Logan is a 2017 superhero film about an aging Wolverine in a dystopian future where he must protect a young mutant from a private paramilitary cyborg army. It is a dark and gritty film that explores complex themes such as aging, loss, and the importance of fighting for what is right.

At the beginning of Logan, the newscast from the future US suggests a future apathetic US population. The news reporter says, “Everyone is asleep. Sleepwalking. Between the ice caps, pornographers, poisoned water, mutants, it’s all connected. It’s 2029. Why are we still talking about mutants?” This suggests that the US population is so complacent and apathetic that they are ignoring the serious problems facing the country, such as climate change, pollution, and the persecution of mutants.

In the movie Logan, it becomes evident that the wealthy exert significant influence over the United States, a common theme in many advanced capitalist nations. We witness a scene where a wealthy Texan and a group of affluent young adults celebrate in the back of a limousine, chanting “USA! USA! USA!” while driving alongside the US/Mexico border fence. This scene appears to depict them mocking Mexicans along the border, underscoring the idea that the affluent have considerable sway in shaping the future of the USA in this f possible future.

In the movie “Logan,” the storyline delves into the Reavers, a private paramilitary group first introduced in “The Uncanny X-Men #229.” In a specific scene, Donald Pierce, the leader of the Reavers, speaks to Logan using these words:

“She see you yet? Gabriella? See, I am not looking for you wolfie. Well, really, I am looking for someone who is looking for you. She took something of mine when I wasn’t looking. Something for which I am responsible. Mexican lady has it’s sights on you, you know. Doesn’t ring any bells?”

Both in the comic and the film, the Reavers are a private paramilitary cyborg organization employed by private multinational corporations to eliminate mutants.

Additionally, in an intriguing twist, “Logan” makes a reference to a past incident at the Statue of Liberty where American civil liberties were compromised. An elderly Professor Charles Xavier conveys to Logan, “They’re waiting for you at the Statue of Liberty.” While he’s addressing Logan, the full context of this incident can be found by delving into the X-Men comics.

In any case, an event transpired where the birth of new mutants ceased. Logan conveys to Charles, “The Statue of Liberty was a distant memory, Charles, a very distant one. No new mutants exist anymore, do you grasp that? In the past 25 years, not a single one has been born anywhere. We were all once a part of God’s plan, maybe even a mistake in God’s eyes.” This scene might hint at the Legacy Virus, a virus akin to AIDS, which devastated many mutants between 1993 and 2001.

That said, Charles bears regrets regarding the Statue of Liberty incident. He confides in Logan, saying, “Logan, what have we done? No one should endure this existence, drugged inside a damn tank.”

However, Logan remains unresponsive to Charles. Logan responds, “It’s for your own well-being.” In this situation, he prefers to administer medication to Charles rather than engage with him.

In reply, Charles has a poignant message for Logan. Charles utters: “You’re waiting for me to die.”

Significantly, Logan delves into the topic of private military contractors in the USA. Donald Pierce, the head of the Reavers, a private paramilitary organization hired by Transigen, imparts to Caliban:

“The girl is not worth it, trust me. She is not a natural fuck up, like you. She’s a business mistake, R&D going bad There’s a liability. They can’t have things with their patents running around hurting people, can they? We need to get her off the board before she hurts anybody else. Someone you care about. So begins the sniffing.”

Currently, private military contractors constitute a significant portion of the U.S. military.

A subtle but pervasive theme running through the movie “Logan” is the apparent unchecked influence of private multinational corporate research in the streets of a future USA. We discover that individuals with genetic mutations, a result of clandestine private research conducted by these corporations, roam the streets of America. These individuals possess extraordinary powers stemming from laboratory-engineered genetic abnormalities. In response, private corporations have deployed their private armies to recover these unique assets, often referred to as mutants, who are scattered across the landscape of a future United States.

In the course of the film, Gabriela Lopez, a nurse at Transigen, unveils the unethical practices of private multinational corporations and their affiliated entities in Mexico, as she articulates:

“My name is Gabriela Lopez. I’m a nurse. And for 10 years I worked for Transigen research in Mexico City. Transigen is combined American company. What I’m about to show you is illegal… in the US and Canada. They told us we were part of a pharmaceutical study. But of course, it was a lie. These children were born in Transigen. They were born here… And have never left. They have never seen the sun or the ocean… Rain or snow… Or any of God’s creatures. They have no birth certificates… No names… Except the ones we have given them. They were raised in the bellies of Mexican girls. Girls no one can find anymore. Their fathers were semillas genética, special seeds in bottles.”

