How Do You Watch the X-Men Movies in Order?

X-Men movies in release order

There are 13 films in the X-Men series made by 20th Century Fox, from X-Men (2000) to The New Mutants (2020), and the 2024 Marvel Studios film Deadpool & Wolverine brings the story into the MCU. Release years, runtimes, directors, and ratings come from Wikidata ^[1].

Release order

1. X-Men (2000)
2. X2 (2003)
3. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
4. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
5. X-Men: First Class (2011)
6. The Wolverine (2013)
7. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
8. Deadpool (2016)
9. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
10. Logan (2017)
11. Deadpool 2 (2018)
12. Dark Phoenix (2019)
13. The New Mutants (2020)
14. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

What is the X-Men chronological order?

TechRadar's chronological guide calls the X-Men timeline complicated and leaves the first two Deadpool films out of its main list, but includes Deadpool & Wolverine because of its ties to Logan ^[2]. Its order, listing each film once, is:

1. X-Men: First Class (set in 1962)
2. X-Men: Days of Future Past (main plot set in 1973)
3. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (mostly set in 1979)
4. X-Men: Apocalypse (set in 1983)
5. Dark Phoenix (set in 1992)
6. X-Men (set in 2000)
7. X2
8. X-Men: The Last Stand
9. The Wolverine
10. The New Mutants
11. Deadpool & Wolverine (set in 2024)
12. Logan (set in 2029)

The reason the timeline is messy is Days of Future Past: the film splits its story between 1973 and a dystopian future (TechRadar dates those future scenes to 2023), and its time-travel premise is why later films do not line up neatly ^[2]. That is why chronological order works best as a rewatch rather than a first viewing.

Should you watch X-Men in release order or story order?

For a first viewing, we recommend release order. The original trilogy introduces the characters with one cast, and the prequels starting with First Class recast many of them as younger versions. TechRadar makes the same recommendation for first-time viewers, calling release order far simpler to follow ^[2].

Story order is for viewers who already know the films. Starting with First Class puts the younger cast first and makes Logan, set in 2029, a fitting ending.

Who are the two X-Men casts?

The series has two main casts, which is the easiest way to understand its structure. According to Wikidata's cast records ^[1]:

• The original cast includes Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, and James Marsden, who appear across X-Men, X2, The Last Stand, and Days of Future Past.
• The prequel cast includes James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult, who appear in First Class, Days of Future Past, Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix.

Days of Future Past is the one film where both casts appear, which is another reason it sits at the center of the timeline. Outside those cast lists, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is the thread through most of the series, from the 2000 film to Logan.

Ryan Reynolds appears in four films, according to Wikidata: X-Men Origins: Wolverine and all three Deadpool films ^[1]. In our view, that connection is part of why Deadpool & Wolverine works best after the earlier Fox films.

Where do the Deadpool movies fit?

Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018) were made by Fox alongside the X-Men films. TechRadar leaves them out of its main chronology because, in its words, including them would only further complicate matters ^[2]. The simplest approach is to watch them in their release slots: Deadpool after Days of Future Past, and Deadpool 2 after Logan. It also helps to have seen the prequels first, since Wikidata lists several prequel-cast actors in Deadpool 2 ^[1].

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) is different. It is a Marvel Studios film and part of the MCU's Phase Five, as listed on Disney+ ^[3]. TechRadar places it in 2024, six years after Deadpool 2, and includes it in its X-Men chronology because of its ties to Logan ^[2]. If you plan to watch Deadpool & Wolverine, see Logan and the first two Deadpool films first. Story order places Deadpool & Wolverine just before Logan, because of when it is set; that flip is one more reason story order suits rewatches. Our Marvel watch order shows where it sits in the MCU.

How long would an X-Men marathon take?

The 13 Fox films run 1,563 minutes, about 26 hours, based on Wikidata runtimes ^[1]. Adding Deadpool & Wolverine (127 minutes) brings the total to 1,690 minutes.

That is a lot for one sitting, so split it by era:

1. Original trilogy: X-Men, X2, and The Last Stand (341 minutes).
2. Prequels: First Class, Days of Future Past, Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix (519 minutes).
3. Wolverine films: Origins, The Wolverine, and Logan (382 minutes).
4. Extras: the two Deadpool films, The New Mutants, and Deadpool & Wolverine (448 minutes).

Watching one block per weekend keeps most character groups together, and the blocks still roughly follow release order within each group.

What is the shortest way through the X-Men movies?

If you want the main story without all 14 films, this five-film path covers both casts and the ending. It is our suggestion, built from the release and story orders above:

1. X-Men (2000), to meet the original team.
2. X2 (2003), which deepens the conflict between mutants and humans.
3. X-Men: First Class (2011), to meet the younger versions of the leads.
4. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), the one film that brings both casts together.
5. Logan (2017), Wolverine's final chapter in the Fox films.

Those five films run 636 minutes, about 10 hours 36 minutes, based on Wikidata runtimes. Add the two Deadpool films and Deadpool & Wolverine afterward if you want the newer, more comic side of the series. For more science fiction built around team-ups, see our list of the best sci-fi movies.

Which X-Men movies focus on Wolverine?

Wolverine has three solo films, and they make a compact viewing plan of their own:

1. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
2. The Wolverine (2013)
3. Logan (2017)

James Mangold directed both The Wolverine and Logan ^[1]. Logan is rated R ^[1], so check ratings before watching with younger viewers.

X-Men directors, runtimes, and ratings

Film	Year	Director	Runtime (min)	Rating
X-Men	2000	Bryan Singer	104	PG-13
X2	2003	Bryan Singer	133	PG-13
X-Men: The Last Stand	2006	Brett Ratner	104	PG-13
X-Men Origins: Wolverine	2009	Gavin Hood	107	Not listed in Wikidata
X-Men: First Class	2011	Matthew Vaughn	131	PG-13
The Wolverine	2013	James Mangold	138	PG-13
X-Men: Days of Future Past	2014	Bryan Singer	131	PG-13
Deadpool	2016	Tim Miller	108	R
X-Men: Apocalypse	2016	Bryan Singer	144	PG-13
Logan	2017	James Mangold	137	R
Deadpool 2	2018	David Leitch	119	R
Dark Phoenix	2019	Simon Kinberg	113	PG-13
The New Mutants	2020	Josh Boone	94	PG-13
Deadpool & Wolverine	2024	Shawn Levy	127	Not listed in Wikidata

Bryan Singer directed four of the films, including the first two and Days of Future Past ^[1]. Among the 13 Fox films, most are rated PG-13; the R-rated entries are Deadpool, Deadpool 2, and Logan.

If you enjoy the X-Men, the Spider-Man watch order covers another Marvel hero with several film versions, and the Marvel watch order covers the wider MCU.