This
post, while largely self-contained, is the first of a segment that I’d like to call
‘Doing It Better.’ In these particular posts I’ll be sharing with you different
strategies, story lines, and what not that I feel could be used to either retroactively
make a superhero movie better, or in this case do it right the first time.
As the
title suggests this is about the Wolverine branch of the X-men franchise, one
that sadly may be replacing its leading man in the not too distant future.
While I’ll be sad to see Hugh Jackman go, before he does I hope they can get
one more movie out of him. And if the somehow I can get the Generalissimo’s,
Stan Lee’s, attention with this post I have the perfect send off for Jackman’s
Wolverine.
The
idea for the film is only in the most basic of stages in my head but it would
focus on the Legacy of Wolverine, i.e. the children he’s fathered over his 100+
lifespan. These would include Daken his hateful son born sometime after
Wolverine visited Japan in the 1940’s, nice tie in to the last Wolverine I think,
the Mongrels a mercenary team made up of five of Wolverine’s other children
who’s personal goal is to make their father’s life a living hell, and Laura
Kinney, aka X23 aka Talon, Wolverine’s female clone.
The story
would start outside Yuriko’s mansion in Japan at the dead of night. We’d see in
dark shots several people moving about and killing the house staff by various
means. The montage of death would end outside of Yuriko’s room. She’d sit up,
see a silhouette similar to Wolverine’s standing in the doorway. She would call
out to him, just before noticing his claws were drawn, one of which was coming
not from his knuckles but his wrist. The figure would scoff before saying, “Not
quiet,” and lunging at her.
Wolverine
would hear about what happens somehow, perhaps through Xavier mentioning that
there were several mutant signatures converging on a home in Japan, and travel
there to find the ruins of Yuriko’s mansion and the police still sifting
through the wreckage.
Vowing
revenge Wolverine hunts across Japan for the killers, meets X-23 along the way
and the two bond, kills the five Mongrels via decapitation before coming face to face with Daken, and learning the truth
about the Mongrels. They will fight, all the while Daken taunting Wolverine
about all the lives his immortality has ruined, all the broken families left on
the wayside, and how much Daken enjoyed killing the half-siblings that refused
to join him.
Daken
will get the upper hand and reveal to Wolverine the origin of X-23 and some
twisted plan he has concocted for her. I’m thinking something along the lines
of turning her into the perfect assassin so he might fight and kill her so he
could be considered the greatest of Wolverine’s heirs.
Wolverine
kills Daken also via decapitation and takes X-23 back with him to the Xavier Institute in the hope that he can make up for all his past wrongs with her.
Certain
elements would differ from the comic book stories, obviously with the mixing of
three different story arcs together. One of the most glaring of which would be putting Daken in charge of the Mongrels. Another would be making X-23 younger in this version,
more like her X-men Evolution counterpart then the main comic continuity.
Daken’s sadism would be cranked up to the absolute limit and most of what makes
him sympathetic would be removed. I would like to see the two “children” to be
mirrors, one an example of Logan’s failures as a father, and the other the
untapped, untested potential of one that hasn’t been so heavily scared.
Like I
said, very basic story at the moment but I think something along these lines
would be necessary both to close out a Wolverine “trilogy” and to say goodbye
to Hugh Jackman’s version of the character. If you like some of my ideas,
spread the word, let’s see if this could be made into something BIG.
