Mutant superhero team the X-Men have been a mainstay of megaplexes for almost 25 years now. So, just how many X-Men movies are there, and are any of them set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)?
Related: When Does Deadpool & Wolverine Come Out?
How Many X-Men Movies Are There?
As of this writing, there are 14 X-Men movies in total. This includes the original X-Men trilogy, a quartet of prequels, and a Blob-sized bunch of spinoffs – three of which are headlined by Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Here’s how the full list of films shakes out, in release order:
- X-Men (2000)
- X2: X-Men United (2003)
- X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
- X-Men: First Class (2011)
- The Wolverine (2013)
- X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
- Deadpool (2016)
- X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
- Logan (2017)
- Deadpool 2 (2018)
- X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
- The New Mutants (2020)
- Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Related: Which Version of Logan Is in Deadpool & Wolverine?
If that sounds like a lot of X-Men movies, just know that original rightsholder 20th Century Fox tried making even more. Canceled projects include two direct sequels to X-Men: The Last Stand, two New Mutants sequels, Alpha Flight and Exiles standalone features, and spinoffs starring Magneto, Gambit, Kitty Pryde, X-23, Multiple Man, and X-Force. Fox also commissioned a crossover production involving its wider portfolio of Marvel properties: X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Daredevil.
Are the X-Men Movies Part of the MCU?
Yes and no – it’s complicated. All but one of the 14 X-Men movies were produced by what was then 20th Century Fox, not Marvel Studios. Heck, three of them came out before Marvel Studios and the MCU even existed! That said, now that Marvel Studios’ parent company Disney owns Fox, all future X-outings will take place in the MCU, starting with 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine. This includes an untitled X-Men reboot announced in 2019. The reboot is still in early development, with Marvel Studios reportedly meeting with prospective screenwriters in late 2023.
Related: Is Deadpool 3 in the MCU? Explained
Of course, technically speaking, the previous 13 movies are part of the MCU too. The MCU’s multiverse conceit means that all legacy content is canon – just set outside the mainstream MCU. Marvel Studios has demonstrated this on several occasions by inviting legacy X-Men actors to reprise their roles in MCU flicks. Patrick Stewart returned as Professor X in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, while Kelsey Grammer voiced Beast in 2023’s The Marvels. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman will likewise back up as Deadpool & Wolverine‘s titular leads, alongside several other X-franchise veterans.
The next installment in the X-Men movie franchise, Deadpool & Wolverine, arrives in cinemas on July 26, 2024.
