Before Disney acquired the studio and the rights to the characters returned to Marvel, 20th Century Fox made a good go of anX-Menmovie franchise. The series was certainly a mixed bag. The prequel era brought some of the worst comic book movies in recent memory, despite featuring a bunch of the best actors working today, but movies likeDeadpoolandLoganchanged the game with their R ratings and subversions of audiences’ expectations.
The originalX-Menmovie blazed the trail for superhero blockbusters at the turn of the century, proving that comic books could form the basis for a very profitable blockbuster franchise.
Updated on August 04, 2025 by Rhenn Taguiam:With the Fantastic Four about to hit theaters in their first entry in the MCU, and Professor X already appearing in Multiverse of Madness, fans of the X-Men might be excited to finally see Charles Xavier’s students and his beloved school in modern Marvel movies. However, for fans of the franchise, they might want to look into the X-Men’s offerings prior to their arrival in the MCU. With Deadpool & Wolverine finally saying goodbye to the FOXverse, just which X-Men films are must-watches and which ones are must-skips?
With Jean Grey tapping into an “inner power” inX-Men: Apocalypse, it’s now hinted that the next film in the new X-Men saga involves the Phoenix Force - somethingX-Men: Dark Phoenixattempts to do. Adapting this much-beloved X-Men saga isn’t easy with restrictions from Marvel hanging around, which meant the X-Men Foxverse couldn’t use the original elements from the original Saga - no Shi-ar Empire, for starters, meant no real extraterrestrial threat to trigger Jean’s transformation into the host for the Phoenix Force.
Unfortunately, this also meantDark Phoenixbecomes another sequel attemptto salvage a fan-favorite arc without much of its major supporting details. As predicted, this resulted in quite a disappointing experience, with the established depths of Professor X and Magneto alongside the potential of the younger mutants wasted in a story that couldn’t find its footing.
Compared to the heroics of otherX-Menfilms (and even the rather comically gruesome take of the Deadpool flicks),The New Mutantstook “spinoff” to a whole other level by offering a psychological horror take on the IP. While the “new” mutants ofThe New Mutantsare indeed youngsterswith unique abilities, they’re taken to an empty hospital run by Dr. Cecilia Reyes where, instead of training to fight evildoers, they eventually fight for their lives while coming to terms with their powers.
Despite the potential ofThe New Mutantsto deliver a fresh take on theX-Menexperience in the advent of new live-actionX-Mentitles such as FX’sLegionand Fox’sThe Gifted, this spinoff fails to deliver that “oomph” that fans needed to fully appreciate the arrival of these new characters. Character development and the need to deliver a balance of horror and storytelling continued to clash throughout the film, eventually leading to a failure to deliver a satisfying experience.
Hugh Jackman gets his much-deserved soloX-Menfilm in the form ofX-Men Origins: Wolverine,which finally dwells into the nitty-gritty of his past as Logan. The film tackles not just his childhood, but his indoctrination into the Weapon X program, his horrific experience, and an ending that supposedly ties into the first X-Menfilm. Unfortunately, despite its promising premise,X-Men Origins: Wolverinegrossly underdelivers - to the point that some fans even consider the film non-canon.
Despite its rather emotional beginning moments and action-packed sequences, the odd direction the film took strayed too far away fromthe acclaimed “X-Menformula.“Hugh Jackman’s acting is wasted in a bland story plastered with quite a lot of unnecessary Easter Eggs that technically didn’t follow through in the original trilogy.
Threats to mankind become global inX-Men: Apocalypsewhen En Sabah Nur resurfaces in Egypt and begins to recruit his new Horsemen. And with Magneto becoming his Horseman of War, things become especially more troublesome to the growing Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. Despite its grander premise and a more global threat inthe form of En Sabah Nur,X-Men: Apocalypseonce again plunges the new saga into the “Third Film Curse.” WhileApocalypsefinally marks the arrival of bigger players such as Scott Summers, Jean Grey, and even Nightcrawler, the lack of character development among Xavier’s star pupils leaves much to be desired in terms of larger-scale execution.
It appearsApocalypse’s woes stem from the fact that the stories of Professor X, Magneto, and Mystique have evolved into becoming the central plot point of this new saga, leaving little room to improve the rest of the cast and the potential of its 80s to 90s setting.
Film sagas often fall under the “Third Film Curse,” wherein the third part of its series is often regarded as its worst - and such became the case forX-Men: The Last Standwhen it became the supposed ending for theX-Menfranchise. Tensions are high as more politicians pushthe Mutant Registration Act, prompting Magneto to ramp up activities of the Brotherhood as a “safe haven.” With rumors of a “Mutant Cure” also attracting some Xavier students and with the team grieving the death of Jean Grey inX2, The Last Stand begins on a grim note.
