Wolverine 3: Director Reveals Stylistic Influences For Logan

The first trailer for Wolverine 3 (aka Logan) has dropped, and the fan response has been strong. The movie that director James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma, The Wolverine) has made is different than anything seen in the X-Men movie universe, or superhero movies in general. Gritty, with clear shades of a spaghetti western film, Logan is a refreshingly new look for Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine.

Of course, while the aesthetic may be new, there are also some clear Easter eggs in the Logan trailer that Marvel Comics fans recognize all too well. Now, James Mangold is talking about the stylistic influences that went into Logan, and it’s an interesting mix, including “German expressionist filmmaking style of the early part of the last century, which has a lot in common with comic-book art.”

The funeral scene in the trailer has been an evocative image for viewers – particularly comic book fans who know the imagery from many a comic book funeral panel. Using that image as an example of his stylistic logic for Logan, Mangold added, “In modern filmmaking everything’s in close-up, so every scene there’s 150 cuts to keep track of what’s going on with every element. I’m trying on this film to set frames that are, in some way, descriptive and yes, are kind of evocative of comic-book panels and also for me classical filmmaking.”

That’s all a bit film school for the average viewer (who is really just hoping for a really good Wolverine movie… finally), but to those cinephiles out there, this particular superhero movie will give you some high-minded cinema to discuss.

MORE: Be sure to get all the lastest on Wolverine 3: Logan:

Logan R-Rated Trailer / Logan Official Trailer / Who Is X-23 in Logan? / SPOILERY Synopsis Revealed? / Possible X-23 Reveal Coming! / Logan Villain Revealed / Who is the Clawed Child? / 5 Things We Want to see in Logan / 5 Things We Won’t see in Logan

Logan hits theaters on March 3, 2017, followed by Deadpool 2 on January 12, 2018. Movie versions of Gambit, New Mutants and X-Force are still being developed.