Stranger Things Star Millie Bobby Brown was Almost Logan's X-23

Upside Down Pictures | Netflix | Fair use for news and promotional purposes
Fatima Castillo
By Fatima CastilloFilm & TV Writer

Upside Down Pictures | Netflix | Fair use for news and promotional purposes
  • Primary Subject: How Millie Bobby Brown almost entered the MCU
  • Key Update: Millie Bobby Brown recently reflected on her past screen test with Hugh Jackman for the role of X-23 in Logan, sharing that she felt "broken" after losing the part to Dafne Keen.
  • Status: Confirmed
  • Last Verified: July 3, 2026
  • Quick Answer: Millie Bobby Brown auditioned and screen-tested for the role of Laura/X-23 in the 2017 film Logan, but the role ultimately went to Dafne Keen.

Before she was flipping vans with her mind as Eleven or solving high-stakes Victorian mysteries with Sherlock, Millie Bobby Brown came incredibly close to slicing her way into the mutant sandbox.

In a Hollywood timeline that almost was, the sci-fi powerhouse nearly made her big-screen debut sporting adamantium claws alongside Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. A decade later, Brown opens up about the heartbreak of missing out on a career-defining Marvel role.

Millie Bobby Brown Reveals How She Almost Became Logan's Sidekick

stranger things x-23 logan dafne keen millie bobby brown
expand image
Credit: 20th Century Fox | Netflix

Long before Millie Bobby Brown became Netflix's premier sci-fi powerhouse, she almost slashed her way into the Marvel universe.

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly to promote Enola Holmes 3, Brown confirmed that she was among the girls who auditioned for the role of Laura/X-23 in the 2017 X-Men flick, Logan.

"I screen-tested with Hugh Jackman when I was like, 11 or 12," the 22-year-old actress recalled, adding that it was for the 'Wolverine movies' and confirmed it was for Logan. She admits she felt "broken" after missing out on the opportunity, "I felt like I probably didn't get it, because I think there was someone else [who] was better."

The role went on to Dafne Keen, who eventually joined the MCU to reprise as Laura in 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine, with the hopes of the actress suiting up as female Wolverine in Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars, or perhaps even in an X-Men reboot.

Millie Bobby Brown Lost Out on X-23 - But She Became Netflix's Star

stranger things x-23 logan dafne keen millie bobby brown
expand image
Credit: Netflix | Marvel Studios

Missing out on Logan might have stung at the time, but the rejection opened the door to an absolute pop-culture phenomenon. Shortly after her Marvel screen test, Brown secured her legendary role as Eleven in Stranger Things, catapulting her into global superstardom and cementing her status as Netflix's golden girl.

While Dafne Keen went on to deliver an unforgettable, critically acclaimed performance as X-23, even reprising the role in the massive hit Deadpool & Wolverine, Brown built her own multi-million-dollar empire, leading massive streaming franchises like Enola Holmes.

The Hollywood casting gears turned exactly the way they were supposed to, giving fans two distinct, iconic young heroines to cheer for.

Keep it locked on EpicStream, your go-to site for film, TV, and celebrity coverage!