X-Men: First Class
Movie, 2011, The First Class Era, Set in 1962
X-Men: First Class is #6 of 18 in release order and #1 of 18 in chronological order in the X-Men.
The story
Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were arch-enemies, they were closest of friends, working together with other mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known.
X-Men: First Class recap
In a Nazi camp in 1944, young Erik Lehnsherr bends a metal gate, and scientist Sebastian Shaw kills his mother to force his power out. In 1962, Charles Xavier, a telepath fresh from Oxford, and his adopted sister Raven help CIA agent Moira MacTaggert investigate the Hellfire Club, Shaw's mutant group. Charles saves Erik, who is hunting Shaw for revenge, and the two become friends. With the CIA, they recruit young mutants including Hank McCoy, Havok, Banshee and Darwin, and Charles teaches Erik to control his power. Shaw kills Darwin, and Angel goes over to his side. Shaw is stoking the Cuban Missile Crisis, planning a nuclear war that will leave mutants to rule. Raven, tired of hiding her blue skin, is drawn to Erik's pride in being a mutant.
X-Men: First Class ending explained
Off Cuba, Erik kills Shaw by driving a coin through his head. The American and Soviet fleets fire on the mutants, and Erik turns the missiles back on them; when Moira shoots at him, a deflected bullet hits Charles in the spine and paralyses him. Erik leaves with Raven, now Mystique, and Shaw's followers, calling himself Magneto. Charles opens his school, wipes Moira's memory, and Erik breaks Emma Frost out of prison.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch X-Men: First Class
X-Men: First Class is streaming on Disney+ and HBO Max in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.7/10, Rotten Tomatoes 86%
Where it fits
- Release order: after X-Men Origins: Wolverine, before The Wolverine.
- Chronological order: first, before X-Men: Days of Future Past.
What to watch before X-Men: First Class
In release order, the essentials before X-Men: First Class (2011) are X-Men (2000), X2: X-Men United (2003), and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).
Cast
- James McAvoy as Charles Xavier (24 Years)
- Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr
- Jennifer Lawrence as Raven / Mystique
- Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert
- Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw
- January Jones as Emma Frost
- Nicholas Hoult as Hank / Beast
- Lucas Till as Alex Summers / Havok
- Zoë Kravitz as Angel Salvadore
- Caleb Landry Jones as Cassidy / Banshee
- Oliver Platt as Man in Black Suit
- Jason Flemyng as Azazel
Directed by Matthew Vaughn.