0
Posted March 9, 2017 by Drew Bagay in Movies/TV
 
 

X-23 Creator Craig Kyle Weighs In on LOGAN’s Laura and More

dafne keens stars as laura aka x-23 in LOGAN

It’s only been out for barely a week but Logan continuous to rake in big at the box office, thanks to the high praise from critics and fans alike. The most talked about aspect of the film, however, seems to be the breakout performance of newcomer Dafne Keen, who plays Laura/X-23 alongside Patrick Steward’s Professor Charles Xavier and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine.

RELATED: MOVIE REVIEW: LOGAN’s Last Ride

X-23 was created by Craig Kyle for the animated television series X-Men: Evolution back in 2003. Originally conceived to be Wolverine as a kid, Kyle decided to create an original character altogether – a younger female clone of Wolverine. The character was welcomed by fans, and X-23 was canonized in the comics soon after, debuting in NYX #4 (a feat which is rare back then, with Harley Quinn the only other comics character to originate from TV). Her origins were fleshed out further in the storyarc Innocence Lost from her solo miniseries X-23 (which Logan director James Mangold used as inspiration) written by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost and drawn by Billy Tan. In recent years, she has taken on the mantle of Wolverine after his death in the comics.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision, Craig Kyle shares his thoughts on Laura’s debut in the big screen and Marvel’s treatment of the character.

“I am so grateful for how [James Mangold] brought her to screen. He has a chance to do what I couldn’t,” said Kyle. “To me, the beauty and tragedy of X-23’s continuing story was she leaves the institute when she’s 13. I could have pushed that younger. I could have made it 11. She’s going to continue to grow and mature and evolve, but because they activated her healing factor early, she’s going be trapped in her youthful body for a long time.”

X-23_Vol_1_01_Cover

X-23 #1 by Craig Kyle, Chris Yost and Billy Tan.

As X-23 moved onto the comics, Marvel took a different direction for the character than what Kyle had wanted however. “What I didn’t realize was [Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada] had a very specific story in mind for NYX. I didn’t know about NYX. My excitement of having her in a book was all I cared about at that time. But she was then immediately aged up to 16, and then in Uncanny [X-Men] she was 22 and had a boob job. Those issues are a dark place. I was really hoping we would have a young character, a child, a pre-teen who wasn’t going to be in the dating, the sexuality aspects of the storylines for a long time to come. … It’s just one of those things she’s going to have to carry as she evolves and grows and takes a journey through the Marvel U. But because of the jump in the NYX, that chunk of her storyline couldn’t be told.”

Kyle is thankful to James Mangold for successfully bringing Laura to the big screen. And now, with Dafne Keen’s portrayal being hailed as a much welcomed female presence in a male-lead genre, Kyle agrees that we are in need of a good female hero “that is not sexualized at all.”

“Even back [in X-Men: Evolution], I just wanted her to be young and powerful and just rich in character. I wanted people to see what was so wonderful about her and have the sexuality really not be a part of it. With James doing what he’s done, he’s given us a chance to champion her story and love her … without making her a sexpot. I want a hero that my daughter, when she’s old enough to see heads be turned into bologna slices, can get behind of and proud of an excited by. And I think she has a real shot of filling a missing piece.”

You can check out the full interview with Craig Kyle in Heat Vision.

From 20th Century Fox, Logan stars Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart and Dafne Keen, out now in theaters.


Drew Bagay

 
Drew is a lover of comic books, movies, and all things pop culture. He enjoys crime/thriller/noir fiction, playing the guitar, and taking long walks. He also doesn't like talking in third person.