Still, why choose? Give us Laura and Logan. The MCU is building an entire mutant corner of its universe, so there’s plenty of space for both characters.

X-23 doesn’t become less interesting because Logan exists, and Wolverine doesn’t suddenly become unnecessary because Laura is around. If anything, putting the two characters in the same universe could give Marvel a much richer dynamic to play with over several movies.

Keen also has some unfinished business with Laura. Following the success of Logan, director James Mangold began developing a follow-up centered on X-23 that would have continued her story.

Those plans disappeared after Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, and the movie never happened. Keen eventually got another shot at Laura in Deadpool & Wolverine, but we missed out on years in which the character could have been developed further.

Making her part of Marvel’s main X-Men cast would finally give Keen the chance to dig deeper into Laura and potentially play her for years.

At only 21 years old, Keen also fits comfortably within the younger age range Marvel appears to be targeting for its new X-Men lineup. If she signs on, she could grow with the character and potentially become the Wolverine of a new generation, similar to how Jackman defined Logan for moviegoers who grew up watching Fox’s X-Men franchise.

Marvel’s new mutant roster is already starting to take shape. Sadie Sink is set to play Jean Grey, while Samara Weaving attached to Emma Frost and Kit Connor as Cyclops. Rumors surrounding Charles Xavier, Mister Sinister, Sebastian Shaw, and other major characters have also been making the rounds.

With the full ensemble widely expected to be revealed during next week’s D23 Expo, we may not have to wait much longer to find out whether Keen is officially joining them.

If Marvel really does bring her back, I’m completely onboard. Keen already proved she can deliver a badass X-23, and Deadpool & Wolverine reminded us how much potential the character still has.

Just don’t make it an either-or situation with Wolverine. Bring Laura into the X-Men, introduce a fresh Logan when the time is right, and let both of them pop their claws in the MCU.

That sounds a hell of a lot more fun.