‘Logan’ ‘Makes You Feel Like This Is The End,’ Insists Director James Mangold

The release of the latest trailer for Logan has once again increased anticipation for the blockbuster ahead of its release in just a few weeks time. Especially since it’s still believed to be the final time that Hugh Jackman will actually portray the beloved mutant.

Hugh Jackman’s farewell as Wolverine will mark his ninth portrayal as the character, and director James Mangold has opened up about the pressure to deliver a fitting farewell. During James Mangold’s discussion with Fandango the director, who previously oversaw 2013’s The Wolverine, insisted that everyone involved with Logan had looked to make a film that had a definitive conclusion.

James Mangold explained,

“There’s always a way to tell more stories, but the fact is we worked very hard to craft a tale that makes you feel like this is the end and that we’ve said what needs to be said.”

James Mangold then went on to explain how he believes that this approach is ultimately not just good for the individual film but for the good of the franchise and possible sequels, too. That’s because, according to the filmmaker, overseeing a film that thrives on its own only adds to the franchise’s depth and makes it a richer and more satisfying experience. James Mangold continued,

“I always feel like I’m making a one-off movie every time. My feeling is that if you can make a good film, it’s naturally going to lend itself to people wanting to see sequels because it’s good and the characters are rich.”

Because of the speculation surrounding the departure of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, there have been additional rumors that Logan will mark the introduction of a new mutant that shares a similar skill set to the character, who might then even go on to lead the franchise in Hugh Jackman’s absence. This of course talks about the character of Laura Kinney, who is played by Dafne Keen in Logan, and is expected to become X-23. When asked about whether X-23 had been included in Logan for a specific reason, James Mangold added,

“I really wasn’t thinking about [passing the torch] – and I know the studio wasn’t because they didn’t even know who X-23 was when I brought it up.”

Because of the R-rating for Logan, there are now plenty of expectations that the blockbuster will deliver a level of mature and intense violence that will do the character a justice that he is still yet to receive on the big screen. These have only been exacerbated by its trailers, which have wowed audiences, while the first 40 minutes of Logan was shown to film journalists towards the end of last year and was also met with superlatives.

When quizzed about whether Logan will be the film that die-hard fans of the superhero have been pinning for, James Mangold responded,

“I hope so. Ya know, I can’t please everybody because there are so many aspirations people want for these movies. But I think the one that I share and that is universal is the desire to see the intensity, the darkness and the adult nature of the Wolverine character. Much of the Marvel library is full of adult characters with adult themes that don’t always get to be explored because they’re making four-box movies for children as well. I think we’re making it very clear that we’re making a grown-up movie.”

The fact that Logan has been provided with an R-rating is very much down to the success of Deadpool in February, 2016, which went on to bring in over $770 million at the box office to become the highest-grossing film of the X-Men franchise. We’ll get to see if Logan can match this haul when it’s finally released on March 3, 2017.

[Featured Image by 20th Century Fox]