The superhero team X-Men featured in Marvel Comics publication has appeared in seven live-action films since its inception. The plots revolves around mutants, humans born with extraordinary abilities, and the conflict between Professor Charles Xavier's dream of peaceful coexistence (the X-Men) and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto)'s vision of mutant supremacy, all while facing prejudice and threats from humans (like anti-mutant governments or Sentinel robots) and sometimes from rogue mutants.
20th Century Fox bought the film rights for the team and other related characters in 1994 for $2.6 million. In 1999, a first X-Men film entered production. X-Men was released in 2000 and the sequel X2 was released in 2003. Both films were positively-received by critics, and earned a combined US$704 million worldwide at the box office. But the third installment, X-Men: The Last Stand was released in 2006 receiving mixed reviews from critics and was deemed inferior to its predecessors, even though it collected highest box office of US$460 million in the trilogy.[1]
After the completion of original trilogy, fox rebooted the film series. In 2011, X-Men: First Class was the first film serving as both a soft reboot and a prequel to X-Men and also widely regarded as a successful revitalization of the X-Men film franchise from critics. A sequel X-Men: Days of Future Past was released in 2014 becoming a perfect sequel and praised for its ambitious scope, stellar cast (especially McAvoy, Jackman, Fassbender), thrilling action (Quicksilver's scene), and successful blend of past and future timelines.[2] After that X-Men: Apocalypse and X-Men: Dark Phoenix were released in 2016 and 2019 respectively. Though X-Men: Apocalypse received mixed reviews from critics, it was able to make decent box office collection of US$544 million, but Dark Phoenix received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics and made estimated loss of about US$133 million after marketing and distribution costs, making it one of the biggest box-office bombs of all time.[3] A sequel was intended to be released, but was canceled.
When a young teen named Rogue goes on the run and crosses paths with cage fighter Logan / Wolverine, the pair are suddenly embroiled in an intense conflict over their fate as mutants, individuals who are born with a unique gene that grants them superhuman abilities and augmentations. They are recruited into the X-Men, a team of mutants who fight for the preservation of mutantkind while upholding their leader Charles Xavier's ideology of peaceful co-existence with humanity, despite facing discrimination and prejudice from them in their efforts to protect them. The X-Men, also comprising field leader Cyclops, telepath Jean Grey and weather manipulator Storm, face off against the mutant extremist Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants, who threaten to mutate world leaders in an attempt to escalate his plans for supremacy over humans.[5]
After a failed assassination attempt on the President of the United States by a brainwashed teleporting mutant named Nightcrawler, anti-mutant military scientist Col. William Stryker is enlisted to stage an attack on Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, kidnapping Cyclops and Charles Xavier alongside several mutant children and encountering Wolverine, revealed to be his former test subject during the Weapon X program. The remaining X-Men form a reluctant alliance with Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants in order to infiltrate Stryker's base at Alkali Lake and prevent Stryker from using Cerebro and the captive Xavier to telepathically kill every mutant on Earth, while Logan uncovers more about his shrouded past.[8]
The X-Men are expanded in this film with the inclusion of Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler as a new member in addition to both Colossus and Pyro briefly joining the team, being respectively recast with actors Daniel Cudmore and Aaron Stanford.[9][10] The latter defects from the X-Men to side with Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants by the end of the film, while Iceman fully joins the team as a recurring member.[11]Yuriko Oyama / Lady Deathstrike (Kelly Hu), who is not traditionally depicted as a mutant in the comics, is reinterpreted as a brainwashed mutant enforcer of William Stryker's who shares Logan's regenerative healing and sports elongated nails, coated in the same adamantium metal as Wolverine's claws.[12]Jason Stryker is reimagined in the film as "Jason 143", a lobotomized, wheelchair-bound mutant who has the ability to project illusions, used by his father to manipulate the captive Xavier into using Cerebro for targeting and mass-exterminating the mutant population of Earth.[13] As with the first film, other mutants feature in cameo appearances as students of Xavier's school, including Kitty Pryde (Katie Stuart) and Jubilee (Kea Wong) and Theresa Rourke / Siryn (Shuana Kain), who uses her sonic scream to incapcitate one of Stryker's men. Steve Bacic makes a brief appearance as Dr. Hank McCoy on a television broadcast.[14] In the film's final scene, two children respectively dressed in a Native American jacket and blue attire were identified as Dani Moonstar and Douglas Ramsey / Cypher.[15]
