Every X-Men Film Explained
Dark Phoenix marks the 12th film in the X-Men franchise. While there is still one more X-Men film in the can, this will be our last journey with this set of characters. Now that Disney owns both Fox and Marvel, they will supposedly reboot the franchise at some point and make it part of the Marvel universe.
Until then, all signs point to Dark Phoenix being the natural conclusion of this chapter of the franchise. As we prepare to say goodbye, here’s a brief primer on the first eleven films to help refresh your memory.
The Original Trilogy
- X-Men The movie that introduced the X-Men characters to mainstream audiences. Charles Xavier -- founder of the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters -- and his fellow peace-loving mutants, try to stop Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants from mutating world leaders to bring about worldwide acceptance of mutants.
Significant X-men/mutants introduced: Charles Xavier (aka Professor X), Magneto, Wolverine, Rogue, Mystique, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Storm, Sabretooth
- X2 (AKA X-Men United) Heroes and villains work together to stop Wolverine’s creator, William Stryker, from using Cerebro as a weapon to find and kill all mutants.
Significant X-men/mutants introduced: Nightcrawler, Iceman, Pyro, Lady Deathstrike
- X-Men: The Last Stand The first attempt at telling the Dark Phoenix story from the comics. A drug company found a cure suppressing the mutant gene. This divides the mutant community. Magneto reforms the Brotherhood and with a resurrected Jean Grey in Dark Phoenix form at his side, declares war on humans. A final battle between the mutants ensues in San Francisco.
Significant X-men/mutants introduced: Angel, Beast, Juggernaut, Kitty Pryde, Colossus, Callisto, Multiple Man
The Wolverine Trilogy
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine Wolverine’s origin story. We learn more about his relationship with William Stryker, how he got those adamantium claws, and why he doesn’t remember his past. This is the only movie where Gambit appears. Ryan Reynolds plays a weak version of Deadpool in this film and doesn’t even get to use the character’s trademark sarcasm. (He redeemed this in his own feature film later.)
Significant X-men/mutants introduced: Gambit, Deadpool , Blob, John Wraith, Chris Bradley, Agent Zero
- The Wolverine After the events of The Last Stand, Wolverine returns to Japan to protect a friend’s granddaughter.
Significant X-men/mutants introduced: Yukio and Viper
- Logan Wolverine and Xavier, now old men, try to protect a young girl with powers similar to Logan’s, in a world on the brink of destruction.
Significant X-men/mutants introduced: Laura
The New Trilogy
- X-Men: First Class A soft reboot of the franchise. New actors play younger versions of the characters. This is an origin story for several X-Men characters including Mystique, Magneto, Beast, and Charles Xavier, set during the Cuban Missile Crisis. We find out why Xavier is in a wheelchair.
Significant X-men/mutants introduced: Emma Frost, Azazel, Havok, Darwin, Sebastian Shaw, Banshee, Angel Salvadore, Riptide
- X-Men: Days of Future Past Wolverine goes back in time to 1973 to stop the mutant-killing Sentinels from being invented. This movie unites the cast from the original trilogy with the cast from First Class .
Significant X-men/mutants introduced: Quicksilver, Bishop, Blink, Sunspot, Warpath
- X-Men: Apocalypse The first mutant awakens after thousands of years and puts together an apocalyptic team to create a new world order. Xavier and Mystique must find a way to stop him.
Significant X-men/mutants introduced: Apocalypse, Psylocke, Jubilee, Caliban
Deadpool Duology (And Once Upon A Deadpool)
- Deadpool The origin story of Deadpool. Deadpool seeks revenge on the man who disfigured him. Woe to the man known as Francis.
Significant X-men/mutants introduced: Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Ajax, Angel Dust
- Deadpool 2 To honor the memory of a loved one, Deadpool tries to save an orphan mutant from time traveling soldier Cable.
- There's even a PG-13 version!
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