Ranking all 14 X-Men movies, from worst to best

Few superhero franchises have had quite the journey of "X-Men." From the original 2000 movie that helped usher in the modern superhero era to Hugh Jackman's emotional farewell in "Logan," the franchise has delivered some genuinely brilliant highs, as well as a fair few forgettable lows. Across 14 movies, audiences have experienced time travel, mutant cures, apocalyptic villains, alternate timelines, and plenty of Wolverine.

It makes sense to put "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" at the bottom of the catalogue, because while Hugh Jackman is still excellent as Logan, the movie does very little with one of Marvel's most interesting characters. The prequel explores Wolverine's early life, his relationship with Victor Creed, portrayed by Liev Schreiber, and the Weapon X experiment that bonds adamantium to his skeleton. Despite plenty of action, the story is weighed down by a convoluted plot, questionable interpretations of established characters, and a heavily criticized depiction of Deadpool that sowed frustration among comic book fans.

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"The New Mutants" had a genuinely interesting idea, but its troubled production and eventual release worked against it. The horror-inspired film follows five teenage mutants who are held inside a mysterious institution where they are supposedly being treated for their powers, with a cast featuring Anya Taylor-Joy and Maisie Williams. However, the finished movie never reaches its potential, feeling too small and underdeveloped to make much of an impact.

"Dark Phoenix" had almost everything it needed to be a fitting conclusion to the original "X-Men" saga: a talented cast, an iconic comic-book storyline, and years of established history behind Jean Grey, played by Sophie Turner. Instead, it became one of the franchise's biggest disappointments following a space mission that left Jean with an enormous new power. The film was heavily criticized for rushed storytelling, underdeveloped characters, and a lack of emotional weight, while news of Disney acquiring Fox made the project feel like a narrative dead end.

"X-Men: Apocalypse" tried to go bigger without necessarily becoming better. Set in the 1980s, the movie introduces Apocalypse, an ancient and immensely powerful mutant played by Oscar Isaac, who awakens after thousands of years to destroy humanity. While it brings together familiar faces like Professor X, played by James McAvoy, Magneto, played by Michael Fassbender, Mystique, played by Jennifer Lawrence, Jean Grey, and Cyclops, played by Tye Sheridan, the villain never feels as compelling as intended.

"X-Men: The Last Stand" remains a frustrating entry because a genuinely good film is buried somewhere inside it. The story tackles both the mutant "cure" and Jean Grey's transformation into the Phoenix, played by Famke Janssen, but the short runtime leaves characters and storylines without enough room to breathe.

Surprisingly, "The Wolverine" was a major improvement over the earlier prequel, giving Hugh Jackman a much more thoughtful solo story in a completely different setting. After the events of "The Last Stand," Wolverine travels to Japan, becoming caught up in a conflict involving yakuza, samurai, an old acquaintance, and a powerful industrialist family while confronting his own mortality.

Following the enormous success of "Deadpool," the sequel "Deadpool 2" had to prove Ryan Reynolds' foul-headed mutant could work a second time. Wade Wilson finds himself protecting a troubled young mutant targeted by Cable, a time-travelling soldier from the future played by Josh Brolin. The film expands the world by introducing Domino, played by Zazie Beetz, and giving Deadpool his own unlikely team of mutants.

The original "X-Men," released in 2000, helped demonstrate that superhero films could become genuine mainstream blockbusters years before the MCU existed. Directed by Bryan Singer, it introduced Professor X, played by Patrick Stewart, Wolverine, Storm, played by Halle Berry, Cyclops, played by James Marsden, and Jean Grey, fighting Magneto, played by Ian McKellen, and his Brotherhood.

"Deadpool & Wolverine" brings Ryan Reynolds' character into the MCU properly while Hugh Jackman returns for a final team-up. Deadpool is recruited by the Time Variance Authority to help save his universe, forcing him to work alongside a different version of Wolverine.

"Deadpool" embraced an R-rated personality rather than a conventional superhero formula, following Wade from a former Special Forces operative to a scarred mercenary with accelerated healing abilities seeking revenge.

"X2" proved sequels could surpass originals as the X-Men face Colonel William Stryker, played by Brian Cox, who attacks Xavier's school and hunts mutants, forcing the team to work alongside Magneto and his Brotherhood.

"X-Men: First Class" acted as a necessary reset, traveling back to the 1960s to explore the origins of Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr during the Cuban Missile Crisis, featuring James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender.

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" successfully bridged the original cast and the younger "First Class" cast in a time-travel story. In a dystopian future where mutant-hunting Sentinels have nearly wiped out mutants, Wolverine is sent back to 1973 to prevent a pivotal event.

"Logan" strips away traditional superhero gloss to deliver a violent, emotional road movie. Set in a bleak near future, an aging and increasingly broken Wolverine cares for an ailing Professor X until he encounters Laura, a young mutant with similar abilities, featuring career-best work from Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart alongside Dafne Keen.

Complete Cinematic Ranking

• 14. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
• 13. The New Mutants
• 12. Dark Phoenix
• 11. X-Men: Apocalypse
• 10. X-Men: The Last Stand
• 9. The Wolverine
• 8. Deadpool 2
• 7. X-Men
• 6. Deadpool & Wolverine
• 5. Deadpool
• 4. X2
• 3. X-Men: First Class
• 2. X-Men: Days of Future Past
• 1. Logan

Looking ahead, Marvel Studios is bringing the mutants into the MCU with a new "X-Men" movie, which is set to hit theaters on May 5, 2028. Marvel unveiled its new ensemble at D23, featuring Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Christopher Abbott as Professor X, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Maya Boyd as Storm, and Samara Weaving as Emma Frost. Adam Driver joins the cast as the villainous Mister Sinister, with "Thunderbolts" director Jake Schreier at the helm.