Wolverine is one of the most popular X-Men characters, in large part because he can be thrown into just about any time period or team and make some amount of sense. His popular appeal further increased when Hugh Jackman took on the role in the first X-Men film back in 2000. That version of the character has appeared in a total of ten movies and, as Deadpool and Wolverine joked, "They’re gonna make him do this till he’s 90."
The character that fans know and love was born in 1832 with the name James Howlett, but he lost his memory during his time with the Weapon X program, which also fused adamantium to his bones. Depending on the timeline, he then joined the X-Men and tried to protect young mutants from those who wanted to see them dead or imprisoned.
Although he'll always be a fan-favorite character, some of the movies he was in were better than others, especially when it came to Wolverine's arc. While movies like Logan had Jackman using every drop of acting skill he had, the character's origin film is almost universally seen as the worst movie in the franchise. All 10 of his movies are currently available on Disney Plus, and the best seven are included below.
X-Men: First Class
X-Men: First Class was a reboot-turned-prequel for the X-Men franchise, focusing on how Professor X and Magneto rose to prominence in Mutant communities and created the X-Men and Brotherhood of Mutants. The history between the two mutant leaders was palpable in the earlier films, so it was satisfying to finally see what their relationship was like before becoming enemies.
While many people consider this one of the better X-Men movies, Wolverine only shows up for a brief cameo which makes it less vital for those who want to see more of his character. Even so, it has better characterization for Logan than many of his more prominent films, earning its spot on this list.
The Wolverine
Set after the third X-Men movie, The Wolverine follows Logan in Japan as he interacts with an old friend from World War II. There is a lot of emphasis put on Wolverine's character development, exploring how he perceives his virtual immortality and the guilt he feels for killing Jean in X-Men: The Last Stand. This film proved that Hugh Jackman could support a solid story without the rest of the X-Men characters, which was necessary after how poorly X-Men Origins: Wolverine was received.
It's definitely worth watching for any fan of the character, because it stays focused on Logan's history, morals, and beliefs. By and large, The Wolverine is a well-structured emotional narrative that allows fans to really get to know the character outside of the larger mutant community. Sadly, everything kind of fell apart by the end of the movie, making it one part amazing, one part disasterous.
X-Men
Even a quarter of a century later, the original X-Men movie holds up, with a solid plot and several great moments for Wolverine's character. Overall, the film depicted the conflicts between the X-Men and Magneto, with a specific focus on stopping him from turning every American politician into a mutant against their will. But one of the emotional cores of the story was Wolverine's bond with runaway teen Rogue, whose mutant abilities ruined her life and put her in mortal danger.
X-Men is a really enjoyable movie, with great character pairings and a clear narrative arc. However, it often feels like it's being forced to choose between the Professor X/Magneto conflict and the need to make Wolverine a main character. His dynamic with Rogue is a highlight, but the love triangle with Jean and Scott doesn't really work, and he's easily taken out of the main fights because a man composed of metal should not be fighting a man who controls metal.
Deadpool and Wolverine
Officially bringing the Sony X-Men films into the MCU (sort of), Deadpool and Wolverine began by having the TVA inform Wade Wilson about the impending destruction of his timeline. To stop it from happening, he sought out Wolverines from across the multiverse to try to save his friends and family. The Wolverine that was featured in the majority of the film came from a timeline where he was unable to stop everyone he cared about from dying.
For those who are more tuned into recent movies than the originals, Deadpool and Wolverine is a great success, combining the Fox universe with the MCU in a way that mostly works. The dynamic between Wade and Logan is a lot of fun, and the fight scenes are just the right amount of ridiculous. However, this movie focuses on a version of Wolverine completely distinct from its predecessors, which makes it hard for some fans to connect with him. There are also so many cameos, from Fox and the MCU, that it sometimes detracts from the characters the title claims are supposed to be most important.
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Marvel had a habit of rebooting franchises repeatedly, and Days of Future Past is kind of the X-Men version of Spider-Man: No Way Home. The story follows a version of Logan from an apocalyptic future, travelling back in time to 1973 in an attempt to save mutantkind. In the process, it created a multiverse of sorts that allowed both the original trilogy and the X-Men: First Class timeline to be considered canon.
X-Men: Days of Future Past is both a consistently well-received X-Men movie and a good showcase of Hugh Jackman, which makes it a must-watch film for Wolverine fans. Rather than having to fight to give both the main plot and Wolverine equal time, the script allows Logan to be the star of his own story, largely away from the other characters. Whether the time travel plot really works is up for debate, but there's no doubt that it's a great movie that honors Wolverine.
X-2: X-Men United
While the first X-Men movie focused on the conflict between Charles Xavier and Magneto's respective teams, X-2 saw them team up to stop Colonel William Stryker from using Professor X to kill all mutants in existence. In the midst of that, Logan led a side plot trying to save the students at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters and helping a group of them hide from malevolent government forces.
This movie suffers some from just how many characters and plot lines it tried to wrangle, but it does so in a way that lets Wolverine shine more than the original. Audiences get to see Logan and Jean actually connect, rather than just being told that they do, and he takes on the role of reluctant mentor well. From the inherent themes about oppression and xenophobia to the personal relationships between the characters, X-2 succeeds where many of the other full-team adventures fail.
Logan
No matter where you look or who you ask, Logan is considered to be the very best Wolverine movie. The film takes place in 2029, a virtually post-apocalyptic world from the mutant perspective, as no new mutants have been born in decades and they continue to be hated or used as weapons. In addition to caring for Charles Xavier, Logan ends up protecting a girl named Laura (X-23) who was made to be a weapon using his DNA.
It should be no surprise that this is at the top of the list, because it is both an amazing movie and a wonderful showing for the character of Wolverine. The history of the character is present in the storyline, despite being absent in many of the prior films because of how extensive his memory loss was, and his dynamic with both established ally Charles Xavier and new protegee X-23 feels realistic. If you love Wolverine but haven't seen Logan yet, you're missing out on just how far the character can be pushed and how stripping back the flashy tropes of the comic book genre reveals the actual heart of the character.