The X-Men film franchise is usually regarded as one of the cornerstones of comic book movie history, and for good reason. Not only did it bring one of the most popular superhero teams to the silver screen, but it was one of several film franchises that helped revitalize the superhero genre alongsideSam Raimi’sSpider-ManandChristopher Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogy.Deadpool & Wolverinecontinues the trend that other films in the X-Men franchise — particularlyX2: X-Men United, X-Men: First Class,X-Men: Days of Future PastandLogan— have utilized in their storytelling:they put their focus on the characters first, and the powers second.The X-Men have such a large fanbase because of how complex they are, and those films succeeded in tackling that complexity.
The X-Men franchise of films and television shows includes a variety of releases, covering both the X-Men team as a whole, as well as individual explorations of specific characters.
The ‘X-Men’ Franchise Takes a Page From Marvel Comics & Uses Power as Metaphor
If there’s one thing that has always made the X-Men stand out from other mutants, it’s that their powers make them feared by a good chunk of humanity — with another chunk trying to outright kill them. The X-Men movies use this as a metaphor forhow the world deals with race, sexual orientation, and other elements of society.TakeRogue (Anna Paquin)in the firstX-Men; when she first kisses her boyfriend, he is thrown into a coma due to her powers — they forever cut her off from the world, and even crueler is the fact that it happens when she’s a teenager. Adolescents often feel isolated from the world, but in Rogue’s case, it’s true for even more reasons.
Perhaps the best example comes when Iceman (Shawn Ashmore)reveals his mutant powers to his family. Everything about this scene, from the way his parents freak out about passing the mutant gene to their son, to his mother’s inquiry of “Have you triednotbeing a mutant?” reads like a teenager who’s coming out to their parents (and it holds even more weight now thatIceman is openly gay in current canon.) Bytreating mutant powers as part of the character and not the entire character, the first two X-Men films set the stage for future filmmakers to tell compelling stories.
‘X-Men: First Class’ Explored the Events That Shaped Magneto & Professor X
Another defining element of the X-Men films has been the dueling ideologies of the X-Men’s founder, Charles Xavier, and his friend turned enemy, Erik Lensherr, aka Magneto. Xavier believes that mankind and mutants can co-exist, while Magneto pushes for mutant supremacy. It wasn’t untilX-Men: First Classthat the connection between the two was properly explored, as well as the events that shaped them into who they are. Erik, having survived the Holocaust, decides to wreak vengeance upon those who would hurt mutants, while Xavier begins to seek other mutants out shortly after he meets Erik.First Classis built on the connection between the two mutantsand that connection is all too human thanks to the respective performances ofJames McAvoyas Charles andMichael Fassbenderas Erik. A scene where Erik is struggling to move a satellite dish takes an emotional turn once Charles helps him rediscover his childhood memories of his mother — another example of how the franchise was at its best when it used superpowers to supplement character development.
This only makesFirst Class’s ending all the more tragic, asErik winds up crippling Charles. Even if this was a foregone conclusion, the buildup and execution of this moment is still laced with emotional weight due to McAvoy and Fassbender’s chemistry; it also has a hand in shaping the events ofDays of Future Past. Wracked with grief over losing his adoptive sister Raven (Jennifer Lawrence), his students, and the use of his legs, Charles turns to a medication that can help him walk again but dilutes his telepathy. Not only are the parallels between Charles' use of the serum and drug addiction prominent, but the fact that the film opens with a man who was defined by his optimism turning so bitterly cynical is a bold move. It also leads to one of the best sequences in the X-Men franchise, where McAvoy’s Xavier comes face to face withPatrick Stewart’sXavier; the older Xavier inspiring his younger self to “hope again” is one of many moments that makesDays of Future Pasta major love letterto the entire X-Men movie universe.
Fox’s Convoluted Series of X-Men Movies, Explained
As Wade Wilson says, “these timelines are so confusing."
Future X-Men Movies Shouldn’t Try To Fit As Many Cameos In As Possible
A major criticism that’s sprung up around the X-Men franchiseis who it chose to focus on. Some fans felt like too much character development was given to Wolverine, Professor X and Magneto, while other characters had a smaller presence. While there’s merit to that, the franchise could swing in the opposite direction by cramming certain movies full of characters.X-Men: The Last StandandX-Men Origins: Wolverineare a prime example; they feature scores of characters including Angel (Ben Foster), Beast (Kelsey Grammer), and Gambit (Taylor Kitsch). But these appearances tend tomostly focus on the characters' powers and increasing spectacle, leaving the key element of the X-Men movies behind.
Marvel Studios headKevin Feigehas hintedfuture X-Men movies will avoid thisby having a mix of mutants old and new, but another great example would beX-Men ‘97. The first season of the animated revival has managed to let every member of its ensemble shine, while still sticking to the character dynamics that make the X-Men such compelling characters. Cyclops (Ray Chase) gets plenty of moments to shine, whether it’s hisoverly complicated family treeor struggling to lead the X-Men in Xavier’s absence.
Deadpool & Wolverinealso follows in that trend byexploring how its titular duo deals with trauma. Deadpool’s quest to join the Sacred Timeline is driven by a desire to matter to others; likewise, his quest to find a Wolverine is rooted in a desire to save his friends from being wiped out of existence. Wolverine failed to protect his world’s X-Men from being killed, choosing to drown his sorrows in alcohol. Their dynamic is one of the best parts of the film,leading to a record-breaking box officeand proving that when you explore the bonds between them, the X-Men provide some of the best stories in the superhero movie genre.
X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men First Class, andX-Men: Days of Future Pastare available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.Deadpool & Wolverineis now playing in theaters.
