Marvel Studios Sets Up X-23's Return After Deadpool & Wolverine

Published Jul 19, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more. Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics." Sign in to your ScreenRant account Marvel's new release perfectly sets the stage for X-23 to make her first appearance in a project from the studio since the character was last used in Deadpool & Wolverine. Some actors have made their live-action Marvel roles so iconic that it is hard to imagine anyone else taking over their characters. Hugh Jackman has done just that for Wolverine. Recasting Logan for the MCU X-Men movie is going to be a daunting task. However, if Marvel Studios does not want to risk angering fans by doing so, the MCU movie timeline has already introduced Jackman's perfect replacement. After debuting in Logan, one of the best comic book movies ever, Dafne Keen returned as X-23 in Deadpool & Wolverine. Different from Jackman, who played a new Wolverine variant, since the original died in Logan, Keen returned as an older version of the character from the James Mangold movie. At the end of Deadpool & Wolverine, not only was X-23 alive, but she was with Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool and Jackman's Wolverine as they celebrated with friends. X-23 likely has a future in the MCU. Marvel · Mutant Profile Which X-Men Character Are You? “Mutation: it is the key to our evolution.” 🐺 Wolverine The Loner 🧠 Professor X The Visionary 🧲 Magneto The Survivor ACTIVATE CEREBRO → 01 Humans discover your mutant abilities. What do you do? ADisappear. Go off the grid before anyone can come after me — I don’t owe them an explanation BReach out calmly and try to have a dialogue — fear comes from misunderstanding, and I can help bridge that gap CMake a show of strength — they need to understand that mutants will not be hunted or controlled, ever NEXT → 02 Anti-mutant protesters surround a school full of young mutants. What’s your first move? AGet between the kids and the mob. If anyone raises a hand, they answer to me BAddress the crowd telepathically or publicly — show them the children are just scared kids, not threats CEvacuate the children to safety, then make the protesters deeply regret their choices NEXT → 03 A team of mutants needs a leader for a dangerous mission. What role do you naturally fall into? AI work alone, but I’ll take point — someone’s gotta make sure nobody gets killed BI coordinate the team, play to each person’s strengths, and keep morale steady CI lead from the front — my vision, my plan, my responsibility if it fails NEXT → 04 A powerful mutant threatens innocent humans. How do you respond? APut them down fast — talk later. Innocent people don’t have time for a debate BTry to reach them mentally — understand why they’re doing this and find a peaceful resolution COffer them a place at my side — their power is wasted on chaos when it could serve a greater cause NEXT → 05 A human politician offers to champion mutant rights — but has a shady past. What do you do? AGive them a chance — people can change, and this alliance could mean real progress for coexistence BI don’t trust politicians. Watch them closely, and the second they betray us, I’ll be right there CUse them — let them think they’re in charge while I control the narrative from behind the scenes NEXT → 06 What’s your biggest flaw? AI push people away — I’d rather be alone than risk losing someone I care about BI’m too idealistic — I keep believing in people even when the evidence says I shouldn’t CMy anger — once I commit to a path, I’ll burn everything down before I admit I was wrong NEXT → 07 Sentinels are hunting mutants in your city. What’s your move? AHunt the hunters — tear them apart before they find anyone else BCoordinate an underground network to hide and protect every mutant in the area CSeize control of the Sentinels — turn the weapons of oppression into instruments of liberation NEXT → 08 What do you believe about coexistence between humans and mutants? ACoexistence is a fantasy. Humans will always fear what they can’t control — mutants must secure their own future BI don’t care about the big picture — I protect the people I care about, and everyone else can sort themselves out CIt’s possible and worth fighting for — the dream of a world where humans and mutants live in peace is everything REVEAL MY MUTANT IDENTITY → Cerebro Scan Complete Your X-Men Identity 🐺 Wolverine (Logan) “I’m the best there is at what I do. But what I do best isn’t very nice.” You’re the fierce loner who acts first and philosophises later — but beneath that adamantium-plated exterior beats a heart that cares far more than you’d ever admit. You’ve been burned enough times to distrust the world, so you keep people at arm’s length, yet you’d throw