Hugh Jackman Says Logan Is Set In Different Universe From X-Men Films

The latest Wolverine film might have more in common with its comic book origin than originally thought.

In an interview with Digital Spy, star Hugh Jackman said that Logan will not be a direct continuation of the previous X-Men films.

“Not only is it different in terms of timeline and tone, it’s a slightly different universe,” Jackman said. “It’s actually a different paradigm and that will become clear [when you see the movie].”

The Marvel Comic Old Man Logan by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven was set in an alternate future—a classic X-Men staple—in which the villains teamed up and wiped out most of the heroes of the world, carving the United States into a dystopian set of territories. Logan sheathes his claws and rejects the name ‘Wolverine,’ starting a family and keeping his head down in the new regime.

And while the plot of the film Logan doesn’t adapt this storyline exactly (don’t expect to see any Venom-ized dinosaurs), it does share the thematic similarities in that it can be viewed as the last Wolverine story.

“Early on we had the idea for the title not having anything to do with Wolverine in it but just being about the man,” Jackman said. “And what the collateral damage of being Wolverine your entire life would be.”

The actor added that he and director James Mangold cited the western Unforgiven as a source of inspiration for the film, which he referred to as a “blank canvas.”

“I said this was my last one and [Fox] said make the movie you want,” Jackman said.

Previous X-Men film Days of Future Past did some continuity cleanup in service of the franchise, changing the fates of many characters who appeared throughout the movies, but Jackman and Mangold didn’t want to their last Wolverine film beholden to complex timelines.

“It becomes a chess game that you try to serve, which actually doesn’t help to tell a story and it’s sort of been a bit all over the place. I’m not critical of it – X-Men was the first movie really in comic book, no one thought there’d be another and there were different directors different off shoots.”

Jackman added that Marvel’s integration of a wider universe has contributed to the genre but they deliberately wanted to make their own film.

“It’s a stand alone movie in many ways,” he said. “Obviously Patrick Stewart was in there so we have some crossover but it feels very different and very fresh.”

Logan will be Jackman’s ninth appearance as the Best There Is At What He Does as well as the character’s third solo film. After the critically-panned X-Men Origins: Wolverine, director Mangold came aboard and helped Jackman right the ship for the character. It’s great to see the studios give this talented team the chance to send the character off as they see fit, given that Jackman helped propel the franchise into the success its had since X-Men released in 2000.

In the year 2029, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan’s attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.

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 is directing and helped on the screenplay along with Scott Frank and Michael Green.

Logan hits theaters on March 3, 2017.

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