Logan
Written by Scott Frank, James Mangold, Michael Green
Directed by James Mangold
Starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant
20th Century Fox
Release date: March 3, 2017

For some it’s Batman, for other’s Spider-Man. For me, it’s always been Wolverine. For more than two-thirds of my life, the crazed Canadian with berserker rage, healing powers, and adamantium-coated claws has been MY hero. I’m a die-hard fan of the University of Michigan for no other reason than their team name. I am constantly drawn to anti-hero characters in both film and literature. And I have a penchant for growing scruffy beards and calling people “bub”… okay, that last part is a stretch, I called my grandmother “Bub.” I am such a Wolverine fan, that I convinced myself that X-Men Origins: Wolverine was good the first time I saw it. Talk about denial! Last night, I took my son and nephew to see Logan, a late show on an opening Friday. Me, there like a fanboy wearing my Wolverine #1 comic book t-shirt. All I can say is that when your expectations for a film are at a fever pitch, and the film not only lives up to, but surpasses them, it is a truly special feeling.

The success of Deadpool proved that R-rated comic book movies could work. So in light of its success, Fox is following it up with Logan and a Deadpool sequel. The former is set to hit theaters next week, while the latter is still in the early stages of writing.

But one film Ryan Reynolds would very much like to see happen is X-Force. The actor has spoken about his interest in bringing the title to the big screen in the past. Now it’s being reported that Joe Carnahan is writing the script, so it looks like we are that much closer to it being a reality. More on the story below.

It’s fair to say that Fox expanding the X-Men franchise to TV has been a success. Following the hit Legion, the studio will be releasing an untitled X-Men series from creator Matt Nix (Burn Notice). The show will focus on a family with children who have mutant powers, who are on the run and encounter an underground network of mutants who will protect them from a government agency.

The first to be cast was Blair Redford, who will play Sam, the leader of the underground mutant network. Now he will be joined by Jamie Chung, who will play Clarice Fong, aka Blink, a mutant that we first saw in X-Men: Days of Future Past. More on the story below.

The latest rumors say that tentatively titled X-Men: Supernova is scheduled to begin production this year. While those reports have yet to be confirmed, the film itself is without a director.

Considering that Deadpool was a hit and critics agree that Logan is one of the best X-Men films ever, Fox wants to continue releasing more X-Men films. Now a new rumor has popped up saying long-time X-Men producer Simon Kinberg is being eyed to direct the film. More on the story below.

At some point, the X-Men franchise needed to take a gamble. On the surface, Deadpool was risky. But the film turned out to be such a huge success, it gave Twentieth Century Fox the confidence they needed to approve of James Mangold‘s Logan, the first R-rated Wolverine film to be released theatrically. Releasing a third installment of the Wolverine franchise was always a part of the studio’s plan. So in order to give Hugh Jackman a proper send-off, Mangold wanted the film to be deeply personal. Based on what we have seen throughout the marketing campaign, it looks like he accomplished that goal.

But that isn’t to say that the new direction didn’t worry studio execs. In fact, some were concerned about the film’s tonal shift. More on the story below.