“She was like, scaling bookshelves”: Dafne Keen’s X-23 Audition Tape is Unhinged Nightmare Fuel, Just Might be Crazy Enough to Replace Hugh Jackman as Wolverine

Dafne Keen’s Audition Tape for X-23 is Unhinged Nightmare Fuel, Proving She’s a Worthy Successor to Hugh Jackman.

Hugh Jackman has been playing Wolverine for more than two decades now. From his first-ever appearance as the mutant to now in the MCU blockbuster, Deadpool & Wolverine, Jackman has remained as iconic as ever. Delivering a well-grounded performance from the very start, it is hard to imagine anyone else replacing him.

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in Logan | 20th Century Studios

However, we might already have a replacement for Jackman in the form of Dafne Keen’s X-23. After hearing the details of her bizarre audition tape, Keen as MCU’s next Wolverine sounds just right.

Dafne Keen’s Bizarre Audition Tape for Hugh Jackman’s Logan

Hugh Jackman and Dafne Keen in Logan |20th Century Studios

Hugh Jackman‘s Logan, directed by James Mangold is one of the most revered superhero movies ever to have been made. Starring Jackman as Wolverine, the film provided a conclusive ending for the mutant, giving him a farewell befitting of his legendary portrayal. At the same time, the film also introduced Dafne Keen.

Starring as Laura or X-23, the Spanish actress was brilliant as the younger Wolverine and the supposed daughter of the clawed mutant. So iconic was her portrayal that she continues to garner praise even after all these years.

While Keen recently appeared alongside Jackman in Deadpool & Wolverine, reprising her role, we look back at her bizarre audition tape for Logan. Back in 2017, in an interview with ComingSoon.net, Mangold revealed,

Her dad and her made a tape of her kind of climbing around their apartment or their house, and I remember she was like, scaling bookshelves and then jumping down and tumbling, and then doing these scenes. And looking like she was having a great time, it looked like you [to Keen] didn’t want to stop.

The tape helped convince Mangold, Jackman, and the rest of the team that there was nobody else who could portray Laura the way they wanted it. And so, despite Fox’s insistence to keep the casting process going, Mangold knew Keen was the right choice.

Dafne Keen’s Audition Tape Makes Her the Natural Choice to Replace Hugh Jackman

Dafne Keen as X-23 in Deadpool & Wolverine | Marvel Studios

James Mangold, in his interview with ComingSoon.net, states that he knew Dafne Keen would be the perfect choice to portray a complex character like Laura as soon as he saw her audition tape. While we know how remarkably well his intuition was, the details of Keen’s audition tape also demonstrate that the actress might be the perfect choice to follow in Hugh Jackman’s footsteps.

While Hugh Jackman as Wolverine is back in the MCU, there is no saying how long he will be portraying the clawed mutant. Even if he does continue playing, the MCU can set up Dafne Keen’s X-23 as a possible Jackman replacement in the MCU.

The details of her addition tape reveal the incredible physicality and enthusiasm she possessed for the role. Her portrayal in Logan and now in Deadpool & Wolverine only builds upon those points, accentuating the fact the young Spanish star is well-versed in blending action and the emotional quotient with ease.

Keen’s playful energy, commitment, emotional depth, and performance all mirror those of Jackman, making her the natural successor to carry forward his legacy in the MCU and X-Men universe.