Old Man Logan is all but confirmed as the comic book source for the final Wolverine film starring Hugh Jackman. Some of us, the fans, are excited this prospect, while some of the fans still don't know what to make of it (with all the bring-back-to-Marvel thing). But it can all work out pretty well, even if Fox doesn't own all most of the characters who have appeared in the Old Man Logan comic book. How can this storyline be adapted?
First things first - the latest news is that Patrick Stewart was finally confirmed to appear in the third solo Wolverine film, while Hugh Jackman teased the appearance of a Wolverine archenemy in the final movie - Sabretooth.
Adapting Old Man Logan
Most of the major characters (if not all) from the Old Man Logan comic book aren't with Fox - Mysterio, Hawkeye, Hulk, Red Skull. But this doesn't really matter - until now, we haven't had a single comic book movie to follow the original source to the letter. And some of the movies we have seen have been simply gorgeous and entertaining.
What would matter when adapting the Old Man Logan storyline for the big screens is, in fact, what is written between the lines. And that is an apocalyptic future in which the villains have won, a future in which the man's duality is underlined: a fight between the human and the beast.
This is what made Old Man Logan a success and this should be the one thing that must be taken from the comics and translated into a movie. You don't really need all the Marvel characters in order to do that. The studio only needs a handful of powerful mutants, mutants that we already know from the movies (or which will most likely appear in the coming X-Men: Apocalypse).
On the next page, how the X-Men failed to protect the world.
Apocalypse: The Aftermath
As Simon Kinberg and Hugh Jackman have said, the final Wolverine film will follow closely the events of X-Men: Apocalypse. For the moment, we do not know what this means precisely. But this can go in any of these two directions.
The first one, and the most obvious, is that Apocalypse will emerge victorious from his battle with the X-Men (or, at least, with the X-Men obliterated). So the setting for the apocalyptic future is provided.
But the setting can be provided by some other type of event as well. As X-Men: Days of Future Past has showed, Fox (or better yet Bryan Singer) had no problems in presenting alternate timelines. So even if Apocalypse will be defeated next year, the Old Man Logan adaptation may as well be a What If story in the Mutant Cinematic Universe.
On the next page, replacing Hawkeye.
Rogue as the Old Man Logan companion
In the comic version of Old Man Logan, Hawkeye is the one that attracts Wolverine out of his seclusion. Since Hawkeye is an established Marvel character, Fox would have to find a way around him.
And the perfect mutant for the job is none other than Rogue, who was as downplayed in the movies just like Hawkeye. She was the character which, together with Wolverine, introduced the audiences to the X-Men Universe. This would also be her chance at redemption, so to speak, after the events of the Last Stand, in which she renounced her powers in order to be a normal human.
She is the perfect choice because her relationship with Wolverine has been a special one throughout all the X-Men movies. Seeing them reunite for Old Man Logan, as two outsiders, brings the potential for dramatic scenes like we have never seen before.
Of course, some might expect to finally see Rogue flying and having superhuman strength, just like in the comics, after she absorbed Ms. Marvel's powers. But for an adaptation of Old Man Logan, the version already depicted in the X-Men movies is more than just fine.
On the next page, a replacement for Logan's family.
Storm as the lover
In the Old Man Logan storyline, Wolverine leaves with Hawkeye in order to make some money for his family. However, introducing a family for the character would be as unexpected and, as far as we are concerned, as the Hawkeye twist from Avengers: Age of Ultron.
So, instead, maybe we should another situation. In X-Men: Days of Future Past, in one of the deleted scenes, Wolverine kisses Storm. Maybe she should be the one for whom Wolverine decides to embark on a mission with Rogue.
Of course, Storm is a very powerful mutant, so one might wonder how come she cannot provide for herself. There is a way around this: what if Storm's powers were affected by the coming of Apocalypse? She could be left powerless after the events of next year - enter Wolverine who can offer her protection.
Of course, just like in the comics with his family, she will too have a brutal ending. But more on that later.
On the next page, replacing the Red Skull.
Doctor Doom or Mr. Sinister?
A while ago, this would have seemed a great idea - connect the Fantastic Four with the X-Men Universe through one of the best Marvel villains. Now, we don't really know - but still, it is very appealing to us.
Even if Fantastic Four flopped big time, this would be the chance for a soft reboot of the franchise. Doom was unable to conquer the Fantastic Four Earth, so he can focus his attention on the Mutant Alternate Reality, where the team who defeated him doesn't exist.
Of course, some tricks need to be played in here too. But, with a good writer, anything is possible. Revealing Doctor Doom gradually, throughout the entire movie, wouldn't just be interesting to see from a narrative point of view - this is a chance to do the character justice, by making him the ruler of the world.
Of course, another villain can be equally interesting, tying the Old Man Logan adaptation even more to X-Men: Apocalypse - this character is Mr. Sinister, another genius villain from the comics.
On the next page, replacing the Hulk gang.
Victor Creed as the Landlord
Sabretooth is, most likely, the best villain Wolverine has faced - nobody tested him like Sabretooth. Sadistic, malevolent, arguably a hillbilly who would copulate with his cousin, this is the perfect landlord who squeezes the last drop of blood from a hero.
Liev Schreiber should definitely come back, because his portrayal of Victor Creed was one of the better things in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
On the next page, replacing Mysterio
A powerful twist
In the Old Man Logan comic book, Wolverine decides to renounce his old ways after he is tricked into killing his fellow X-Men. Mysterio was the one to do it. However, this needs to be changed - and any of Doctor Doom or Mr. Sinister can do that.
However, when Patrick Stewart officially revealed that he will be in the final Wolverine film, he said that Professor X will be drastically changed from anything the fans have seen until now. What can that mean?
In the Comic Con footage for X-Men: Apocalypse, the young Charles Xavier is seen in awe of the colossal power for Apocalypse himself. And we did get the feeling that there was more to that scene than what Bryan Singer decided to show us.
So what if in this alternate timeline we see Professor X turning evil and manipulating Wolverine into killing all the X-Men? It would be a horrid thing if this was to happen, especially if we are considering that Wolverine had the Professor as his mentor.
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