When the United States government manufactures a "cure" for the mutant gene, the mutant population is left divided on its potential benefits and repercussions. Magneto assembles a faction of mutants strongly opposed to its distribution to declare war on humanity, claiming their intent to use the cure as a means of further marginalizing the mutant race. As the X-Men confront Magneto and the morality behind the government's intentions, their formerly deceased team member Jean Grey is resurrected as the Phoenix, a destructive, evil entity within her mind that threatens to destroy both mutants and humanity on a far greater scale. As the vulnerable Grey is torn between her allegiance to the X-Men and Magneto's manipulation, the team prepare for a final battle which will decide her fate, and their own.[18]
Kelsey Grammer and Elliot Page join the main cast as X-Men members Hank McCoy / Beast and Kitty Pryde / Shadowcat after making cameo appearances in both previous films; the latter is introduced as Rogue's romantic rival for the affections of Iceman.[19]Ben Foster recurs in the film as Warren Worthington III / Angel, who begins the film presiding with his human father Warren Worthington II before ultimately rejecting him to join the X-Men.[20]Cain Marko / Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones), traditionally depicted in the comics as an adversary of the X-Men and stepbrother of Charles Xavier who is enhanced by the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak, is reinterpreted as a mutant whose X-gene enabled him the characteristics of superhuman strength and endurance, with no relationship towards Xavier.[21] He joins Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants alongside Jamie Madrox / Multiple Man (Eric Dane), who is similarly broken out of a mobile prison.[22] During the film's events, Magneto makes an appeal to a mutant congregate opposing the cure's administration who call themselves the 'Omegas', led by Callisto (Dania Ramirez), who is adapted as a composite between her comics counterpart and Caliban, another member of her original group, the Morlocks.[23] Other members of the Omegas include Psylocke (Mei Melançon), Arclight (Omahyra Mota), Spike (Lance Gibson), Glob Herman (Clayton Dean Watmough), and Quill (Ken Leung), who is erroneously credited as Quentin Quire / Kid Omega.[24] The character Jimmy (Cameron Bright), whose trait of depowering other mutations is being isolated to produce the cure, is codenamed "Leech" after the Morlock of the same name in the comics, who has similar powers.[25] In addition to Shauna Kain and Kea Wong reprising their cameo roles as Jubilee and Siryn from X2, three identical blonde girls portrayed by an unnamed actor make appearances as Xavier's students, alluding to the Stepford Cuckoos, the psychically-linked clone twins of Hellfire Club and X-Men member Emma Frost.[26]
During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, fresh university graduate and mutant expert Charles Xavier is recruited by the CIA to a top-secret project known as "Division X" as a liason between human officals and the emerging mutant population. He, alongside new colleague Erik Lensherr, who occupies a more exclusivist view of mutant-human relations, are tasked with assembling a strike force composed of young mutants as a first line of defense against the Hellfire Club, a secret society led by Sebastian Shaw which threatens to provoke a third World War and trigger an ascendancy of the mutant race over a massacred human population.[27][28]
The film chronicles the friendship and eventual parting of ways between a young Xavier and Lensherr as they embrace their destined paths physically and ideologically. As opposed to including younger versions of X-Men already featured in the original trilogy, First Class comprises mutants that are reimagined to fit the period setting, or were seldom adapted in the films up to this point.[29] The film establishes that Raven / Mystique was once Xavier's childhood friend and adopted sister, as well as an early recruit to the team, here codenamed 'Division X', before embracing Lensherr's perspective.[30] Also recruited is a young Hank McCoy / Beast (Nicholas Hoult), who is introduced in his human form as he attempts to synthesize a possible cure for abnormalities in his mutation, such as his prehensile, ape-like feet. Applying the cure on himself only accelerates his mutation, transforming him into his blue feline form from the majority of his comics appearances and the previous X-Men films.[31] Other members of 'Division X' include Alex Summers / Havok (Lucas Till), the brother of future X-Men member, Scott Summers / Cyclops;[32]Armando Muñoz / Darwin (Edi Gathegi), Angel Salvadore (Zoë Kravitz), and Sean Cassidy / Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones), who was reinterpreted as an American from his Irish heritage in the comics.[33][34]
In a dystopian 2023, mutants are endlessly hunted by the Sentinels, artificially intelligent humanoid machines designed to kill them by instantaneously adapting to their varied powers. In order to reverse this future, a team of surviving X-Men led by Charles Xavier and Magneto send Wolverine back in time to 1973, tasking him with preventing the assassination of the Sentinels' creator, Bolivar Trask by a young Mystique which accelerated the development and mass-production of the weapons systems. In order to succeed, Logan must track down the younger incarnations of Xavier and Magneto in the hopes that their combined presence would help dissuade Mystique from her goals while also averting the cataclysmic future they all face.[35][36]
