Arturo Hilario
El Observador
This summer proved that superhero films are far from losing steam and popularity, with the return of two iconic Marvel characters and the actors who have made them legendary, Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool & Wolverine.
The film, which broke the record for highest grossing R-rated film of all time, no doubt earned its popularity in large part from the portrayals of the aforementioned actors, who have been playing the superheroes for quite some time, in the case of Jackman it’s been decades, having starred as Wolverine/Logan in 10 films since 2000.
Although this is the third iteration in the Deadpool series which started in 2016 and focuses on the life of Reynolds’ “merc with a mouth” Deadpool/Wade Wilson, this also serves as an extension of what was seen as the final Wolverine film, 2017’s Logan. That film also starred 12 year old Dafne Keen as Laura, also known as X-23, who is a child used as a lab experiment to create a new Wolverine-type mutant.
Despite Logan’s hesitancy to connect with other people in general, he’s drawn to Laura and understands her perspective of the world and her circumstances. Together the unruly pair go on an adventure to help Laura escape the clutches of the organization responsible for the torture she endured.
The film ends on a somber note when the pair are separated, but Laura is able to escape and live her life.
The return of Wolverine was eagerly awaited because of the finality of that film, so seeing Wolverine return was a huge draw for the team up in Deadpool & Wolverine. What people did not expect, and what was one of many huge cameo surprises in the film, was that Dafne Keen returns as an older Laura. This ended up becoming one of the most emotional and enduring beats in the film, and a fan favorite reunion. Although, because of multiverse reasons, this isn’t the same Wolverine Laura grew fond of in Logan, but despite that they are able to create a connection and help each other once again.
Recently Dafne Keen spoke with El Observador and provided a behind the scenes perspective on what it meant to come back to the role she had in her childhood, and what it was like to work with Hugh Jackman again on this blockbuster film with characters that are beloved by fans.
Directed by Shawn Levy, Deadpool & Wolverine is available to stream on Disney+ now.
There’s something so beautiful about the mixture of the sarcasm and the grit and the rawness of these characters.
-Dafne Keen
Earlier this year you were doing press interviews for the character Jecki Lon, for the Star Wars show The Acolyte. And at the same time, without the public knowing it, you were holding back that secret that you were involved with Deadpool & Wolverine with your cameo of the beloved Laura. What was it like having to hold back on talking about that secret role you had been working on?
It was quite fun. I think I really enjoyed keeping that secret. It felt like my own little secret, and it was really fun when I got to share it with the world. And I’m really happy the way things turned out. It was quite fun to lie to the press.
What was the experience like being able to reach back into that role from nearly eight years ago?
I think getting back into it was really fun. I think acting with Hugh is always such an honor to me, and I always feel so lucky that I get to do it. And honestly, the script was so special, and it felt like such a love letter to Marvel fans and to the Fox universe. It was just really exciting to get to be a part of that and to get to act with the people that I got to act with and to work with Shawn, who is just such a wonderful director who I’ve looked up to for years. It was just a really wonderful experience.
And as wacky as the Deadpool films have been over the years, why do you think it works to also have this emotional weight to it and have characters that come from the much more solemn Logan in this film?
I think there’s something so beautiful about the contrast of Wolverine and Deadpool, and I think that’s what really works about it, the opposites meet in the middle in a way. And there’s something so wonderful about this duo. I think a lot of it is how special Hugh and Ryan’s friendship is and Shawn’s and the love that they all have for these characters and the love they have for the fans. And there’s something so beautiful about the mixture of the sarcasm and the grit and the rawness of these characters.
Given that Deadpool & Wolverine involves alternate multiverses and many cameos from other eras of Marvel films, did you go back to research and watch any of the Marvel Studios films to get an idea of where this might be headed?
Yeah, I did. I definitely did. I did a lot of watching of all of my fellow cameos’ movies. That’s something that I really enjoyed doing. I rewatched all the Fantastic Fours, which I loved back in the day. I watched the Blades, I watched the Elektra movie. It was just really fun. I got to watch these movies that I already loved, that I’d already watched just in a natural way and getting to understand the multiverse as someone who now was going to be a part of it. It was really cool.
It’s really cool when your job is watch good movies, and my job was to watch Avengers and X-Men [movies]. And I would be like, “I am just doing research tonight, which is a full movie.”
What was that process of figuring out how to play Laura after all that time had gone by from Logan?
It was really, really wonderful. And getting to play her and getting to finally give her that moment to thank Logan was so special to me and kind of giving her a happy ending that’s still tragic because it’s still not her Wolverine. It was beautiful. And like I’ve said before, I think acting with Hugh is my biggest privilege and the biggest honor. So anytime I get to do anything with Hugh, I’m there.
And on reflecion, of these two projects where you’ve been Laura/X-23, what do you think the legacy of the character that you brought to life is?
I honestly think Laura’s legacy is the legacy that Logan left her with. I think it’s, “don’t be what they made you.” And I think when we meet her in Deadpool again, she’s been pretty true to that. I think that’s something that’s really beautiful.
After the film premiered at Comic Con this year, days before its theatrical release, did you guys have an idea then of what the reaction would be from fans and the audiences from then on?
I think we hoped, and our expectations were not only met, but exceeded to a level that I think none of us really were expecting. At least I wasn’t expecting it to be what it was, especially as a cameo. I was really surprised by it in a really wonderful way, and I feel so grateful. Even the experience of getting to celebrate the movie opening at Hall H, it was really exciting.
So for those that have yet to see the film, what would be your pitch to get them to watch it on Disney+?
My pitch would be that you get to watch it from the comfort of your own home, that it’s a fun movie, it’s full of action, it’s full of love. And it can be really human at times and pretty devastating. And I think it’s a pretty special movie, and you should definitely watch it.
