James Mangold's Logan is known for having one of the hardest-hitting endings in the superhero genre, and it's a conclusion that's layered with deeper meaning. After having initially taken on the role of Wolverine in 2000 for X-Men, Hugh Jackman quickly established himself as being practically synonymous with the character. His portrayal of the hero was one of the most consistent and widely-praised aspects of Fox's X-Men movies, and 2017's Logan was announced as his final turn in the role.
Logan primarily draws inspiration from the "Old Man Logan" storyline from the comics, following an older version of the hero as he attempts to survive alongside a very ill Charles Xavier in a world that has all but eradicated mutants. When Logan meets Laura, a young girl with the same set of powers as himself, he's thrust into the responsibility of helping her escape the villainous Reavers, who are also in possession of a powerful Wolverine clone known as X-24. Logan sees the eponymous hero act as a caregiver and protector to both the elderly Xavier and young Laura even as his powers begin to fail him.
Logan ultimately ends with the death of the titular character in a touching moment of self-sacrifice. After centuries of being protected by his healing factor, Logan is finally faced with his own mortality, and it's an ending far more bittersweet than was originally expected from a superhero movie. In fact, 's ending is perfect not just because it satisfyingly concluded Hugh Jackman's turn as the character, but fittingly closed the book on the best aspect of Fox's X-Men movies and simultaneously proved that powerful and dramatic comic book stories can be achieved in a way that earns widespread acclaim. It's also an ending that's steeped in symbolism, adding a greater depth to Logan's story.
What Laura's “No More Guns In The Valley” Eulogy Means
Throughout Logan, the 1953 Western Shane is referenced. At one point, Laura and Charles are seen watching Shane together, and the line "there are no more guns in the valley" is quoted in the film, most notably by Laura as a touching eulogy for Logan after his death. Though her choice of words is a callback to having watched Shane earlier in the movie, it also conceals a much deeper meaning.
When Laura says there are "no more guns in the valley" in Logan, she's not just quoting Shane but referencing the parallels between the Western and Logan's own story. Both titular characters seek to leave their pasts behind but are prevented from doing so by their own violent deeds, and the thematic similarities between the two films are abundant. Laura quoting Shane is an understated way of honoring Logan's sacrifice by indicating that she will not be defined by the violence that has marked her life. It's a subtle moment, as this isn't overtly touched upon, but it speaks to the much deeper aspects and themes of Logan.
Logan Gave The Character His Best (Brutal) Ending
Two of the characteristics that are most associated with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine are his fiery temper and his penchant to escalate situations to violence. Throughout his many appearances in the role, these characteristics have defined his stories almost as much as his healing factor or his adamantium claws, making them an integral part of Jackman's Wolverine. However, in Logan's future, he's tried to move on from that chapter of his life, only to find that his violent past has caught up with him.
The journey that Logan takes its titular hero on is an emotional and painful one of self-reflection and responsibility (both personal and to others). To have the movie end with his sacrifice after giving in to that violence one last time was a fitting end to the character, and to have him finally die fighting for his legacy was the perfect end for Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. Though his death was brutal, it proves that the character was always a hero regardless of his abilities and that when it mattered most, he fought (and ultimately died) for what he believed in.
Is Logan Really Dead?
One burning question that many have after Logan's credits roll is about the hero's ultimate fate. Of course, his death scene is explicit in that regard, and the burial indicates that it sticks for at least a matter of hours. However, the extent of the character's healing factor theoretically makes his return possible.
Logan's story establishes that his healing factor is largely diminished, but not entirely gone. This is ultimately what makes Wolverine's death in Logan possible, but there are a number of creative ways in which Jackman's character could return to life. However, any of these would undermine the purpose of Logan's story, and ultimately, the film (and Jackman's insistence that he's finished with Wolverine) makes it clear that Logan's death is final.
Logan Is About Legacy
One of the most pervasive themes in Logan is legacy. The film sees the near-immortal hero forced to come to with his own mortality, and a large part of that is about coming to with his legacy of violence. His struggle against his past and his attempts to reform himself into a more responsible person go against his nature, but he's attempting to secure himself a legacy of something more than violence. What's more, Logan is also about Charles Xavier's legacy, and how both Professor X and Wolverine ultimately find their redemption in helping the next generation find their way.
The biggest way in which Logan establishes this theme is through the introduction of both Laura and X-24. Both characters can be seen as the contrasting elements of Logan's legacy: Laura represents the hope for something pure and innocent, whereas X-24 represents the mindless violence that has defined much of Logan's life. Logan's conflict with X-24 ultimately causes Professor X's death, meaning that Xavier is forced to come to with his own legacy of violence catching up to him. Later on, Logan does the same, securing a better legacy for himself by fighting one last time for the right reasons.
What Logan's Ending Really Means
The most notable aspect of Logan's ending is the death of Hugh Jackman's X-Men character, but there's a much greater significance to the movie's final scenes. As the film concerns Logan coming to with his past, his morality, and his legacy, the final fight between Logan and X-24 represents his final battle with his own violent history. It's a symbolic battle that Logan never intended to survive, but the act of engaging in it served multiple purposes. The first (and most obvious) is to save Laura and allow her to live a free life. It also demonstrated to the young mutant that living a violent life and allowing yourself to become a weapon will only ever end in more violence, nudging her along a different path.
Ultimately, by ensuring that Logan's villain, X-24, was destroyed, the character is cementing his own legacy. He's not allowing himself to be used for more violence, and in doing so, he finds peace in the moments before his death. Though the manner of Logan's death is far from peaceful, the context of the scene allows him to achieve one last act of heroism that not only saves Laura and the other young mutants but also ensures that he'll be ed as something more than a killer, allowing him to finally find peace. In this, Logan delivers a poignant and bittersweet ending to the character's story that secures him as one of cinema's most compelling heroes.
