How To Stream The ‘X-Men’ Movies In Chronological Order

The X-Men franchise, based on a team of mutant superheroes in the Marvel comic books, was established by Fox. The team of beings with mutated genetics that endow them with special powers was brought together by Charles Xavier, or Professor X, played by James McAvoy in the prequel films and by Patrick Stewart in the films that kick off the franchise.

In the films, various X-Men members are played by multiple actors, which helps categorize the films in some ways. The timeline of the films gets complicated with a full reset in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), which unites the different sets of actors that play characters in the older and newer film. Those not familiar might get confused based on which actor plays which character in various films.

Below find two ways to watch the X-Men films in order — either in order of release or chronological order:

How to watch the X-Men films in chronological order:

The main differences to note are that Magneto is played by Michael Fassbender when the age of the character corresponds to James McAvoy’s Professor X. Jean Grey, Wolverine’s love interest, is portrayed by Famke Janssen in X-Men (2000), X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). Sophie Turner took up the mantle in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), and Dark Phoenix (2019). The major difference that factors into the split chronology is the life vs. death of Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage), a scientist who has it out for mutants. The timeline reset in Days of Future Past involves keeping Trask alive, and it also revives Jean Grey as Dark Phoenix and Cyclops.

*A ripple effect occurs based around whether or not Dr. Bolivar Trask is left alive, and his death is prevented in Days of Future Past. In that film, which is simultaneously set in 1973 and 2023, Wolverine changes the past, which changes the 2023 timeline and shifts the events that happened in the original trilogy — X-Men, X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand. If left alive, Trask takes Mystique’s blood to create indestructible Sentinels, which pose a threat to mutants in the future.

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X-Men: Days of Future Past could also be watched after Logan (2017) as a finale of sorts.

Dr. Bolivar Trask lives:

Dr. Bolivar Trask dies:

An easier way to watch the X-Men films would be in the order they released in theaters. The original includes X-Men trilogy of X-Men (2000), X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). 

Release Order

Who are in the X-Men films?

Aside from the already named cast and characters, many others of note are played by an older and younger actor or actress. Beast was played by Kelsea Grammar in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and he appeared in Days of Future Past. Nicholas Hoult played Beast, or Hank McCoy in X-Men: First Class (2011), Days of Future Past, and X-Men: Apocalypse. James Marsden portrayed Cyclops, or Scott Summers, in X-Men (2000), X2: X-Men United (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). Halle Barry played Storm, or Ororo Munroe, in X-Men (2000), X2: X-Men United (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and Days of Future Past. Alexandra Shipp took on that mantle in Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix. Raven Darkholme, or Mystique, was played first by Rebecca Romijn in X-Men (2000), X2: X-Men United (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) as well as X-Men: First Class as the older version. Jennifer Lawrence also appeared as Raven in First Class, and she followed in Days of Future Past, Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix.

Where can I stream the X-Men films?

All of the X-Men films are available to stream on Disney+, so for a complete viewing experience, that streamer is the best option.

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