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The X-Men movies are unique among film franchises in that they've been going on for 20 years without any major resets. Sure, new characters are added and subtracted, spinoff series have been launched and time bends, twists and gets retconned, but there's never been a full reboot. And while that's remarkable, it also makes it hard to keep track of when all the movies came out. Do the Wolverine movies go before or after the ones with Jennifer Lawrence? And where does Deadpool fit in?
We've sorted through the time loops to present all 13 of the X-Men movies in order, including the Wolverine side-series, the Deadpool spin-off and even The New Mutants. (You're on your own for TV series, a few of which are on Disney+.) This is the order in which they were released; if you're looking for a chronological take, it gets complicated, but we take a stab at it in the end. (We've done the same with setting the Star Wars series in order and the Marvel MCU.)
Another thing that complicates the X-Men timelines is the history of the companies that are behind it. The series was produced by Marvel Studios and 20th Century Fox, were was later both purchased by Disney, but not at the same time. It might seem like all of these should be on Disney+, but, in some cases, the streaming rights are still elsewhere. (And others, like the Deadpool movies, might be too R-rated to ever get to Disney+.) We track down which ones are streaming on Disney+, and which X-Men movies you'll have to find in other corners of the internet.
1
X-Men (2000)
This is the first major motion picture that introduced the X-Men as we know them to film audiences: Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Anna Paquin as Rogue, Ian McKellan as Magneto and Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier. The film mostly follows Wolverine and Rogue as they join up with the X-Men for the first time and get pulled into a conflict between Magneto and Professor X.
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2
X2: X-Men United (2003)
3
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
For this film, Rush Hour's Brett Ratner took over for the series' original director, Bryan Singer, and fans say they can notice a change in tone and style, even if the cast is the same. In it, mutants are divided over a possible "mutant cure" that can dampen mutant powers.
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5
X-Men: First Class (2011)
This is where we have our first big shift in personnel: Since this one is mostly set in the '60s, younger actors had to be cast for roles like Magneto (Michael Fassbender), Professor X (James McAvoy) and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence). It goes back to the founding of the X-Men, and the fledgling friendship between Magneto and Professor X that goes awry. This one is not on Disney+ yet, so Disney fans have to stream it elsewhere.
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6
The Wolverine (2013)
Miss Hugh Jackman during First Class? Well, he's back! This time, he goes off on a mostly solo adventure in Japan. It's directed by James Mangold, known for introspective movies like 3:10 to Yuma. This one has bounced on and off the Disney+ service, but it's not available there right now.
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7
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
This is where everything gets all time-bendy: It starts off in the future, in 2023 (a future that is rapidly approaching). Things aren't going so well for the X-Men, so they send Wolverine back in time to the '70s to see if he can change the past. There, he runs into the versions of the X-Men played by the cast of First Class.
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8
Deadpool (2016)
Deadpool makes an appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but don't expect him to pal around with Wolverine or Professor X. Instead, actor Ryan Reynolds spun his character off into its own series, which is simultaneously more joke-filled and much more R-rated. This one is not on Disney+, and probably won't be because of its adult-oriented material.
9
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
The series moves from the '70s of Days of Future Past to the '80s, where a young Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) and Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) begin their journeys as X-Men. And not a moment too soon: An all-powerful mutant who calls himself Apocalypse turns up to wipe out all of civilization.
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10
Logan (2017)
And from the past to the future again, with Logan as an older man caring for Professor X, who's nearing the end of his life. But, with such strong mental powers, Charles Xavier's decline is actually pretty dangerous. Things get more complicated when a young girl who has nearly the same powers as Wolverine shows up and needs to be escorted to safety. Also directed by Mangold, this one is sadder and bleaker than the others, which may be why it's not on Disney+.
11
Deadpool 2 (2018)
If you think Deadpool has toned it down between Deadpool and Deadpool 2 — he didn't. This time, he teams up with Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead to fight a time-traveling Cable. A PG-13 version of the film came out under the title Once Upon a Deadpool, but it's mostly the same film with the naughtiest bits removed.
12
Dark Phoenix (2019)
This is the second time the X-Men series have taken a stab at the popular "Dark Phoenix" storyline from the comics — it's also covered in X3. In both cases, Jean Grey's powers become amplified until she has a hard time controlling them, and doesn't feel so inclined to use them for good. This title is not available on Disney+ right now, but it will be returning to the service in September 2021.
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13
The New Mutants (2020)
This was a first attempt to start telling new stories in the X-Men universe without using the characters that have been in the mix since the year 2000. (Now that Disney has acquired 20th Century Fox, this plan may be scrapped entirely.) It follows five mutants who are waylaid in a hospital until they can get a better grip on their mutant powers — which gets complicated when some supernatural beings start attacking them one-by-one, horror-movie style. This one is taking a spin on HBO Max before going to Disney+.
14
And a Possible Chronological Order
Putting the X-Men movies in chronological order is tricky, because some of the movies hop around in time. X-Men: Days of Future Past, for example, mostly takes place in the '70s, which means it should go towards the beginning — but also has some scenes set in the future, so maybe it should go last? Not to mention that some of the events of Days of Future Past affect the timelines of the other movies. So there's arguments to be made for other orders, but this is one way to do a chronological series.
- X-Men: First Class
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine
- X-Men
- X2
- X-Men: The Last Stand
- The Wolverine
- X-Men: Days of Future Past
- X-Men: Apocalypse
- Dark Phoenix
- Deadpool
- Deadpool 2
- The New Mutants
- Logan
Marisa LaScala
Senior Parenting & Relationships Editor
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.