Unfortunately, the film ends on a much darker note with its rather extended first half, thrilling second half, and rather rushed finale. Plotlines finally get resolved across the board, but seconds' or minutes' worth of exposure might not have been worth the while. And with production woes involving broken promises, among others,The Last Standhas become quite a dent in theX-Menfilms' momentum.
Fans will immediately appreciateThe Wolverinesolely for the fact that it plucked Hugh Jackman out of the embarrassment that isOriginsand places his iconic portrayal of Wolverine into a deservedly high-stakes experience with high-octane action. Set in modern Japan, Logan finds himself as a hermit in Japan as his memories of killing Jean Grey to save the world constantly plague him. An encounter with an old friend and a wild goose chase with the Yakuza results in an action-packed Wolverine story without the pressure of forcing a “too deep” story.
The Wolverineunderstands that Logan is a visceral character, and attached to his gruff personality is the expectation that things will go wrong rather quickly. The film capitalizes on this premise and executes a straightforward Wolverine story that worries less about drama and focuses on the action. While Hugh Jackman’s acting seems like Logan could benefit from a more dramatic tale, The Wolverine’s story opting for a more “gruff action” take still makes for a film that fulfills its purpose.
Perhaps considered the film that proved Patrick Stewart will be known for being both Jean-Luc Picard ofStar Trekfame as well as “the” best portrayal of Charles Xavier,X-Menjumpstarted the popularity of Marvel’s mutant family on the big screen. Heralded as the film that also introduced Hugh Jackman as the “best” representation of on-screen Wolverine,X-Menis a stellar filmconsidering the limitations of production and storytelling for 2000s-era superhero films. Wolverine stumbles upon the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters with no idea why Magneto is chasing him, with the experience unknowingly indoctrinating the loner Logan into a school where mutants are in need of protection from prosecution while the X-Men are trained to save lives.
Despite being the film that “started it all,“X-Menat the time had yet to tap into fan familiarity as part of its core presentation. This meant that viewers suffered through much-needed exposition and introduction of the X-Men, unlike modern superhero films, in which exposition often occurs as the plot moves forward. Nevertheless,X-Menis quite an exciting introduction to the team at the time, making it a worthwhile watch if fans are in a Marvel film marathon and would want to see the beginnings of a fan-favorite film franchise.
After his rather unremarkable first appearance inX-Men Origins: Wolverine,the Merc With A Mouth returns with a vengeance in a “proper” solo spinoff. Headlined by Ryan Reynolds himself,Deadpoolis a masterclass in offering a straightforward action flick that doesn’t take itself too seriously - resulting in an experience that fans can rewatch without the stresses of having to deep-dive intoX-Menlore. This is reminiscent of mostDeadpoolstories, where the appeal has less to do with his interactions with Marvel Comics and more with Deadpool having his own shenanigans.
Its framing as a “proper” origin story for the character is set up as a revenge action story, but Reynolds' portrayal of Deadpool makes the film feel altogether just a gruesome action comedy. While lacking in the “depth” that is often associated with the X-Men films, Deadpool is a breath of fresh air that leaves fans wanting more out of the Merc’s adventures.
One of the rare instances of a sequel done right,X2: X-Men Unitedexpands the X-Men film mythos for the first time with much-needed escalation of its leftover plot points.Logan is still struggling to find his memories. Jean has her powers beginning to go haywire with premonitions, and a mutant teleporter attacking the White House has escalated anti-mutant sentiment. While the X-Men already imprisoned Magneto, new threats arise in the form of Colonel William Stryker and Lady Deathstrike - both of which have ties to Wolverine’s past.
This expansion of the X-Men’s story from a localized threat to a grander one makesX2a deservedly appreciated sequel. The story offers equal exposure to both “senior” X-Men and its younger members, setting the latter up for a bigger role in the trilogy. Its unexpected ending can still leave fans aghast - perhaps especially with its rather odd follow-through in The Last Stand.
Fans who enjoyed the gory but goofy setup of the firstDeadpoolfilm will undoubtedly appreciate the attempt to add more depth to Wade’s character inDeadpool 2, complete with an ensemble cast that features yet another popular Deadpool partner-in-crime - Cable, as portrayed by Josh Brolin of Thanos fame, but this time as an antagonist.Deadpool 2vastly improves upon the first film by sheer virtue of Easter Eggs and cameos alone, this time with therag-tag team called the X-Force. In the comics, X-Force was one of Deadpool’s OG teams and was specifically tasked to handle black ops missions the X-Men couldn’t do in public.
Ryan Reynoldsonce again proves he is equipped with sufficient charm to bring Deadpool back for a sequel, although fans do criticize some personality quirks attached to the character throughout the film’s events. Regardless of these perceived faults,Deadpool 2capitalizes on its story’s potential to be equal parts serious and wacky, giving fans a glimpse of how a superhero comedy could work.
