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The X-Men films ran for twenty years, rebooted their own cast halfway through, then used time travel to erase the parts that no longer fit. Release order is the only way to watch them that makes sense the first time.
Watch in release order. Days of Future Past is built around undoing earlier films, and it only lands if you have seen what it is undoing. Save the chronological order for a rewatch.
X-Men movies in release order
The original cast (2000–2006)
X-Men2000The film that proved comic-book movies could be taken seriously.
X22003Still the high point of the original run — Nightcrawler, Stryker, and a proper ensemble.
X-Men: The Last Stand2006The Phoenix saga, rushed. Later quietly undone by Days of Future Past.
The Wolverine films (2009–2017)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine2009Widely disliked, and largely ignored by everything after it.
The Wolverine2013Logan in Japan — a smaller, better film than its predecessor.
Logan2017A late-career western, and the best film the franchise ever made.
The First Class cast (2011–2019)
X-Men: First Class2011A 1960s reboot with McAvoy and Fassbender as young Xavier and Magneto.
X-Men: Days of Future Past2014Both casts, one time-travel plot, and a soft reset of the timeline.
X-Men: Apocalypse2016The 1980s entry. Ambitious, uneven.
Dark Phoenix2019A second attempt at the Phoenix story, and the end of the Fox era.
Deadpool
Deadpool2016The R-rated outlier that saved the franchise commercially.
Deadpool 22018More of the same, with Cable and a much better supporting cast.
Deadpool & Wolverine2024Brings Hugh Jackman back and formally folds the X-Men into the MCU.
How to watch X-Men in chronological order
The in-story timeline splits in two after Days of Future Past, which rewrites everything from The Last Stand backwards. This is the order that holds together best:
- X-Men: First Class 1962
- X-Men: Days of Future Past 1973
- X-Men: Apocalypse 1983
- Dark Phoenix 1992
- X-Men 2000
- X2 2003
- X-Men: The Last Stand 2006
- The Wolverine 2013
- Logan 2029
X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the Deadpool films sit outside this cleanly — watch them wherever you like.
Track the X-Men in Cinopsys
Thirteen films across two casts and a rewritten timeline is exactly the sort of thing a tracker is for. Build an X-Men list in Cinopsys, tick films off as you go, and see how much of the saga you have covered — free, with no ads.
Start the saga
Press play on X-Men, and let Cinopsys keep track of the timeline.
Frequently asked questions
How many X-Men movies are there?
Thirteen: four main X-Men films, two First Class-era sequels, three Wolverine films, three Deadpool films and Dark Phoenix.
Do I need to watch the X-Men movies in order?
Release order is strongly recommended for a first watch. Days of Future Past deliberately undoes earlier films, so watching chronologically spoils the trick.
Where does Deadpool fit in the X-Men timeline?
Loosely. The first two Deadpool films are set in the present day and barely touch the main timeline; Deadpool & Wolverine then moves the character into the MCU entirely.