In 1983, Apocalypse, considered in legend as the world's most ancient mutant, awakens from a deep slumber spanning thousands of years and intends to wage war with the modern world upon being disillusioned with what society had developed towards in his absence. He travels across the world recruiting Storm, Angel, Psylocke and Magneto as his four Horsemen, in order to cleanse all of humanity in favor of a new world order where mutants are dominant. Mystique and Professor X lead a new generation of X-Men in order to prevent Apocalypse's planned destruction of all mankind.[37]
In 1992, the X-Men are well regarded as superheroes to the public and are constantly sent on missions in order to improve their public image at the behest of Professor X. One fateful mission ends in disarray when Jean Grey accidentally absorbs the Phoenix Force during a space excursion, rendering her abilities heightened and uncontrollable as she develops destructive tendencies under the influence of Vuk, a member of the D'Bari race whose home planet was previously destroyed by the Phoenix Force, who now intends to use Grey's awakened power to enact revenge.[38]
The story features Logan's violent past, starting in 1845 Canada where young James Howlett's mutant bone claws emerge after his father's death, leading him to flee with his half-brother Victor Creed (Sabretooth). The brothers fight together in various wars (Civil War, WWI, WWII, Vietnam) due to their healing factors but Logan leaves after witnessing atrocities. Years later, living peacefully as "Logan" with Kayla, his past catches up when Victor seemingly murders her, driving Logan to join the Weapon X program, where his skeleton is bonded with indestructible adamantium, setting him on a path of vengeance against Victor and Colonel Stryker, encountering mutants like Deadpool and Gambit.[39]
The story of the film is set after X-Men: The Last Stand. It focuses on Logan's internal struggle with his immortality and guilt over killing Jean Grey. The story is largely set in Japan and follows Logan as he battles a conspiracy set by Yashida while his healing powers are compromised.[40]
The film's development began in 2009 after the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Christopher McQuarrie was hired to write a screenplay for The Wolverine in August 2009. In October 2010, Darren Aronofsky was hired to direct the film. The project was delayed following Aronofsky's departure and the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. In June 2011, Mangold was brought on board to replace Aronofsky. Bomback was then hired to rewrite the screenplay in September 2011. The supporting characters were cast in July 2012 with principal photography beginning at the end of the month around New South Wales before moving to Tokyo in August 2012 and back to New South Wales in October 2012. The film was converted to 3D in post-production. [41][42]
Logan is a gritty, R-rated superhero film set in a bleak future (2029) where mutants are nearly extinct and Logan/Wolverine is an aged, weary man whose healing factor is failing as he cares for a senile Professor X in hiding near the Mexican border. Their quiet life is upended when a young mutant girl, Laura/X-23, appears seeking passage to Canada, pursued by sinister forces from the corporation that created her from Logan's DNA, forcing Logan to confront his past and legacy on a final, violent journey to protect her and other escaped mutant children, ultimately finding redemption in sacrifice as he dies to give them hope for a better future.
In November 2013, 20th Century Fox initiated discussions over another solo film starring Wolverine, with James Mangold in negotiations to write the treatment for the film and Lauren Shuler Donner returning to produce under The Donners' Company.[43][44][45][46] Later in the month, Mangold announced that the pre-production aspect of the film had not yet begun, nor the writing process, though he furthered this by stating, "... I would say I'm not there yet. But I have taken finger to key. Let's say that. There's been typing. And ideas. And talking amongst all the principles".[47]
In October 2017, it was reported that director James Mangold had begun writing a sequel to Logan, tentatively titled Laura, focusing on Laura and the continuation of her story, with Logan being represented with archive footage of Jackman.[48][49][50] After Disney's acquisition of Fox was finalized in 2019, all X-Men films in development were stalled, leaving the future of Laura uncertain.[51] In November 2019, Mangold said he did not think the project would be happening, and that he believed the studio would be trying to figure out where to go in the future with the characters, particularly with Wolverine.[52]
The film follows mercenary Wade Wilson, who, after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, undergoes a brutal Weapon X experiment to cure it, gaining accelerated healing but becoming horribly disfigured. Seeking revenge on the scientist Ajax (Francis) who mutilated him, he adopts the masked persona of Deadpool, a foul-mouthed anti-hero, and teams up with X-Men mutants Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead to hunt down Ajax and save his love interest Vanessa. The film is known for its dark humor, graphic violence, and breaking the fourth wall.
