Despite Dafne Keen’s confirmation that she won’t appear in Deadpool & Wolverine, fan speculation and hope for her surprise return continue to thrive.

Marvel Studios has a rather odd calendar in store for 2024. After years of lining up a slew of movies and shows post the Avengers: Endgame storyline, it has dialed back significantly with Deadpool & Wolverine standing out as its sole release for the year. Regardless, the Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman starrer has raked in sufficient hype and nostalgia to sail forward as one of the most anticipated Marvel movies in recent times, setting up the stage for a mega box-office showdown.

Early rumors for the film involve a star-studded line-up beyond the two leads. From returning X-Men members to new faces of famed comic book characters, the casting is expected to leave no stone unturned. In light of this, strong hopes have been pinned on Dafne Keen’s return, who essayed the role of Laura in the 2017 film Logan. While her reprisal bears sense, she may just have spilled tea on all of it.

Dafne Keen throws a disappointing Deadpool & Wolverine update

Hardly 11 at the time of Logan’s filming, Dafne Keen punched hard above her stature and gave a brilliant performance as X-23, aka Laura. Essaying the role of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine’s biological daughter, the character marked a deep and complex relationship with the acclaimed mutant. Moreover, as the 2017 movie marked the canon death of the Fox universe’s Wolverine, it implied her carrying on the legacy, thereby warranting an appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine.

In talks with On Demand Entertainment on YouTube, the Spanish-British actress, however, steered clear of any potential appearances. Moreover, she brushed all of it away and instead hoped to watch the movie as a fan as she stated: It’s sad. I love Hugh, and creatively, I love Ryan and I love Shawn. I’m really excited to see what they’ve made. I think Shawn’s like one of the best directors out there right now and obviously, Ryan’s a legend, so it would have been amazing to be a part of it but I’ll just go watch it as a fan.

The revelation came in sharp contrast to rumors from tipsters that nearly guaranteed her return. Additionally, she is also expected as one of the many Wolverine variants alongside the likes of Henry Cavill and Daniel Radcliffe. Again, all of those are still unconfirmed, but with the Multiverse saga being wide open and the movie’s scale, the possibility remains gargantuan.

Fans believe Dafne Keen is mirroring Andrew Garfield

Regardless of her admission, fans still believe that Dafne Keen will indeed show up alongside Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. Moreover, many attributed her statements as part of mandatory press guidelines set up by Marvel Studios. Hilariously, many also compared her to Andrew Garfield’s passionate lies about not starring in Spider-Man: No Way Home, only to catch everyone off-guard.

Several fans expressed their sentiments on social media as they drew up parallels from past interviews of Marvel stars playing the same card. Furthermore, many noticed her sly smirk when posed with the question of a potential appearance in the film as an indication of her presence.

Following her stint in Logan, the now 19-year-old actress has gone on to land another role with Disney in the upcoming Star Wars show, The Acolyte. The role will have her play Jedi Padawan Jecki Lon and features a characteristic appearance starkly different from her previous comic book outings. As for her mutant reprisal, all will be clear as the film closes in to release.

Deadpool & Wolverine releases on July 26, 2024.