When X-Men arrived on the big screen in 2000, the comic book world was very different. DC Comics had been successful in movies until 1997's infamous Batman & Robin ended that trend. Marvel was much worse, though, with rough projects until 1998's Blade became a hit and changed things forever.
So when Bryan Singer brought X-Men to the big screen, hopes were high he could reverse this trend. He more than succeeded as the movie was a smash hit that pleased not just comic book fans but general audiences as well. It would begin an epic franchise that would see various ups and downs over the next two decades.
The movies are unique, with a "prequel" series coming after the original trilogy that links back to the older films, along with some good spinoffs. Sadly, not every entry is top-notch. When the films are good, they're great, but when they're bad, they can be horrible. With that in mind, if you're planning on checking them out, here are the X-Men movies to watch and the ones to skip to show, all of which highlights how this franchise keeps mutating over the years.
X-Men movies to watch:
X-Men (2000)
The obvious start to the list, X-Men was a groundbreaker in terms of superhero films being taken seriously by the public. This one brilliantly grounded the X-Men characters while still allowing for the fantastic elements to make them a complete success. Seeing Hugh Jackman instantly become a star as Wolverine is wonderful and the action is very well done in an era before CGI began dominating everything.
Yes, there were a few low points (Halle Berry's Storm accent, some cringe-worthy dialogue), yet it was also what fans wanted. From the pitch-perfect casting of Patrick Stewart as Professor X and Ian McKellan as Magneto to capturing the mutant vs human struggle to its conclusion, it's no wonder this movie started such an epic franchise.
X-2: X-Men United
Bryan Singer managed to pull off the rare feat: A sequel better than the original. Brian Cox is chilling as Stryker, a villain so terrible that it forces the X-Men to work with Magneto. The action is spectacular, especially the attack on the mansion, where Wolverine finally goes into full berserker rage to slice guys apart and steal the show. Speaking of which, Alan Cumming is sharp as Nightcrawler with the White House sequence easily holding up as the best opening of any movie in the series.
The plot flows nicely with good character turns like Pyro being tempted to join forces with Magneto and more of shape-changing complex mutant that is Mystique. It just works so well to the final sacrifice that the series has never truly matched the second entry as one of the best comic book movies ever.
The Wolverine
After a rough first solo movie, Wolverine got a much better outing in 2013's The Wolverine. Adapting the landmark Wolverine limited series by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, this one had a better chance of succeeding from the beginning - and it does.
Logan heads to Japan, where his attempt to pay off an old debt puts him in danger. With a more mature approach, we get to see Wolverine really be wild, battling ninjas and his own mortality as we learn more about his dark past.
It clicks very well with Jackman showing new depth in the role and the surprise post-credits scene sets the franchise up to complete its return to greatness.
X-Men: First Class
Just when it looked like the X-Men franchise was dead, along came one of the greatest movie prequels ever. The 1960s vibe is what makes X-Men: First Class work so well, as it is equal parts a spy thriller and a comic book adventure. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender have perfect chemistry as the younger Xavier and Magneto, showing how their friendship became frayed by their differing views on mutant freedom. Fassbender, in particular, is fantastic (and may be even better than McKellan), showcasing how Magneto's tragedies shape him for the worse.
Jennifer Lawrence was catapulted to stardom with a different take on Mystique that shines nicely. There's also Nicholas Hoult as the Beast and Kevin Bacon makes for a fun villain. The action pieces are good, but the character work and setting are what make this one of the best movies in the series - and a well-respected classic among all comic book films.
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Adapting one of the greatest X-Men stories of all time, X-Men: Days of Future Past brings the past and the future together, uniting the casts of both the original trilogy and the prequel movies in the process. The result is nothing short of marvelous.
The time travel adventure at its core is brilliantly handled, with the movie expertly balancing the dark future where mutants are hunted with the 1970s of the past It's great to see the original actors back with Magneto and Xavier being friends again, and the scene where Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy's respective versions of Charles Xavier talk to each other is spine-tingling.
There's also the iconic Quicksilver kitchen scene that outdoes anything the MCU or DCEU could do with a super-speedster character. Meanwhile, the finale showing the futile future fight with the Sentinels with the attempts to save the past is a tour de force, which leads to a surprise ending.
The "Rogue Cut" may be slightly better, but on its own, Days of Future Past was truly the high point of the franchise.
Deadpool
It took years of effort, but at long last, Ryan Reynolds brought his twisted Merc with the Mouth to the big-screen. It was worth the wait too as Reynolds was born for the role. From the opening scene, in which Deadpool is talking to the audience before engaging in a brutal gunfight, the movie is an absolute blast - and it remains that way from start to finish.
Deadpool lovingly mocks the X-Men mythos and the overall franchise with shots on the studio as well. We get Colossus in a funny supporting role, with Reynolds nicely skewering the "hero's journey" as only he can. It's a comedic romp as well as an action movie gem, and it's little wonder it became such a huge success as it finally did Deadpool justice.
