Logan: Was Wolverine Supposed To Have A Pet Dog?

Earlier this months, days after after its release, conceptual artist Shae Shatz (Ghostbusters) began sharing concept art he created for James Mangold’s R-rated superhero film, Logan. The collection of his majestic artwork includes set designs and keyframe art for Logan’s Mexican hideout, Munson’s farm, the limo scenes in El Paso, Texas, and an unused set — for a deleted scene — that resembles Alkali Lake.

Among them all, people have oddly fixated on one piece (first image in our gallery below). It features Wolverine — who is wearing a bulky backpack — with a dog by his side. Since it also features a faraway look at the Mexican hideout, some people assumed that Wolverine was supposed to have a pet dog early on in the film and perhaps something tragic happened to it when the Reavers showed up looking for X-23.

Instead of speculating endlessly about it, we decided to go straight to the source and see if he could shed some light on this.

Was Logan supposed to have a pet dog in the film, or was that something you added for fun?

Shae Shatz: After posting my artwork, the shot of Logan with a dog was something I added in for fun, although the script at the time may have lightly described some feral animals in the vicinity.

With Logan’s hideout, did you have a lot freedom with that design, or was there a clear vision from the get-go?

Shae Shatz: There was a clear vision from the get go, but that said, we still do a lot of exploration to really be thorough.

You posted designs of a facility with a dam that weren’t used in the film. Was that Alkali Lake?

Shae Shatz: Was the dam Alkali Lake? I can’t say. 🙂

What was the most challenging part of working on Logan?

Shae Shatz: The most challenging part of working on Logan was meeting the ambitious expectations we all put on ourselves as a group. We were a small group in a small house on the Fox lot at the time and we knew we had a huge task ahead of us. Luckily, I had Jim [Mangold] (director), Francois [Audouy] (production designer) and [storyboard artist] Gabriel Hardman to work alongside for inspiration and help.

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), Stephen Merchant (Caliban), Elizabeth Rodriguez (Gabriela), and Richard E. Grant (Dr. Zander Rice).

James Mangold (The Wolverine) directed, based on a screenplay he co-wrote with screenwriters Scott Frank and Michael Green.

Logan is now playing!

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