Caliban Appears in Both 'Logan' & 'X-Men: Apocalypse' Due to 'Messy' Mix-Up Says Director

Fans of the new "Logan" movie were a bit confused when they saw Stephen Merchant as Caliban. The mutant was featured in "X-Men: Apocalypse" but he was played by actor Tómas Lemarquis and there didn't seem to be a proper continuity to this certain character. "Logan" director James Mangold revealed that it was a simple misunderstanding.

When "X-Men: Apocalypse" premiered in 2016, fans got a screenful of mutants like Storm, Angel, Psylocke, and Caliban, played by "Snowpiercer" actor Tómas Lemarquis. A year later, the character made an appearance in the 2017 "Logan". Fans were shocked that it was played by "The Office" actor Stephen Merchant and that Caliban didn't age.

James Mangold, who directed "Logan", revealed to Nerdist that it was a simple mix-up. Viewers were expecting some continuity in the "X-Men" universe since it was revealed previously that the next "X-Men" films after "Logan" would feature an alternate timeline. Hugh Jackman's last movie as Wolverine is supposed to be set 46 years after, so fans wondered why Caliban basically remained the same age.

The answer was simple, though. Mangold and Bryan Singer, who directed "X-Men: Apocalypse", didn't know that each one was going to write Caliban into their movies. "It's a funny, messy story of how so often these things are not as coordinated as everyone thinks," Mangold confessed.

Not only is Caliban played by two actors in the same superhero universe, the mutant also has different roles and personalities in the two movies. In "Logan", Merchant portrays him as a West Country funny man. Also, he is more of a friend in the 2017 movie, whereas he was a neutral party in "X-Men: Apocalypse", according to Digital Spy.

It was only when "X-Men: Apocalypse" came out that Mangold realized he had written in a different Caliban. However, he didn't make changes to the script anymore. His mind was set on acquiring Merchant for the character, whose role in "Logan" was very different from the previous film in 2016 anyway.