Marvel’s Logan combines two comic book storylines, “Old Man Logan” and “X-23,” to tell the story of an aging Wolverine, Xavier, and Caliban in Mexico. The movie’s version of Laura (X-23) is as rough around the edges as Logan himself, and she’s not a costumed hero as she appears in comics. In order to imagine what older Laura will look like in Fox’s upcoming, low-budget, R-rated X-Men films, Thai concept artist Sarayu Ruangvesh created a vision of Laura still on the run.
Ruangvesh tells Inverse that his art depicts a time in the future, when he imagines Laura will be old enough to strike out on her own. Since Professor X is insistent in the trailers for Logan that Laura is “very much like” Logan, Ruangvesh assumes Laura will have questions about herself, her origins, and where she belongs in the world, much like Logan always did. Ruangvesh figures Laura will meet adversaries and challenges along the way — hence the blood and violence so savagely and beautifully depicted in his art.
"X-23" by Sarayu Ruangvesh
This version of Laura — wearing civilian clothes and slicing through enemies like butter — is aged up enough to be a more legitimate hero. But she’s sans super suit, much like Dafne Keen’s Laura in Logan.
In Marvel’s All-New Wolverine, Laura adopts the Wolverine mantle from her “father,” Logan, works with the X-Men, and dons a yellow and black suit similar to his. Laura truly is the new Wolverine. She also takes on many of his personal issues: clones, self-doubt, and learning how to accept her traumatic past.
Laura’s time as Wolverine is prime content for a post-Logan film, something that Logan director James Mangold is perfectly aware of. He wants to make an X-23 movie.
“I think Dafne is incredible in the film, and I would love to see another film about that character, and that’s certainly something I’d be involved in,” Mangold said. “For me, that was one of the big additions I brought to the table — this decision to try to make the film about family and to try to insert Laura.”
Logan premieres in theaters March 3.
