X-Men Movies in Order for Release or Chronological Viewing
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X-Men Movies in Order for Release or Chronological Viewing

X-Men Movies in Order: Release and Chronological Watch Lists

Key takeaways

  • For a first watch, see the X-Men movies in release order.
  • The list covers 14 films, including the main X-Men movies, Wolverine’s solo films, the Deadpool movies, The New Mutants, and Deadpool & Wolverine.
  • Chronological order is an approximate viewing sequence, not an official, definitive chronology.
  • There isn’t one perfectly consistent sequence that accounts for every detail in every film.

Table of contents

For a first watch, see the X-Men movies in release order. That’s the simplest way to follow the franchise’s introductions, callbacks, and timeline twists without trying to force every film into a single clean chronology.

The list below covers 14 films: the main X-Men movies, Wolverine’s solo films, the Deadpool movies, The New Mutants, and Deadpool & Wolverine. This is a broad franchise list, not just a list of movies centered on the X-Men team. People and IGN use a similar scope.

X-Men movies in release order

  1. X-Men (2000)
  2. X2: X-Men United (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. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
  13. The New Mutants (2020)
  14. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

This order is best for most viewers, especially if you’re new to the franchise. It shows the movies in the sequence audiences encountered them, so you can experience the shift from the original cast to the younger versions of familiar characters as it unfolds. It also avoids giving too much weight to a timeline that changes across the series.

X-Men movies in approximate chronological order

If you’d rather group the films by their main story periods, this is a workable guide:

  1. X-Men: First Class — mainly set in 1962
  2. X-Men: Days of Future Past — moves between 1973 and a future period
  3. X-Men Origins: Wolverine — includes an early-life opening, with its main story set later
  4. X-Men: Apocalypse — mainly set in 1983
  5. X-Men: Dark Phoenix — mainly set in 1992
  6. X-Men — set in the present-day period of its release
  7. X2: X-Men United
  8. X-Men: The Last Stand
  9. The Wolverine — follows the events of The Last Stand
  10. Deadpool
  11. Deadpool 2
  12. The New Mutants
  13. Logan — set in 2029
  14. Deadpool & Wolverine — involves multiple realities and doesn’t sit neatly in one timeline

Treat this as an approximate viewing sequence, not an official, definitive chronology. Days of Future Past spans different periods and changes the course of events; other movies include flashbacks, continuity shifts, or links that don’t line up perfectly. Timeline guides from Tom’s Guide and MyVi also describe the chronological approach as an imperfect fit.

The placement of movies such as Deadpool and The New Mutants is especially flexible: they’re less dependent on a single shared timeline than the central team films. For a first viewing, release order is easier to follow.

Which order should you choose?

Choose release order if you’re watching the films for the first time, want to see how the franchise developed, or plan to include the Deadpool movies. The films weren’t made to tell one continuous, perfectly aligned chronological story, so release order provides a more straightforward experience.

Choose the approximate chronological order if you’ve seen the series before and want to revisit its different eras. It places the younger versions of Professor X and Magneto near the beginning, followed by the original team films and later character stories. Just be ready for the timeline to bend rather than flow smoothly.

A shorter order for the main team story

If you mainly want the core team films, start with the original trilogy:

  1. X-Men
  2. X2: X-Men United
  3. X-Men: The Last Stand

Then watch the prequel-era films:

  1. X-Men: First Class
  2. X-Men: Days of Future Past
  3. X-Men: Apocalypse
  4. X-Men: Dark Phoenix

This is a selective route, not a complete franchise watch order. It leaves out Wolverine’s solo films, Deadpool, The New Mutants, and Deadpool & Wolverine. Days of Future Past is a useful bridge between the original and prequel casts, though its time-travel story also makes a strict chronology harder to pin down.

Where do the Wolverine movies fit?

The three Wolverine-focused films are X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Wolverine, and Logan. For a release-order watch, see them in that sequence, with the other films inserted according to the full list above.

For a rough story-period order, X-Men Origins: Wolverine comes before the original team movies because its main story takes place earlier. The Wolverine follows X-Men: The Last Stand, while Logan is set much later. These films give Wolverine his own character arc, but they don’t resolve every continuity difference between the X-Men movies.

Where do the Deadpool movies fit?

Watch Deadpool before Deadpool 2, then move on to Deadpool & Wolverine. That order preserves the character’s progression across his three films.

The Deadpool movies connect to the wider mutant-film world, but they play with franchise continuity rather than following a rigid timeline. Deadpool & Wolverine involves multiple realities, so assigning it a precise chronological slot alongside the other films is less useful than watching it after the earlier Deadpool entries.

Is there one official X-Men timeline?

There isn’t one perfectly consistent sequence that accounts for every detail in every film. The franchise includes prequels, a time-travel story that alters events, flashbacks, and films that treat continuity more loosely. Chronological lists are helpful as viewing suggestions, but they shouldn’t be mistaken for proof that every movie fits into one seamless canon.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to watch all 14 movies?

No. The original trilogy gives you the core team story, while the full list adds solo films, spin-offs, and later crossovers. For the clearest introduction to the franchise as a whole, though, release order is the most practical choice.

Should I watch Days of Future Past before or after First Class?

For a first watch, follow release order: First Class comes first, followed by Days of Future Past. In a rough chronological viewing, that order also works, but Days of Future Past jumps between periods and changes events, so it won’t behave like a simple next chapter.

Is The New Mutants part of the X-Men movie order?

Yes. It belongs on a broad list of films connected to the mutant-franchise world, although it focuses on different characters from the main X-Men team movies. Its place in a chronological watch is approximate.

The easiest way to watch the X-Men movies

Start with release order unless you have a specific reason to watch chronologically. It’s a clear route through the franchise’s changing cast and connections, while the chronological list is best treated as a rewatch experiment—not a definitive timeline.