22 years. Over two decades. Many of you probably grew up with this franchise and have seen it expand into the universe it is today. Audiences were first introduced to Professor X and our favorite mutants seven months into the new millennium. Since then, theX-Menfranchise has expanded into 13 movies, TV shows, and spin-offs and has become one of the most popular franchises yet.
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Perhaps the most beloved part ofX-Menis Wolverine. First introduced in the 1974 comicThe Incredible Hulk 181,he didn’t appear on screen until 2000’sX-Men.Hugh Jackmanbrought Wolverine to life and sadly retired the role in 2019 with the incredibly emotionalLogan. And ever since, fans of the character, the franchise, and Hugh himself have been hoping that maybe one day he’d return as the unkillable mutant. And we got our wish.Ryan Reynoldsreleased a video to his YouTube channel on September 27th confirming that Wolverine would return inDeadpool 3. Audiences won’t see these two on the big screen together until September 6th, 2024, but to tide you over for the next two years, what better thing to do than have anX-Menmarathon a couple dozen times while you wait?
‘Dark Phoenix’ (2019)
The seventh and final installment in the X-Men stand-alone series came with the release of Jean Grey-focusedDark Phoenix. The film surrounds Jean’s enhanced psychic abilities and her slow descent into madness after her powers and emotions become unstable following a cosmic force. It serves as a sequel to 2016sX-Men: Apocalypse.
WhenDark Phoenixreleased in 2019, it was met with a very bumpy response from fans and critics alike, barely breaching its $200 million budget. Critics hated the movie, calling the end of an era disappointing. Sitting at a flopping22% on the Tomatometer, audiences thought higher of it at 64%.
‘The New Mutants’ (2020)
The New Mutantsis a stand-alone addition to theX-Menuniverse that culminated the franchise as its thirteenth and final installment. It follows a group of five teenagers with the mutant gene as they attempt to escape the hospital they’re in in a very chaotic way.
While 2019’sDark Phoenixmay be the worstX-Menmovie in the eyes of critics, it’s 2020sThe New Mutantsthat falls least favorable according to fans. It was a box office bomb, earning only $49 million against an estimated $67-$80 million budget. The film sits at35% on the Tomatometer and has a 56% audience score, making it the lowest ranking and least popular for fans.
‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ (2009)
The first in the Wolverine trilogy within theX-Menfilm series comes withX-Men Origins: Wolverine. It serves as a prequel toX-MenandX2and is also considered a spin-off of both films. As the movie’s title states, the film focuses on the origin story of Wolverine and how he came to be the mutant we know and love.
While it was a box office success after earning $373.1 million on a budget of $150 million, it wasn’t well received. While Hugh’s performance was praised by critics, the movie as a whole wasn’t.Rotten Tomatoes' critical consensus states that the film has a “cliche script and familiar narrative.” It retains a38% on the Tomatometer and a 58% audience score.
‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ (2016)
Oscar Isaacstars as thetitle supervillain as he wreaks havoc after being accidentally brought back to life in 1983, following being entombed alive in 3600 BC. En Sabah Nur, AKA Apocalypse, is an ancient mutant who, now revived, decides to remake the world in his image after deciding that humanity has lost its way.
X-Men: Apocalypsewas a box office success, gaining $543.9 million on a budget of just $178 million. Despite its success at the box office, critics weren’t fans of the “overloaded action and cliched villain,” only giving the film a47% on the Tomatometer. While critics may not have liked it, audiences did, giving it a score of 65% based on over 100,000 ratings.
‘X-Men: The Last Stand’ (2006)
The Last Standculminated the original X-Men trilogy in 2006. Serving as a sequel to X2, the film centers around our favorite mutants as they battle the repercussions caused by an apparent mutant cure. But considering it was the most expensive film made at the time of release, it didn’t do as well as hoped in the eyes of fans and critics.
As the finalX-Menmovie given a green splat of rottenness on Rotten Tomatoes,The Last Standretains a57% Tomatometer score with a 61% audience rating, making the third installment in the franchise the 9th lowest rated of the series to date. Despite its low rating, it was a box office success after earning $460.4 million on a budget of just over half of that total.
‘The Wolverine’ (2013)
2013sThe Wolverineis the second in the character trilogyand the sixth overall installment in theX-Menfranchise. Following the devastation that resulted inThe Last Standand in the wake of Jean’s death, Logan travels to Japan. To say he falls on hard times would be an understatement after he loses his healing abilities, fights samurais, and is grief-stricken over Jean’s death.
The Wolverinewas a box office success after gaining an estimated four times its $100-$132 million budget at $414.8 million. It did much better than its predecessor in the eyes of critics, nearly doubling its Tomatometer score. As the first to cross the 70% mark, The Wolverine sits at71% on the Tomatometer with a 69% audience score.
‘X-Men’ (2000)
It’s the one that started it all. Without this film, we wouldn’t have the universe we do today.X-Menmarked the start of what would become one of the most popular franchises ever, and it didn’t disappoint. Our first introduction to Professor X and the mutants was a Wolverine and Rogue-focused plot that well and truly stayed true to the comics.
A major box office success,X-Menbrought in $296.3 million on a budget of just $75 million. For critics and audiences alike, the movie did a phenomenal job of introducing a wide variety of newMarvelcharacters to the big screen. Proven by itsTomatometer score of 82% and its audience score of 83%, X-Men will forever be a favorite among fans.
‘Deadpool 2’ (2018)
Deadpoolmovies arerenowned for breaking the fourth wallbarrier and directly talking to the audience. And it makes for some hilarious scenes and memorable moments within the film. There aren’t many characters out there that could get away with verbally naming theDCuniverse in a Marvel movie, are there?
Like its first installment,Deadpool 2was a box office success after retaining $785.8 million on a budget of just $110 million. While it comes slightly under its predecessor on Rotten Tomatoes with aTomatometer score of 84% and an audience score of 85%.it doesn’t take away from how brilliantly the film executed its plot.
‘X2’ (2003)
Mutants? Check. Superheroes? Check. Genocidal maniacs? Also, check. It’s the second in the franchise and the most popular of the original trilogy.X2follows along with Professor X, Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, and Jean Grey as they attempt to thwart William Stryker’s plan to build his own version of Cerebro and wipe out every mutant on Earth.
With any sequel, there’s always the worry it won’t be as good as its original, but that wasn’t the case withX2. In fact, it did better in the eyes of critics. It released to box office success, gaining $407.7 million, almost four times its $110-$125 million budget. It’s also the only film in the franchise where audiences and critics have agreed on their scores.X2sits at an85% score from both sides.
‘Deadpool’ (2016)
Deadpoolwas a new and very-much darker take on the world of superheroes, villains, and anti-heroes. From the get-go, fans were excited to see this new and improved origin story of a character only briefly and badly covered in theX-Menuniverse once before. That time the merc with a mouth had no mouth? Yeah, we don’t talk about that.
Upon its release in 2016,Deadpoolwas a major box office success, bringing in $782.6 million on a budget of a minor $58 million. Beloved by fans and critics alike, the film was the highest-grossing R-Rated film at the time. Still just as popular, the merc with a mouth’s origin story sits at85% on the Tomatometer and a 90% audience score.
