'Logan' Almost Had A Jean Grey Deleted Scene, Here Is Why It Was Cut
Logan doesn't need to say anything about the Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Jean Grey's (Famke Janssen) relationship. It was a substantial part of the X-Men series and the character's past, but James Mangold's film isn't too interested in the past or future of the X-Men franchise. The story of Logan doesn't need to reference a relationship resolved in The Wolverine. Grey, however, was initially mentioned by Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) in a deleted exchange between him and Logan.
Below, learn why Mangold cut the Logan Jean Grey deleted scene (SPOILERS below).
When Logan, Charles, and Laura (Dafne Keen) have a meal at the Munson house, it's one of the few moments of peace and quiet they get. They, especially Charles, cherish the sort of meal and company they haven't had in years. How pleasant it is makes the incident at the Munson house all the more horrific.
But the dinner conversation once hit a sour note which was cut from the film. The Munson family asked Logan if he has a wife. Charles goes on to explain what happened to his "wife," Jean. Mangold told Empire why he cut this moment:
I sketched out different conversations for that dinner scene and one of them went to a much darker place. Mrs Munson asks Logan if he's married, and Charles says he was – but he killed her. Of course, he wasn't really married, but what that then spawns is Charles waxing poetic about Jean Grey, and it's a really cool moment. Both Hugh and Patrick were amazing. The problem was, it created an incredibly powerful lead brick in the middle of the only moment in the movie where there was a breather. Even I, with my taste for the dark, felt that it was one too many. Things go pretty shitty within seconds after that.
Mangold confirmed the scene is on the Blu-Ray, which might also include a black-and-white version of the movie. Logan is an often bleak affair. It's entertaining, and there's levity, but if it got any bleaker, maybe it would've felt like too much for the audience. Logan already experiences a large amount of conflict, struggle, and pain throughout the film. He probably doesn't need a reminder of somebody else he couldn't save. If Mangold hadn't given Logan that breather, as he called it, maybe Logan's frequent sense of despair might've become excessive.
Logan is now in theaters.