You can skip 5 of the 18 titles in the X-Men franchise and still follow the main story: X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Dark Phoenix, The New Mutants, Legion, and The Gifted. The essentials (13 titles) take about 59 hours instead of 109 hours.
- Skippable
- 5
- Essentials
- 13
- Time saved
- 49 hours
Safe to skip
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine2009 · Film · 1h 47m · optionalLogan's origin; widely skipped.
- Dark Phoenix2019 · Film · 1h 54m · optionalJean Grey's story in the new timeline; optional.
- The New Mutants2020 · Film · 1h 34m · optionalA horror-tinged spin-off; optional.
- Legion2017 · Series · 22h 37m · optionalA surreal FX series about Charles Xavier's son; optional.
- The Gifted2017 · Series · 21h 34m · optionalA network series about mutants on the run; optional.
Why each one is optional
What each skippable title is, what it adds if you do watch it, and who is in it.
No. 01 · 2009 · Film · 1h 47m · optional
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
After seeking to live a normal life after 200 years, Logan sets out to avenge a death by undergoing the mutant Weapon X program and becoming Wolverine.
Why it matters: Logan's origin; widely skipped.
- Starring
- Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, and Danny Huston
- Director
- Gavin Hood
- Box office
- $373 million on a $150 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 37%
No. 02 · 2017 · Series · 22h 37m · optional
Legion
David Haller, AKA Legion, is a troubled young man who may be more than human. Diagnosed as schizophrenic, David has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. But after a strange encounter with a fellow patient, he’s confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real.
Why it matters: A surreal FX series about Charles Xavier's son; optional.
- Starring
- Dan Stevens, Rachel Keller, and Aubrey Plaza
- Creator
- Noah Hawley
- Scores
- IMDb 8.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 91%
- Episodes
- 27 across 3 seasons
No. 03 · 2017 · Series · 21h 34m · optional
The Gifted
A suburban couple's ordinary lives are rocked by the sudden discovery that their children possess mutant powers. Forced to go on the run from a hostile government, the family joins up with an underground network of mutants and must fight to survive.
Why it matters: A network series about mutants on the run; optional.
- Starring
- Stephen Moyer, Amy Acker, and Natalie Alyn Lind
- Creator
- Matt Nix
- Scores
- IMDb 7.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 79%
- Episodes
- 29 across 2 seasons
No. 04 · 2019 · Film · 1h 54m · optional
Dark Phoenix
The X-Men face their most formidable and powerful foe when one of their own, Jean Grey, starts to spiral out of control. During a rescue mission in outer space, Jean is nearly killed when she's hit by a mysterious cosmic force. Once she returns home, this force not only makes her infinitely more powerful, but far more unstable. The X-Men must now band together to save her soul and battle aliens that want to use Grey's new abilities to rule the galaxy.
Why it matters: Jean Grey's story in the new timeline; optional.
- Starring
- Sophie Turner, James McAvoy, and Nicholas Hoult
- Director
- Simon Kinberg
- Box office
- $252 million on a $200 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 22%
No. 05 · 2020 · Film · 1h 34m · optional
The New Mutants
Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.
Why it matters: A horror-tinged spin-off; optional.
- Starring
- Blu Hunt, Charlie Heaton, and Maisie Williams
- Director
- Josh Boone
- Box office
- $49 million on a $67 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 36%
The essentials, in release order
- X-Men: The Animated Series1992 · Series · 26h 4mThe 1992 cartoon, its own continuity.
- X-Men2000 · Film · 1h 44mThe 2000 film that started the Fox series.
- X2: X-Men United2003 · Film · 2h 13mOften called the best of the original trilogy.
- X-Men: The Last Stand2006 · Film · 1h 44mEnds the original trilogy; Days of Future Past later undoes much of it.
- X-Men: First Class2011 · Film · 2h 12mThe 1960s origin of Charles and Erik; the earliest story in the Fox timeline.
- The Wolverine2013 · Film · 2h 6mLogan in Japan after The Last Stand.
- X-Men: Days of Future Past2014 · Film · 2h 12mJoins the young and old casts and rewrites the timeline; essential.
- Deadpool2016 · Film · 1h 48mRyan Reynolds' fourth-wall-breaking mercenary; works on its own.
- X-Men: Apocalypse2016 · Film · 2h 24mThe young team in the 1980s.
- Logan2017 · Film · 2h 17mWolverine's final chapter in 2029; best after the main films.
- Deadpool 22018 · Film · 2hDeadpool forms X-Force; sets up his MCU arrival.
- X-Men '972024 · Series · 10h 30mPicks up the 1992 cartoon's story; watch it after the original series.
- Deadpool & Wolverine2024 · Film · 2h 8mTakes the Fox characters into the MCU.
Common questions
Do I need to watch every X-Men title?
No. You can skip 5 of the 18 titles in the X-Men franchise and still follow the main story: X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Dark Phoenix, The New Mutants, Legion, and The Gifted. The essentials (13 titles) take about 59 hours instead of 109 hours.
How long are the X-Men essentials?
About 59 hours for 13 titles, in release order starting with X-Men: The Animated Series.
Keep reading
RecapX-Men recap: the story so far18 titles recapped- Watch order guideHow to watch the X-Men movies in order18 titles · 109 hours
Skip guideWhat can you skip in Game of Thrones?2 titles you can skip
RecapChainsaw Man recap: the story so far2 titles recapped
Watch order guideHow to watch the One Piece movies in order8 titles · 498 hours
Skip guideWhich Star Wars movies can you skip?5 titles you can skip