Logan: First Look At Stephen Merchant As Caliban

If you've had a hard time keeping track of all the timelines and characters in the X-Men flicks, this probably won't help. But it's definitely intriguing.

A leaked summary for the upcoming Logan (previously known as Wolverine 3), revealed that the mutant Caliban would appear in the film (via TheWrap). But instead of bringing back Tómas Lemarquis, who portrayed the character in X-Men: Apocalypse, it seems producers went another way with the role.

Comic actor Stephen Merchant (Hello Ladies, Hall Pass) has confirmed that he'll play the pale mutant in the movie, and he's got a photo to prove it. He shared an image (below) on Instagram along with the caption "how I spent my summer." Director James Mangold also posted a more revealing photo (above). Caliban first appeared on the pages of Uncanny X-Men in 1981. An albino mutant, he can sense any other mutants within 25 miles, and he uses their emotions to increase his own strength, speed, and abilities. In the comics, he was first recruited by Callisto, leader of the Morlocks, but he's been affiliated with the X-Men, X-Force, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Logan is believed to be set in 2024, and it's looking more and more likely that the plot is based on the Old Man Logan storyline. In that comic, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is much older and struggling with his fading abilities.

According to the leaked synopsis, Caliban will likely be an ally to Wolverine and Professor X (Patrick Stewart). Mutants are apparently becoming much harder to find in the movie's future, and a guy like Caliban could be just who they need.

The plot will reportedly center around a government-type program called Transigen that converts mutant kids into killing machines. Richard E. Grant will play Dr. Zander Rice, the man in charge of Transigen, and Boyd Holbrook's Donald Pierce will serve as his head of security. It also seems like the little girl holding Wolverine's hand in the poster is probably X-23.

Logan is set for release March 3, 2017. While we wait for more clues, check out the dark side of X-Men you never knew about.