In 2000, Hugh Jackman experienced a career-making opportunity when he landed the role of Wolverine in the first X-Men movie ever. Now, 17 years later, Jackman has decided to retire his character– but not without a final bang.

With Patrick Stewart featured one last time as Charles Xavier and fan-favorite X-23 introduced to the Marvel movie universe, it’s no surprise that “Logan” sent X-Men fans flocking upon its release on March 3.

Compared to the past two “Wolverine” movies, “Logan” is a much darker film. Jackman even risked a pay cut to keep the movie rated R to stay true to the twisted tone of “Old Man Logan,” the comic the movie was based on.

And even though an R-rating often deters young audiences, “Logan” has still managed to rack up over $100 million already with raving reviews from critics and the public alike.

The movie’s unique qualities that stunned its viewers are evident at its beginning with morbid unsaturated frames and artful cinematography that highlight the movie’s depressive realism.

And while most superhero movies focus only on winning battles,” Logan” goes beyond by showing us exactly what superpowers do to the body. Xavier’s crippling mental state and Logan’s painful loss of his healing capabilities are two such examples that make the movie even grittier and darker than ever before.

Although the film’s plot doesn’t seem too unheard of for a superhero film, an old disillusioned hero gets sent on one last mission to provide a mutant girl safe travel, its nuanced tone and cultural ironies make the story much more important than that.

Ultimately, “Logan” seems to be the far superior film of the already exquisite “Wolverine” trilogy; an opinion I share with millions of other fans. And although I’ll miss seeing Stewart and Jackman in future X-Men films, their departures give this movie a special place in my heart.