Logan
What could have been Hugh Jackman's swan song as Wolverine is nothing short of a masterpiece. Logan doesn't feel like an X-Men movie, but more of a powerful character piece as a broken, older Logan is the lone X-Man left other than a Charles Xavier who barely remembers who he is. That sets up a road trip where Logan protects a young girl (Dafne Keen) who has more in common with him than he could imagine.
The movie doesn't shy away from brutal violence and some heartbreaking moments. Jackman embraces his age and experience in the role with Keen in a breakout turn as Laura. The climax is tear-jerking and still hits you hard and this would have been a fine way to end the X-Men saga.
It almost did mark the end of the story and what an ending it was.
Deadpool 2
While not as fresh as the first film, this sequel still works nicely. A shocking moment kicks it off and gives Deadpool a bit more character depth than in the first film. Reynolds still handles it with his trademark quips and embraces a wilder edge. Then there's Josh Brolin as Cable, setting up some wild fights between the anti-heroes.
A highlight is the X-Force sequence that goes hilariously awry, along with the fun Domino getting a spotlight. It's a pure romp to the crazy closing credits sequence, and while it's not better than the first, it's fun in its own right.
Deadpool & Wolverine
The latest X-Men movie ended up being one of the bigger recent hits of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which was needed. The movie doesn't hold back on mocking Marvel with Deadpool claiming he's there to "save" the franchise and does so nicely. The pull, of course, is Jackman back as Wolverine, and seeing him in a comics-accurate costume is worth the two-decade wait.
There's the surprise cameos, including one for an X-Man fans have always wanted to see on the big screen and the wicked Cassandra Nova is fun. The bizarre bromance of the main characters is the real draw that proved Jackman can still pull off the Wolverine role and link the X-Men and MCU franchises up beautifully.
X-Men movies to skip
X-Men: The Last Stand
After two great entries in the X-Men film series, the franchise hit a major stumbling block with its third installment. The exit of Bryan Singer for Brett Rattner was a huge blow, but the real mistake was trying to link the Dark Phoenix Saga with Joss Whedon's "Gifted" storyline about a mutant cure. Mashing those stories together led to a poor script that didn't have time to develop either one of them properly and gave its characters the short shrift.
There's decent action and still a few character touches on Magneto. But bad character deaths and a confusing climax ruin what should have been a great movie. The fact that the franchise had worse entries still doesn't let this off the hook as a massive comedown from the first two installments.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
What was supposed to be Wolverine's big solo foray and the start of several standalone movies focusing on the character turned into a debacle. The opening sequence showing Wolverine and Creed (Liev Schreiber) in various wars throughout history is very well done, but it's downhill after that, with a confusing plot, padded storytelling, and poor action (the CGI for the claws is blatant).
The treatment of Deadpool was so bad that it took years for the character to come back. Gambit and Emma Frost were wasted and Jackman himself doesn't look that into it. Thankfully, Jackman got much better solo films later, and Reynolds redeemed Deadpool, but this still ranks as a mess of a movie.
X-Men: Apocalypse
This should have been a good movie. Bringing in one of the greatest X-Men villains in Apocalypse with a tale set in the 1980s would have continued the momentum of previous installment Days of Future Past. It was undermined by Oscar Isaac's Apocalypse, as the character just lacked the charisma and grandeur needed for such a larger-than-life presence. It might have been Isaac, it might have been the script, but it just didn't work like it should have. Magneo becoming his aide was a bad storytelling move too, and the entrances of Storm, Psylocke, Archangel, and Nightcrawler didn't work.
Other issues include the fact that Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique gets too much time to the detriment of the other characters. Sophie Turner makes a good Jean Grey even if the story doesn't always service the character. And speaking of the story, it and the action fail to gel despite another great Quicksilver scene.
It's not a terrible movie but otherwise a big comedown from its two strong prequel predecessors.
Dark Phoenix
How is it that the X-Men movies are unable to adapt the greatest X-Men story of them all, right? Poor as The Last Stand was, it's X2 compared to this disaster. Plagued by reshoots and studio rights issues, Dark Phoenix was the conclusion of the main X-Men film saga and it is easily the worst movie in the franchise. Lawrence is clearly ready to leave in her role as Mystique while Jessica Chastain is completely wasted as the alien villain whose motivations are as confusing as her origins.
The would-be division of the team feels like nothing, the action is subpar and it's shockingly anti-climactic. Sophie Turner is actually trying as Jean falling into darkness but she is let down by terrible writing and direction. It's sad that the X–Men franchise at Fox ended with a whimper, not a bang.
The New Mutants
Delayed by years amid Disney buying Fox, The New Mutants was finally released amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Yeah, this film was seemingly cursed. Taking the popular X-Men spinoff team and sticking them into a weird horror movie setting had some potential, but it was sadly never realized. Despite a cast that includes Anya Taylor-Joy and Maisie Williams and the fact that it adapts the acclaimed "Demon Bear Saga" storyline, the movie just doesn't work.
Too much of it feels inert and disconnected from the rest of the X-Men movies and it all leads towards a rushed finale. Being barely over 90 minutes doesn't help as this is a film whose troubled production history is clear on screen and it's no wonder X-Men fans barely paid any attention to it.