Logan Director On The X-Men Franchise's Open Future

03/10/2017 10:23 am EST

James Mangold's take on the last days of the Wolverine put a cap on Hugh Jackman's 17 year tenure with the character, but it also serves as a bookend to the X-Men movie franchise in a poetic way. And fans responded by voting Logan the #1 Ranked Film on ComicBook.com.

But Mangold also left many interesting avenues to take the franchise in new installments, should a filmmaker feel beholden to the grim future he left for the mutants.


While speaking with Empire, Mangold gave a few impressions regarding how he felt about the future of the X-Men's movie universe.

"I gave them many escape valves. We take place in 2029, and X-Men [Days of Future Past] ends in 2024," Mangold said. "There's five blank years there that are wide open to seeing how things got from here to there. Or else you could do what I would advocate, which is imagine a different world and create a new movie, and you don't need the permission of the other movies."

It's interesting that he ended his statement with that caveat, considering Logan did seem to exist in its own universe unshackled from previous films continuity. Like many great comic stories in long-running franchises, some of the best arcs are those that adhere to certain core elements without being burdened by cumbersome ties.

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Logan seemed to do that, paying homage to the previous X-Men films and movie goers familiarity with that universe without needing to directly reference many of the events that occurred. 

But if Mangold did set the future in stone for the franchise's direction, there are many ways filmmakers can go. They can examine the new generation of man-made mutants. Or they can find out what happened in the time between Days of Future Past and Logan.

However it's worth pointing out that the film does seem to exist in its own bubble—they mention that new mutants haven't been born in 25 years, thanks to the genetic neutering from villain Dr. Zander Rice. Yet in Days of Future Past, set 5 years before, the X-Men are seen teaching many young mutants in the Westchester mansion. It's not like every mutant in that scene is 20 years old and older.

But, really, it's a little silly to get hung up on things like that. Just admire the films for what they are, as Mangold suggests, and enjoy the fact that Logan serves as a perfect thematic end for this direction of the mutant saga.

Did you enjoy Jackman's last go as the Wolverine? Let us know with your vote in the Movie Database below!

MORE LOGAN NEWS:
·Where Are All The Mutants?
·Did Logan Go Too Far With X-24?

In 2029, the mutant population has shrunk significantly and the X-Men have disbanded. Logan, whose power to self-heal is dwindling, has surrendered himself to alcohol and now earns a living as a chauffeur. He takes care of the ailing old Professor X whom he keeps hidden away. One day, a female stranger asks Logan to drive a girl named Laura to the Canadian border. At first he refuses, but the Professor has been waiting for a long time for her to appear. Laura possesses an extraordinary fighting prowess and is in many ways like Wolverine. She is pursued by sinister figures working for a powerful corporation; this is because her DNA contains the secret that connects her to Logan. A relentless pursuit begins … In this third cinematic outing featuring the Marvel comic book character Wolverine we see the superheroes beset by everyday problems. They are ageing, ailing and struggling to survive financially. A decrepit Logan is forced to ask himself if he can or even wants to put his remaining powers to good use. It would appear that in the near-future, the times in which they were able put the world to rights with razor sharp claws and telepathic powers are now over.

Logan stars Hugh Jackman (Logan), Boyd Holbrook (Donald Pierce), Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier), Dafne Keen (Laura Kinney/X-23), Doris Morgado (Maria), Stephen Merchant (Caliban), Elizabeth Rodriguez (Gabriela), and Richard E. Grant (Dr. Zander Rice). James Mangold (The Wolverine) directed and helped on the screenplay along with Scott Frank and Michael Green.

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