X-Men watch order

X-Men movies in order, release and chronological. Updated October 20, 2026.

Watch the Fox X-Men films in release order from X-Men (2000). Days of Future Past (2014) rewrites the timeline, which makes chronological order confusing on a first watch. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) carries the Fox characters into the MCU, and the animated series sit on their own timeline.

How to watch the X-Men movies in order: the full guide

All 18 films and series in the X-Men franchise, in release order and in chronological (story) order. The first in release order is X-Men: The Animated Series (1992); the first in chronological order is X-Men: First Class (set in 1962).

Release order

X-Men: The Animated Series (Series, 1992): The 1992 cartoon, its own continuity.
X-Men (Movie, 2000): The 2000 film that started the Fox series.
X2: X-Men United (Movie, 2003): Often called the best of the original trilogy.
X-Men: The Last Stand (Movie, 2006): Ends the original trilogy; Days of Future Past later undoes much of it.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Movie, 2009): Logan's origin; widely skipped.
X-Men: First Class (Movie, 2011): The 1960s origin of Charles and Erik; the earliest story in the Fox timeline.
The Wolverine (Movie, 2013): Logan in Japan after The Last Stand.
X-Men: Days of Future Past (Movie, 2014): Joins the young and old casts and rewrites the timeline; essential.
Deadpool (Movie, 2016): Ryan Reynolds' fourth-wall-breaking mercenary; works on its own.
X-Men: Apocalypse (Movie, 2016): The young team in the 1980s.
Legion (Series, 2017): A surreal FX series about Charles Xavier's son; optional.
Logan (Movie, 2017): Wolverine's final chapter in 2029; best after the main films.
The Gifted (Series, 2017): A network series about mutants on the run; optional.
Deadpool 2 (Movie, 2018): Deadpool forms X-Force; sets up his MCU arrival.
Dark Phoenix (Movie, 2019): Jean Grey's story in the new timeline; optional.
The New Mutants (Movie, 2020): A horror-tinged spin-off; optional.
X-Men '97 (Series, 2024): Picks up the 1992 cartoon's story; watch it after the original series.
Deadpool & Wolverine (Movie, 2024): Takes the Fox characters into the MCU.

Chronological order

X-Men: First Class (set in 1962): The 1960s origin of Charles and Erik; the earliest story in the Fox timeline.
X-Men: Days of Future Past (set in 1973 & 2023): Joins the young and old casts and rewrites the timeline; essential.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (set in 1845–1979): Logan's origin; widely skipped.
X-Men: Apocalypse (set in 1983): The young team in the 1980s.
Dark Phoenix (set in 1992): Jean Grey's story in the new timeline; optional.
X-Men (set in Early 2000s): The 2000 film that started the Fox series.
X2: X-Men United (set in Early 2000s): Often called the best of the original trilogy.
X-Men: The Last Stand (set in 2006): Ends the original trilogy; Days of Future Past later undoes much of it.
The Wolverine (set in 2013): Logan in Japan after The Last Stand.
Deadpool (set in 2016): Ryan Reynolds' fourth-wall-breaking mercenary; works on its own.
The New Mutants (set in Present day): A horror-tinged spin-off; optional.
Deadpool 2 (set in 2018): Deadpool forms X-Force; sets up his MCU arrival.
Logan (set in 2029): Wolverine's final chapter in 2029; best after the main films.
Deadpool & Wolverine (set in 2024): Takes the Fox characters into the MCU.
Legion (set in Parallel world): A surreal FX series about Charles Xavier's son; optional.
The Gifted (set in Parallel world): A network series about mutants on the run; optional.
X-Men: The Animated Series (set in 1990s): The 1992 cartoon, its own continuity.
X-Men '97 (set in 1990s): Picks up the 1992 cartoon's story; watch it after the original series.

Common questions

What order should I watch the X-Men movies in?

How many X-Men movies and shows are there?

There are 18 titles in the X-Men franchise: 14 films and 4 series, released from 1992 to 2024.

How long does it take to watch all the X-Men movies?

About 109 hours for all 18 titles, counting every episode. The essentials only (13 titles) take about 59 hours.

What is the first X-Men title in chronological order?

X-Men: First Class, set in 1962. In release order the first is X-Men: The Animated Series (1992).

Which X-Men titles can I skip?

X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Dark Phoenix, The New Mutants, Legion, and The Gifted. They are spin-offs, side stories or non-canon entries; the main story holds without them.