The X-Men movie franchise receives its next installment in March when Logan hits theaters. The movie is the third film in the standalone Wolverine franchise, and the tenth X-Men movie overall, but it looks quite a bit different from its predecessors. For one, it's the first X-Men movie other than the spinoff Deadpool to feature an R-rating, and its tone is also much more grim and adult than any other film in the franchise. And since it barely qualifies as an X-Men movie, many fans are wondering which X-Men are in Logan.
Not that many. Other than the titular gruff hero, the movie's only other proper X-Man whom fans are likely to recognize from films is Professor X, played once again, possibly for the last time, by Patrick Stewart. This marks the fewest amount of X-Men to appear in an X-Men movie to date. X-Men Origins: Wolverine featured Cyclops, Emma Frost, Gambit, and Deadpool; The Wolverine had cameos by Professor X, Magneto, and Jean Grey, and even Deadpool featured two X-Men team members who were essential to the plot in Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead — plus lots of references to Wolverine. However, if you expand your definition of what constitutes an X-Man, then Logan manages to squeeze in a couple more members.
First and foremost is Laura, whom comic book fans may know better as X-23. While the character has been an X-Men member in the comics, even taking the place of Wolverine, no one is confusing her for the character in Logan since the movie version only 11 years old. She is still a formidable fighter, however, with mutant abilities that mimic Logan's. And, if you want to get really meta, she also likes reading X-Men comic books, so there's that.
Another character whom fans may also recognize is Caliban. The mutant with mutant-tracking abilities made his on-screen debut just last year in X-Men: Apocalypse, where he was forcefully enlisted by the film's titular villain to help find powerful mutants. Not a straight up hero or villain, Caliban has fought on both sides in the comics, and while he has never been an official X-Man, he was a longtime member of the affiliated group X-Force. In Logan, he is more hero than villain, and he's also played by a different actor (Stephen Merchant) than in Apocalypse, where he was portrayed by Tómas Lemarquis.
Logan may be light on the X-Men, but that doesn't mean it's not going to be a good X-Men movie. Judging from its linear focus and its spectacular trailers, I'd say it might just end up being the best X-Men movie yet.
