20th Century Fox took something of a gamble when they green-lit the R-rated Logan, but it's safe to say everything worked out in a great way. Not only did the film earn widespread critical praise (and is considered one of the best comic book movies of all-time), it also broke box office records en route to a strong commercial haul. Hugh Jackman's Wolverine swan song proved to be the perfect farewell to such an iconic character who has defined the superhero film genre for the past 17 years.
One of the most unique aspects about Logan is how small-scale it is, as there's a limited mutant presence in the story. The film is set in what is essentially a post-apocalyptic future where mutantkind is endangered, with few remnants of the past hanging on. In addition to Wolverine, Professor Charles Xavier, Caliban, and young Laura round out the primary roster of mutants, and with Logan such a different X-Men film from the outset, it only made sense that the returning faces (read: everyone except X-23) would have to get new looks. Now, some concept art for Logan has been revealed.
In a Screen Rant exclusive, artist Christian Cordella has shared a gallery of pieces he did for Fox, depicting the four heroes of the narrative. You can check them all out below:
[vn_gallery name="Logan Concept Art" id="924446"]
The artwork closely resembles the looks of the characters as presented in the final film, with the outlier perhaps being Wolverine. In Cordella's design, Logan is sporting a slightly different hairstyle and has less gray when compared to the weary and tired version of the character we saw on-screen. That's simply a product of filmmaking being a continuous process where aspects and elements can evolve over time. Recently, Jackman opened up about a different ending he had in mind, so there's clearly nothing set in stone until the movie is finished. Early on in development, it's helpful to have multiple options on the table, so the director can choose the one that works best for the project. Cordella was able to capture James Mangold's intended gritty and down-to-Earth tone through his work, setting the stage for what was to come.
Some viewers may not realize it, but concept art is an extremely integral part of a film and can go a long way in bringing the director's ideas to fruition (dating back to Ralph McQuarrie's seminal drawings for the original Star Wars). When Logan was first announced, many wondered what a Western-inspired take on the mythos would look like, and Cordella was there from the start to visualize it all and fully realize what Mangold wanted to do with the material. The seeds of Logan's now-famous look were planted here.
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Source: Christian Cordella
