Logan, released back in 2017, remains one of the best examples of the comic book movie genre. Featuring the last appearance (for now at least) of Hugh Jackman as fan-favorite member of the X-Men, Wolverine, the movie also features a stand-out supporting performance from child actress Dafne Keen as Laura a.k.a. X-23. Now, director James Mangold has expressed his appreciation for the work from Keen, as well as highlighting her importance in the story and in the movie's success.

"There's no way this film works w/o the remarkable Dafne Keen. By the film's 2nd half, the tables have turned & she is carrying the entire movie as Logan has retreated in sickness & self doubt. & of course, she holds the final frame."

Not only that, but Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman, has revealed a hilarious detail regarding Keen's audition, and the reason why she ultimately won the role.

"When @mang0ld came up w the character of Laura, and that the movie was in essence about family we were worried about finding the right fit. Until we met @DafneKeen. The first day we auditioned her ... she punched me in the arm so hard, I was literally bruised the next day. Hired."

So, the sure-fire audition method is to punch A-list stars so hard they bruise. Noted.

Whilst Logan may be mostly focussed on the journey of the titular superhero of Wolverine, Keen's performance is certainly a highlight. The actress balances perfectly the more feral tendencies of the daughter of Wolverine with the innocence one would expect from a child her age. Keen is perfect in the role of X-23, and Mangold is absolutely right that the story would not have been as emotively effective if not for her.

Logan drops us in 2029, with the mutant population having shrunk significantly and the X-Men now disbanded. Logan, whose power to self-heal is dwindling, has surrendered himself to alcohol and now earns a living as a chauffeur. He takes care of the ailing old Professor X whom he keeps hidden away. One day, a female stranger asks Logan to drive a girl named Laura to the Canadian border. At first, he refuses, but the Professor has been waiting for a long time for her to appear. Laura possesses an extraordinary fighting prowess and is in many ways like Wolverine. She is pursued by sinister figures working for a powerful corporation, who want her because her DNA contains the secret that connects her to Logan.

The movie depicts our intrepid, indestructible hero coming to terms with aging and vulnerability, and brings Wolverine's cinematic story to the perfect conclusion. Logan also concludes the journey of Patrick Stewart, with both he and Jackman beginning the X-Men saga with the first X-Men movie back in 2000.

Alongside Jackman, Stewart and Keen, Logan stars Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, and Stephen Merchant. This news comes to us courtesy of James Mangold and Hugh Jackman's official Twitter accounts, with the director and actor making the comments during a Watch Part of Logan.