How to Watch X-Men Movies in Order Chronologically and by Release Date

Even fans of X-Men could tell you, the timeline of the movies is really confusing especially with the recent additions to the roster. Still, despite the changes made throughout the years, from recast to even an attempted reboot of the franchise, these films are fun to watch with the who squad. Here is how to watch the films in order, either chronologically, or by release date.

How to Watch X-Men Movies in Order by Release Date

Credit: 20th Century Studios

This is, by far, the easiest way to watch the X-Men Movies as you get to see what changed and how they tried to reboot the whole franchise. With this, you can also track down what happened and what has been erased in the timeline after certain life-changing events and decisions that affected the mutants and their whole race.

Here is the order of X-Men Movies by their theatrical release date:

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)

How to Watch X-Men Movies in Chronological Order of Events

Credit: 20th Century Studios

However, if you are into the story and you want to follow how the events turned out, this is the way to watch all the films in chronological order in terms of the events:

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

Credit: 20th Century Studios

X-Men: First Class comes first, set in 1962, as it introduces the mutants and the first group ever formed by Charles Xavier against Sebastian Shaw who aims to trigger a nuclear war, and this is also the film showing the very reason why he is on a wheelchair.

X-Men: Days of Future Past goes in second as, despite being set in a dystopian future where Sentinels are hunting down mutants, the film is actually Wolverine's travel back in time through the help of Kitty Pryde and he prevents Mystique from killing Bolivar Trask making her a villain. As Wolverine successfully alter the past, all the things that had been set course in the future are now erased, like a clean slate.

Despite the critics calling it one of the worst films in the franchise, X-Men Origins: Wolverine gives a highlight as to how Logan got his adamantium claws and how he was experimented on by William Stryker. It also shows the past of Logan dating back to the 1840s with his mutant brother, Victor Creed, and their rocky relationship.

Credit: 20th Century Studios

X-Men: Apocalypse changes the game, the first-ever mutant, Apocalypse, emerges and he calls on a new set of his "Four Horsemen" to destroy and re-conquer Earth and rule like a god. The X-Men team suits up and joins forces to take him down – only to have Jean Grey finally unleashing what has been suppressed in her. Also, watch out for the words "all is revealed," it'll send chills down your spine.

Even when it is one of the last films released, The Dark Phoenix reveals how powerful Jean Grey is when all her powers are unleashed and unsuppressed. Being a class five mutant that she is, her powers only grow to the point of even consuming her and taking over her.

And then, the first trilogy X-Men, X2, and X-Men: The Last Stand comes in. These are the films that started it all. X-Men focuses on the Mutant Registration Act, the second on the team of Stryker trying to eliminate mutants, and the last being on the mutant who they call the "cure" who could neutralize any ability of mutants near him.

Credit: 20th Century Studios

The Wolverine comes next as it follows the events of X-Men: The Last Stand and he takes us to Japan. Deadpool enters the picture in a new and reinforced story of his origins, scrapping the one from X-Men Origins: The Wolverine. His sequel comes next and gets ready as that is a family story, he also gets to hand with other mutants and those who remained at the mansion of Xavier as they go up against Cable.

The New Mutants is the next attempt of the franchise to reboot, however, in between its production, the rights of X-Men were sold back to Marvel. Another set of mutants have been introduced with Moonstar and Magik as they entered into an asylum that aims to try and "cure" them from their powers.

Last but definitely not the least is Logan. It is set far in the future and there are no more mutants, only clones of them. As for Wolverine, however, his powers have aged as well. Xavier is on the last days of his long life and his powers have completely diminished. They encounter X-23, Laura, whose powers are the same as that of Logan.

Which order would you prefer? The one by release date or the chronological one?

Related: X-Men Star Hugh Jackman Goes on a Trippy Sci-Fi Adventure in Reminiscence