X-Men movies in order

Edited by Ayush SondhiChecked 22 Oct 2026

13 films and 2 series

There are thirteen X-Men films from 2000 to 2020 and two television series. This page recommends release order because the series has two timelines that split inside Days of Future Past, and the later prequels assume you know the original trilogy. The original timeline holds the first trilogy, The Wolverine and the prequels Origins: Wolverine and First Class; the revised timeline begins in 1973 within Days of Future Past and continues with Apocalypse, Dark Phoenix, the two Deadpool films and Logan. The New Mutants, Legion and The Gifted sit outside both timelines and are optional, and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) is a Marvel Cinematic Universe film that the X-Men film series page does not list, so it is not included.

25h 53mTotal runtime

7Evenings

2000First release

2020Latest release

20 years, 15 releases Dot size is runtime · Red is a spin-off · Hollow is a series

2002200420082010

The release order

Checked 22 Oct 2026 · Runtimes are theatrical cuts

X-Men 2000

104 min Main

Start here. Original timeline; set in the present day of its release. In story order it comes after the prequels Origins: Wolverine and First Class; X2 is its direct sequel.

X2 2003

133 min Main

Original timeline; direct sequel to X-Men; The Last Stand follows it.

X-Men: The Last Stand 2006

104 min Main

Original timeline, closes the first trilogy; The Wolverine follows it. Days of Future Past later alters its events through time travel.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2009

107 min Spin-off

Prequel set between 1845 and 1979, before the first trilogy; first entry of the original timeline in story order. The Wolverine is its sequel, and Deadpool first appears here. Optional.

X-Men: First Class 2011

132 min Main

Prequel set in 1962, the first of the four prequel films; it sits before the 1973 split, so it belongs to both timelines. Days of Future Past is its sequel, and Apocalypse resolves its Xavier, Lehnsherr, Mystique and Beast threads.

The Wolverine 2013

126 min Spin-off

Original timeline, set after The Last Stand as the sequel to Origins: Wolverine and the second film of the Wolverine trilogy; its ending leads into Days of Future Past. Runtime is the theatrical cut.

X-Men: Days of Future Past 2014

131 min Main

Set in 1973 and 2023, as the sequel to First Class; its time travel to 1973 alters The Last Stand and all earlier continuity, ending the original timeline and creating the revised one. Runtime is the theatrical cut, not the Rogue Cut.

Deadpool 2016

108 min Spin-off

Stands on its own; cameos in Deadpool 2 place the Deadpool films in the revised timeline. Ryan Reynolds returns as Deadpool from Origins: Wolverine, in a different interpretation of the character. Optional.

X-Men: Apocalypse 2016

144 min Main Longest in the franchise

Revised timeline, set in 1983, following Days of Future Past. Resolves the First Class threads of Xavier, Lehnsherr, Mystique and Beast; Dark Phoenix follows it.

Legion 2017

Series · 27 parts Series

Three seasons on FX, set in a universe parallel to the films. Optional. Its lead, David Haller, is the son of Charles Xavier.

Logan 2017

137 min Spin-off

Set in 2029, the latest point in the story, and concludes the Wolverine trilogy after The Wolverine; made to stand alone, its director places it after Days of Future Past and Hugh Jackman said it sits in an alternate timeline. Runtime is the theatrical cut.

The Gifted 2017

Series · 29 parts Series

Two seasons on Fox, set in an alternate timeline where the X-Men have disappeared. Optional.

Deadpool 2 2018

119 min Spin-off

Picks up where Deadpool ends; cameos by the young X-Men tie it to the revised timeline. Runtime is the theatrical cut, not the Super Duper Cut. Optional.

Dark Phoenix 2019

114 min Main

Revised timeline, set in 1992. Follows Apocalypse and closes the prequel run. Centres on Jean Grey becoming the Phoenix.

The New Mutants 2020

94 min Spin-off Shortest in the franchise

Set in the present day with no stated link to either timeline; contains some references to the X-Men but no obvious relationship to the main films. The last film of the series; optional.

Questions

Answers come from the entries above

Which X-Men entries are optional or spin-offs?

X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Wolverine, Deadpool, Logan, Deadpool 2 and The New Mutants are spin-offs; Legion and The Gifted are series. The release order above says where each one fits.

Which X-Men film should you start with?

Start with X-Men (2000). It introduces the characters and the school that every later film builds on, and the prequels assume you know how the original trilogy ends.