The film achieved both critical and commercial success, earning $782.6 million against a $58 million budget, becoming the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2016 and breaking numerous records, including the highest-grossing film in the X-Men series and the highest-grossing R-rated film at the time.[55]
Deadpool 2 follows Wade Wilson (Deadpool) as he deals with grief after losing his girlfriend, Vanessa, leading to suicidal tendencies and an eventual alliance with the X-Men to protect a young, powerful mutant named Russell (Firefist) from a cybernetic soldier from the future, Cable, who seeks to kill Russell to prevent a dystopian future. Deadpool forms the X-Force team to help, leading to a climactic battle where he sacrifices himself for Russell, changing history and allowing Cable to use his time device to save Wade, ultimately giving him a chance to reunite with Vanessa in a new timeline.
Plans for a sequel to Deadpool began before the original film's release, and were confirmed in February 2016. Though the original creative team of Reynolds, Reese, Wernick, and director Tim Miller were set to return for the second film, Miller left the project in October 2016 due to creative differences with Reynolds and was soon replaced by Leitch. An extensive casting search took place to fill the role of Cable, with Brolin ultimately cast. Principal photography took place in British Columbia from June to October 2017.[56][57]
The film outgrossed its predecessor, earning $785.9 million worldwide against a $110 million production budget, becoming the ninth highest-grossing film of 2018, the highest-grossing film in the X-Men series, and the highest-grossing R-rated film at the time of its release. The film received positive reviews from critics, with some considering it superior to the first film and praising its humor, cast performances, story, and action sequences, while others criticized its tone, script, and recycled jokes.[58]
The story features five young mutants Mirage, Wolfsbane, Cannonball, Sunspot, and Magik held in a secret facility, led by Dr. Cecilia Reyes, who are trying to understand and control their dangerous powers while facing terrifying visions of their pasts.
Marvel Cinematic Universe (2022–present)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
An alternate variant of Professor Charles Xavier appears in the film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness portrayed by Patrick Stewart, reprising the character he previously played in 20th Century Fox's X-Men films.[59][60] This version of the character originated on Earth-838 within the MCU's multiverse, where he served as a member of the Illuminati, a council assembled by his world's Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange that was responsible for monitoring potential threats to their timeline and the wider multiverse. He is summoned to oversee the trial of Earth-616's Doctor Strange, who is deemed as a signficant threat to the multiverse by the majority of the council for wielding the potential of causing an incursion event on their world. He later changes his view on both Strange and his companion America Chavez, directing them to acquire the Book of Vishanti they previously used to stop their world's Thanos in order to defeat Earth-616's Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch, who had possessed the body of her Earth-838 counterpart and infiltrated the Illuminati's headquarters to capture Chavez, eventually killing numerous other members of the council. Xavier used his telepathy to breach 838-Wanda's mind and free her from 616-Wanda's control, but failed as a projection of the dominant Wanda appeared before Xavier and snapped his neck, psychically killing him.
Despite his appearance in the film, the movie refrains from directly referencing his mutant background or affiliation with the X-Men, with screenwriter Michael Waldron feeling as if the movie was an inappropriate place to allude to or introduce the mythos behind the characters.[61] Professor Xavier from Earth-838 is depicted with a yellow hoverchair and similar apparel to the character's animated appearance in X-Men: The Animated Series (1992-97) and X-Men '97 (2024-present).[62] His introduction in the film is accompanied by a brief arrangement of The Animated Series' medley by Ron Wasserman and Shuki Levy, credited in the film as "X-Men '97 Theme",[63] and Stewart also references a line from X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014).[64] The Savage Land, a major recurring location in Marvel Comics stories involving mutants and X-Men, appears as one of multiple alternate universes briefly traversed by Strange and Chavez during the film.[65][66]
Deadpool & Wolverine is the MCU's first mutant-focused film, serving as a sequel to 20th Century Fox's X-Men films Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018).[67][68] Taking place six years after the events of the previous film, it involves Wade Wilson being forced out of retirement after being captured by the Time Variance Authority (TVA). An agent of theirs, Paradox offers Wade the opportunity to join the "Sacred Timeline" and live among established MCU characters such as the Avengers, but reveals that his original timeline, designated as "Earth-10005", is deteriorating as a result of the demise of James "Logan" Howlett / Wolverine during the events of the film Logan (2017) in 2029. Realizing that Paradox planned to accelerate his universe's decay with his "Time Ripper" due to its perceived obsolescence, Wilson steals his TemPad and travels across the multiverse to recruit an alternate, disheveled variant of Wolverine to have him act as his timeline's "anchor being". Paradox sends the pair to the Void where they are forced to team up and escape to their respective worlds while coming into conflict with Cassandra Nova and her accomplices.
