Summary
Dafne Keen’s MCU debut inDeadpool & Wolverineis the perfect reminder to check out her three-season HBO fantasy series,His Dark Materials— a role that came about in the wake of Keen’s acclaimed feature film debut inLogan. In the 2017X-Menmovie,Keen starred alongside Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine as his biological daughter, Laura, a.k.a. X-23. InDeadpool & Wolverine, Laura is part of a resistance group in the Void — a place outside time that’s lorded over by the ruthless Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin) and an all-consuming creature called Alioth.
Keen’s appearance inDeadpool & Wolverineis meaningful for a number of reasons, but, above all else, it’s great to see the actor reunite with Jackman in what will likely be his final Marvel movie. Before joining Jackman inLogan, Keen landed a lead role in the BBC Worldwide TV seriesThe Refugees(2014–15), but waslaunched to mega-stardom by her nuanced, scene-stealing performance as Laura. However, for someone who’s so critically acclaimed,Dafne Keen hasn’t done much sinceLogan, mostly because the actor spent several years as the star of HBO’sHis Dark Materialsadaptation.
Dafne Keen Plays Lyra In HBO’s His Dark Materials
The Three-Season Series Adapts Philip Pullman’s Novel Trilogy Of The Same Name
Referred to colloquially byThe Golden Compass, the name of the first novel in the trilogy, HBO’sHis Dark Materialsseries adapts Philip Pullman’s young-adult fantasy book series.His Dark Materials' cast of charactersis led by Keen’s Lyra, a young girl who’s raised in the halls of Jordan College by its scholars. In the world ofHis Dark Materials,all humans' souls manifest as animal companions, called daemons. Lyra’s daemon, Pan, has yet to settle on an animal form, but Lyra’s problems become much bigger than that when the mysterious Marisa Coulter (Ruth Wilson) arrives at the college.
Epic in scope, His Dark Materials' story sends Lyra across a multi-world reality to save everything.
It becomes clear to Lyra that Mrs. Coulter, an agent of the religious and political body called the Magisterium, and Lord Asriel (James McAvoy), Lyra’s scholar-turned-explorer father, are in on a dangerous secret. WhileLyra herself is part of a witches' prophecy that threatens to change the world— the many worlds ofHis Dark Materials, actually — she’s more preoccupied with saving her friend Roger (Lewin Lloyd), who becomes the latest victim in a string of child kidnappings. Epic in scope,His Dark Materials' three-season storysends Lyra across a multi-world reality to saveeverything.
How His Dark Materials Compares To The Golden Compass Movie
The HBO Series Finishes Lyra’s Epic Story
Contrary to popular belief, HBO’sHis Dark Materialsisn’t aGolden Compasssequel. The confusion likely stems from the fact that Pullman’s first book in the trilogy was adapted as a movie in 2007. AlthoughThe Golden Compassfilm features some solid casting choices — Nicole Kidman plays Mrs. Coulter — and impressive production design, it can’t quite compete with HBO’s adaptation. Not only doesDafne Keen nail Lyra’s book traits, butthe three-seasonHis Dark Materialsshow tells the entire arc of Pullman’s epic fantasy story, whileGolden Compassonly teased the series' massive, multiverse scope.
His Dark Materials Proves TV Adaptations Can Be Better Than Movies
The recent television series, His Dark Materials, adapted the novel series of the same name after a failed movie franchise in the late 2000s.
Dafne Keen Has Now Been Part Of 3 Major Fictional Universes
The Actor Has Appeared In His Dark Materials, Star Wars & The MCU
In addition to starring in themost underrated fantasy TV show of the last decade,Dafne Keen has appeared in other major franchises and IP projects. Not only does the actor have credits inHis Dark Materialsand, thanks toDeadpool & Wolverine, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (and, more specifically, theX-Menseries), but she also recently appeared in aStar Warsstory — 2024’sThe Acolyte. A murder mystery set in theStar Warsuniverse,The Acolytesaw Keen playing Jecki Lon, a Jedi Padawan who’s half-human and half-Theelin.
All three seasons ofHis Dark Materialsare streaming on Max.
His Dark Materials
Based on author Philip Pullman’s beloved novel trilogy, His Dark Materials is a fantasy/drama television series that follows Lyra, a brave young woman from another world. Lyra’s quest to find her kidnapped friend leads her to uncover a sinister plot of a secret organization, encounter extraordinary beings, and protect dangerous secrets. Lyra will find that her life is inextricably linked with another as they discover they may be the ones to change the world.