Throughout the movie, one can wonder where are the Mexican labor unions. Why aren’t they not standing up for the civil rights/labor rights of the Mexican nurses? I am sure nurses pay union dues. Where are the Cesar Chavez’ of Mexico in this movie?

Moreover, I wondered what kind of paperwork Transigen filed for their charter in Mexico? Every corporation must register for a charter in a country. Plus, they have to disclose their board of directors, employees, etc. All foreign private companies/corporations/subsidiaries must pay taxes in foreign countries.

Furthermore, if corporations don’t file the right paperwork, those corporations are breaking the law. Corporate law is very clear about registering a charter in a foreign country. Breaking the law will mean tons of tort lawyers and negligence suits.

That being said, in the real world, Transigen would face many lawsuits. For example, the bait and switch research, where they had cancer research as a pretext, but there real research was really genetic testing on human subjects, which isn’t allowed in the US (UN has called for a ban on all human genetic testing). Genetic testing on human subjects would violate any corporation’s bylaws and code of ethics in the US.

As well, there is the issue of human beings considered as Intellectual Property in Mexico. Some doctor at Transigen says to a Mexican nurse:

We don’t bring them cake, Maria. We do not dress them up for Halloween. We do not call them baby or kiss boo boos. They’re part of a study. Do not think of them as children. Think of them as things. They have patents and copyrights. Like this-(throws a stapler) Comprende?”

I wondered about the constitutionality of such a Intellectual Property law, since the Hela and Moore human cell lines have been patented.

Plus, we see future problems with DNA code owned by private multinational corporations coming down the pike. Logan tells Charles Xavier, “Alkali has your genetic code. Not just mine.” Perhaps, one day, the Ancestry.com or 23Andme.com will have problems like in this movie.

Furthermore, the future shady private multinational companies and their subsidiaries are using this DNA code to create genetically altered soldiers in countries where USA laws don’t apply- like Mexico. “They became more difficult. They were not to be controlled. The company made their bodies into weapons. They tried to teach them to kill. But they do not want to fight. A soldier who’ll not fight is useless.” Much like going to another state for an abortion or another state to buy a gun, private multinationals go to other countries to create genetically altered soldiers to skirt the laws of their own countries.

Notably, the movie showed lots of self driving aka AI vehicles. We see see self driving semi trucks on the highway. Apparently, in this future, there are lots of self driving semi trucks on the roads.

In another interesting scene, Logan’s new friend, Will Munson, an African American farmer, has property rights infringement problems; specifically, an angry neighbour will not recognize Munson’s easement of using water on the neighbour’s land. In fact, the current owner accuses Munson of trespassing when he goes to take some water. Perhaps Logan should of helped his buddy to sue the landowner rather than commit a battery against the neighbour and make things worse.

Logan, too, looks at a possible future where private multinational corporations and their subsidiaries have taken over farming in the USA. These multinational farming corporations now do all the farming, while displacing USA farmers. Private multinational corporations do it with the use of robots and large farming equipment.

Additionally, it should be said, private corporations have extended AI via robots to other planets. Currently, AI and robots have been sent to Mars and the moon. Anyways, there doesn’t seem to be any limits on private corporations in the near future.

Of course, too, Logan ultimately sheds light on the DIY mutant creation movement of private multinational corporations. In the movie, Dr. Zander Rice, a geneticist employed by a private multinational corporation, tells an aging and dying Logan: “Random mutancy went the way of polio. We embarked on our endeavor, precisely.” Logan responds, “Growing mutants of your own!” All this points out private citizens getting involved in DIY mutant creation via biohacking.

Notably, Logan takes place at the end of the world. In this movie, too, Logan must help mutant kids make it to Eden, which is a place in a fictional X-Men comic at the Canadian border. Logan does get the kids to Eden after killing the Reavers, but he dies due to his clone killing him; however, Laura 23, Logan’s daughter kills the clone.

Furthermore, this movie points out future goals of private multinational corporations like gene therapy. Logan suggests multinational corporations will distribute gene therapy via foods like sweet drinks, soda pop, or breakfast cereals to “perfect” humanity. Gene therapy, if not being currently done, will be done via foods in the future.

In the end, I liked Logan the movie. First, we saw a very much aging Logan with human problems even though he’s a superhero. Also, we learned of unscrupulous private multinational corporations like Transigen setting up in countries where the foreign laws there let them do bad stuff. Plus, we got to see Logan’s daughter, Laura. Additionally, the Reavers were introduced in this movie. I would love to see another Logan movie again since it touched on live issues like US/Mexican foreign policy. Or, at least, a movie where Logan/Wolverine is a zombie like in “Marvel Zombies”.