The cast comprises numerous returning characters from previous 20th Century Fox X-Men films among other Marvel Comics-based films outside the MCU. In addition to the titular protagonists, the film features appearances from Piotr Rasputin / Colossus, Ellie Phimster / Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Yukio, and Rusty / Shatterstar all of whom appeared in the previous Deadpool films.[69][70][71] Versions of mutants from the X-Men films also make appearances as members of Cassandra Nova's alliance within the Void. John Allerdyce / Pyro from X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand makes a supporting appearance as an enforcer of Nova's, but is revealed to be a double agent of the TVA sent to monitor her and ensure her containment within the Void.[72] The original incarnation of Victor Creed / Sabretooth from X-Men (2000) is also depicted as one of Nova's compatriots,[73] while stand-in actors are used to represent the mutants Mortimer Toynbee / Toad from X-Men, Yuriko Oyama / Lady Deathstrike from X2, Callisto, Quill and Cain Marko / Juggernaut from The Last Stand, Frederick Dukes / Blob from X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), Azazel from X-Men: First Class (2011), and Betsy Braddock / Psylocke from X-Men: Apocalypse, among others.[74][75]Laura / X-23 as previously depicted in Logan and reprised by Dafne Keen appears as the leader of the "Others", a faction of heroes from across the multiverse who desire to rise against the TVA for placing them in the Void against their will, with Laura being taken from Earth-10005 following the events of the aforementioned film before being returned to her timeline per Deadpool's personal request to the TVA, where she reunited with Wilson and Logan, who decided to stay in and help preserve their universe.[76][77][78] Recurring X-Men member Remy LeBeau / Gambit appears in the film as a member of the resistance group led by Laura, portrayed by Channing Tatum as a referential homage to the actor's planned appearance as the character in an unproduced standalone film within the X-Men film series prior to Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox.[79][80][81] In addition, numerous alternate variants of Wolverine appear in a montage sequence where Deadpool attempts to find a suitable candidate for replacing his timeline's counterpart, including an amputated counterpart inspired by the character's depiction in the X-Men comic book event "Age of Apocalypse" (1995-96), a version inspired by Logan's alternate alias "Patch", a "comic-accurate" Wolverine who is depicted at the character's 5'3 height in the source material; a "crucified" variant homaging Uncanny X-Men #251 (July 1989), an "Old Man Logan"-inspired variant, and a version nicknamed "Cavillrine" by Deadpool after his visual resemblance to actor Henry Cavill.[82][83][84] Alternate versions of Deadpool himself also appear most prominently as members of the Deadpool Corps; named variants of Wilson include Dogpool, Lady Deadpool, Kidpool, Babypool, Headpool, Cowboypool, Welshpool, Deadpool 2099, Zenpool, Watari / The Fool, Haroldpool, Golden Age Deadpool and Piratepool.[85][86] Ryan Reynolds himself portrays an alternate, handsome variant of Deadpool nicknamed "Nicepool" who acted as the previous dog owner of Dogpool.[87]
The Marvels, a sequel to the film Captain Marvel and continuation of the Disney+ miniseries WandaVision (2021) and Ms. Marvel (2022), features Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel, who became the first confirmed active mutant in the primary MCU "Sacred Timeline" at the conclusion of the latter series.[88][89] She allies herself with Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau / Photon after discovering that the Kree radical Dar-Benn was seeking her half of the Quantum Bands to abuse their power and create "jump points" to de-stabilize other worlds out of a desire to restore Hala, which was destroyed after decades of war. Kelsey Grammer makes an uncredited cameo appearance in the film's mid-credits scene, as an alternate version of Henry "Hank" McCoy / Beast, reprising the role he played in the 20th Century Fox films X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). He recovers Monica Rambeau after she surfaces in his universe, having sacrificed herself to close a jump point torn open by Dar-Benn during the film's climax. He theorizes that disruptions in space-time were causing anomalies from adjacent worlds to appear in other universes across the wider multiverse. He then informs Monica, alongside his world's variant of her mother Maria Rambeau / Binary, that he would return to examine them after providing a status report to his world's Charles Xavier.[90] Beast's appearance in the film resembles both his counterpart in the comics as well as X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men '97, as opposed to the iteration in the original X-Men film trilogy.[91] Despite this, a portion of John Ottman's fanfare used in X2 (2003), Days of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) was used during his appearance in the post-credits scene.[92]
↑Brodesser, Michael Fleming,Claude (June 5, 2005). "New master for mutants". Variety. Retrieved May 27, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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