yourself into any fight to protect the ones who slip past your defences. You don’t need a cause or a manifesto — you just need someone worth fighting for. Like Logan, your greatest strength isn’t your claws or your healing factor; it’s the stubborn refusal to let the people you love face danger alone.Fierce Protective Resilient Untamed 🧠 Professor X (Charles Xavier) “Just because someone stumbles and loses their path, doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.” You’re the visionary who sees the best in everyone — even when the world gives you every reason not to. Your greatest power isn’t telepathy; it’s an unshakeable belief that understanding and compassion can bridge any divide. You lead not through force but through hope, building bridges where others build walls. Some call you naive, but you know that real strength lies in extending a hand to your enemy. Like Charles Xavier, you carry the weight of a dream that most consider impossible, and you refuse to let it die.Visionary Empathetic Diplomatic Hopeful 🧲 Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr) “Peace was never an option.” You’re the survivor who learned the hardest lesson life has to offer: the world will not protect you, so you must protect yourself. Your conviction is unbreakable and your patience is terrifying — you’ll wait years to set the right plan in motion. You don’t hate humanity; you simply refuse to let your people be victims ever again. Every action you take, no matter how ruthless, is driven by a profound love for those who share your struggle. Like Erik Lehnsherr, you are both revolutionary and tragic — a leader forged in pain who will bend the world before it bends you.Resolute Strategic Ruthless Unyielding ↻ PLAY AGAIN As fans wait to hear more about where the character could show up next in the live-action franchise, the animated X-Men '97 season 2 has just shown how Marvel Studios is keeping the hero in its plans. X-23's perfect return after the character's role in Deadpool & Wolverine is in this standalone Marvel franchise, and her next appearance was set up nicely. X-Men '97 Season 2 Sets Up X-23's Franchise Debut Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for X-Men '97 season 2, episode 5.In X-Men '97 season 2, episode 5, "Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs," Wolverine and many mutants from the old Team X come together to venture into an abandoned Weapon X facility. Wolverine had an ulterior motive, as he hid from the others that the mission's true purpose was to ensure that Logan got injected with Adamantium again after Magneto stripped his skeleton of the powerful metal back in X-Men '97 season 1. There, the characters encountered The Brood, Omega Red, and more. At one point, several DVDs bearing the names of mutants connected to Weapon X could be seen. Among them was one for X-23, confirming her existence in the X-Men '97 world. Laura Kinney, who is a successful Wolverine clone, had not yet been created when the original X-Men: The Animated Series was airing. Instead, the Marvel hero made her debut in another animated show, X-Men: Evolution, first appearing in an episode titled after her, which was part of the show's third season, and was released in 2003. By confirming that X-23 now exists in X-Men '97's continuity, the Disney+ Marvel series could be setting up her first appearance later this season, or in the renewed season 3. When Dafne Keen's X-23 Could Show Up AgainIn The MCU? As far as live-action goes, there is a decent chance that Marvel Studios will bring back X-23 this year. After all, both Jackman's Wolverine and Reynolds' Deadpool are reportedly in Avengers: Doomsday, even if Marvel or the actors have never officially confirmed that to be happening. If that turns out to be accurate, then Keen could easily tag along with them, given that X-23 was last seen at the same table where Deadpool and Wolverine are sitting. If not, the character should most definitely play a role in 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars. Before Jackman leaves Wolverine behind for good, which should happen in the Multiverse Saga's final movie, before the MCU reboot, Keen needs to return as X-23 one more time for a final reunion and an emotional goodbye. Avengers: Secret Wars is also expected to be the biggest MCU movie to date, using several characters from all over Marvel's live-action history. After that, Keen's X-23 would be a prime candidate to join the MCU's X-Men team, and by teasing Laura in X-Men '97 season 2, Marvel Studios is showing that it keeps an eye on the character. Release Date March 20, 2024 Network Disney+ Directors Jake Castorena, Emi Yonemura, Chase Conley Writers Charlie Feldman, Anthony Sellitti, Beau DeMayo, JB Ballard Franchise(s) X-Men Creator(s) Beau DeMayo