X-Men Fan? This Is How You Watch X-Men Movies in Order
When Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe began to dominate the big screen, the X-Men franchise seemed to be left behind because the rights were still held by 20th Century Fox. Fortunately, director Bryan Singer kept the franchise alive until Disney officially acquired Fox on March 20, 2019.
If you're a fan of this mutant superhero team, created by the legendary Stan Lee, you are probably eager to see them compete with the Avengers. But before that happens, you might want to watch the story of Wolverine and his friends from the beginning. Here's the correct sequence to follow!
1. X-Men: First Class (2011)
X-Men: First Class is actually the fifth film in the X-Men series to be released, but it serves as the origin story of our mutant heroes.
Set in 1962, the film follows Professor Charles Xavier and his friend Erik Lehnsherr as they form a team of mutants to thwart the evil plans of Sebastian Shaw, who seeks to ignite a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Fans of the X-Men comics will enjoy the appearance of several characters from the comics, such as Darwin, Banshee, Pixie, and Emma Frost. There's even a cameo by Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, who humorously refuses to join Professor X.
2. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
"X-Men: Days of Future Past" is often regarded as one of the best X-Men films. Adapted from the comic story arc of the same name, it explores a dystopian future where mutants are hunted by Sentinels, robots programmed to exterminate them. The film, however, offers a unique twist on the comic's plot.
In the year 2023, mutants are engaged in a desperate war against the Sentinels. Using her powers, Kitty Pryde sends Wolverine back to 1973 to prevent Mystique from assassinating Bolivar Trask, a move that would trigger the Sentinel program.
This is actually my favorite X-Men film because it features Warpath, one of my favorite mutants!
3. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
"Wolverine" is a character created by former Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas and the late comic artist Len Wein, first introduced in The Incredible Hulk comics in 1974.
This film delves into the origin story of James Howlett, later known as Logan or Wolverine. Born in the 1840s in Canada, Logan and his brother Victor Creed (Sabertooth) grow up as mutants. Both are eventually recruited into Team X, an anti-mutant military organization.
4. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
X-Men: Apocalypse is based on the Age of Apocalypse comic series released in 1995. The story centers on En Sabah Nur, the world's first mutant, who rises to power through time travel and attempts to conquer Earth.
In the film, Apocalypse originates from 3600 BCE in Egypt and is buried alive, only to be resurrected in 1983. He aims to destroy the modern world and recruits X-Men members to become his Four Horsemen.
5. Dark Phoenix (2019)
Jean Grey's character as Phoenix in the X-Men comics is a fan favorite. However, the power of Dark Phoenix, which the creators later explained as an entity that loves Jean, is troublesome and threatens the safety of the world. The X-Men's adventures in dealing with Dark Phoenix are also brought to the big screen.
The story of Dark Phoenix begins eight years after the X-Men defeated Apocalypse. They went into space, but Jean Grey was possessed by a mysterious force that took control of her and gave her extraordinary powers. This also causes conflict because it awakens traumatic memories in Jean.
6. X-Men (2000)
Comic fans were excited when they learned that in 2000, Bryan Singer finally brought X-Men to the big screen. Moreover, the cast includes top Hollywood actors and actresses such as Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, and Anna Paquin.
The story is about the conflict between mutants and ordinary humans, where the anti-mutant group rejects their existence. The government wants all mutants to be registered so their actions can be monitored, while Magneto, of course, rejects the government's decision in his extreme way. Professor X also tries to prevent Magneto's actions.
7. X2: X-Men United (2003)
At the beginning of its release, this X-Men film satisfied fans because the story is exciting and features some favorite mutant characters, even if only briefly.
For example, Colossus and Kitty Pryde made their first appearances, as well as Jubilee. Bryan Singer even mentioned that Gambit should have been included in this film. Beginning with the appearance of Nightcrawler, who tries to kill the President of the United States, the story continues with William Stryker's attack on the X-Mansion, the X-Men's school.
His goal is to kidnap Professor X to kill all mutants. Then, our heroes team up with Magneto to prevent this.
8. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
This time, the X-Men story continues with the discovery of a drug that can "cure" mutant genes. The drug is developed by Worthington Labs, owned by the family of Warren Worthington III, a mutant known as Angel.
Magneto rejects this invention and decides to take action on his own terms. Unfortunately, Bryan Singer left the X-Men project to work on Superman Returns, so the third film of these mutant heroes faced some challenges.
At the time, The Last Stand might not have had the ending we expected. However, if you watch all the X-Men films, it seems like what happened here has been addressed in later movies.
9. The Wolverine (2013)
At the end of The Last Stand, Wolverine is forced to kill Jean Grey, who is being overpowered by the power of Dark Phoenix. This film tells the story of the aftermath, where Logan, devastated by his responsibility for Jean's death, is alone in the Canadian wilderness until he finally goes to Japan. There, people are hunting for his healing factor ability.
The film Wolverine: X-Men Origins was heavily criticized and even called one of the worst superhero films. However, the fate of The Wolverine is different from the Canadian mutant's previous film. This movie still presents elements from the comic but also entertains viewers who are not familiar with the comic.
10. Deadpool (2016)
Wait a minute, don't go saying "what?" and laughing because Deadpool is in the X-Men film lineup. Although it's obvious that he's in the same gang as the mutants. In the comics, Wade Wilson shares the fate of Wolverine, having undergone genetic engineering that led him to join the X-Men.
Just like in the comics, this film tells the story of Wade Wilson, a mercenary who wants to cure his cancer by signing up for a genetic engineering project. Intent on finding the person responsible for his mutation, he meets two X-Men who want to recruit him as a member of the X-Men.
11. Deadpool 2 (2018)
The success of the 2016 film Deadpool earned the hilarious mercenary a sequel. This time, Deadpool forms a team called X-Force with Domino, Colossus, and Negasonic Teenage Warhead to prevent Cable from coming from the future to hunt down Russell Collins.
There are many predictions about the future of the X-Men story in Deadpool 2. One prediction is the presence of X-Force, which in the comics is the X-Men's black-ops team. Another is how Deadpool hilariously uses Cable's time travel device to change the past, including his...well, ugly...appearance in X-Men Origins, as shown in the end credits scene.
12. Logan (2017)
The story of Logan is set in 2029, where the elderly Professor X accidentally kills all the members of the X-Men, while the authoritarian government manages to solve the mutant gene problem.
Wolverine, who works as a driver and takes care of Professor X, must protect Laura, a girl with the same powers as himself. There are still many questions about this film. Is it canon or not?
Most answers suggest that the plot of Logan takes place in another universe, meaning it is not a continuation of any X-Men film. In the comics, Laura Kinney takes on the Wolverine identity while James Howlett returns to his Old Man Logan look.
With the Marvel Cinematic Universe about to enter its fourth phase, we certainly hope that X-Men can take part in it. After all, there is an Avengers vs. X-Men story in the comics, so it would be exciting if this story could be adapted to the big screen.
There are quite a lot of mutant heroes in X-Men films, and not all of them can be seen in the cinema. Are there any mutant heroes you'd like to see in action besides the ones that have already appeared?