When things got too complex, Fox used the time traveling X-Men: Days of Future Past to reset the timeline, giving them a chance to recast and tell new (and familiar) stories. There's a sense in which the X-Men films were the first real attempt to build a wider cinematic universe although they started out as a simple trilogy of superhero blockbusters, 20th Century Fox swiftly realized they wanted to keep the franchise going, and over the last 20 years, they've launched everything from prequels to spinoffs that are somewhat unrelated to the main movies. To make it even grander, this takes place over multiple diverging timelines.
I'm dubbing it The Wolverine order as it starts and ends with Hugh Jackman, who has starred in the majority of these movies.How does the X-Men movie timeline work? Over two decades and almost a dozen releases, the X-Men movies have told the battle between mutants and those who wish to destroy, charting from the very early days of humanity to multiple possible annihilations.
This way, more or less, is guided by the course of Wolverine's life from start to end, but it really doesn't make the most sense if you're trying to comprehend the full "X-Men" universe. "Days of Future Past" (If you want to revisit the film's beginning and end for two different versions of 2023.) The first three minutes and 24 seconds of "X-Men: The Last Stand" (We're told it takes place 20 years ago, placing it in 1985 or 1986.)ģ:25 through 4:31 of "X-Men: The Last Stand" (We're told it takes place 10 years after the film's opening in 1995 or 1996) The first seven minutes of "Dark Phoenix" (1975) "Days of Future Past" (If you're watching the theatrical cut, Wolverine goes back in time to 1973 around 17 minutes)Ĭontinue "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" until around the 18-minute mark when the movie flashes forward six years. The first five minutes of "The Wolverine" (1945) The "X-Men" opening paired with the first nine minutes and 24 seconds of "X-Men: First Class" (You get two flashbacks to 1944, Poland and one of Westchester, New York) The first eight minutes of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (1845 and then 1861-1973 in a montage) The first seven minutes of "X-Men: Apocalypse" (3000 B.C.) Similarly, "New Mutants" takes place entirely inside a mutant detainment center. We previously thought "New Mutants" would take place in between the two "Deadpool" films because of the "mutant re-education center" shown in "Deadpool 2" that's filled with young mutants being held against their will. If you've never seen "Logan," watch that first or "Deadpool 2" will give away a massive spoiler for the film. If you've seen both films before, they're interchangeable. "Deadpool 2" and "Logan" are probably two of the best films to watch last before heading into "New Mutants" as both films deal with younger mutants. It's also easier to end the binge on three solid "X-Men" movies before you have to watch "New Mutants." They can really be watched at any point after "DoFP," but it's probably easiest to watch "Apocalypse" and "Dark Phoenix" back to back. "Deadpool" and "Deadpool 2" are outliers, but do take place chronologically after "Days of Future Past" in the new timeline. This order gives you the first "X-Men" timeline up to "Days of Future Past" and then gives you the new timeline which exists after Wolverine travels back in time to fix the future. So you can feel free to watch it second or later on. Just about every release afterward took place before 2000's "X-Men." "Days of Future Past" ("DoFP") simultaneously takes place in the future and the past as Wolverine time travels. 2014's "Days of Future Past" erased most of those films from existence. Fox's "X-Men" franchise is a bit more complicated than Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe.Īfter the original "X-Men" trilogy, some of the sequels were actually prequels. It looks like we just tossed most of the "X-Men" movies in a hat and pulled out titles at random. (an alternate location to watch "Days of Future Past")
Ian McKellen stars across the X-Men movies as one of the franchise's most powerful mutants, Magneto.