X-Men has prequels, sequels, time travel and characters whose histories do not always match between films. That makes a single uninterrupted chronology look simpler than it really is. The useful approach is to understand the original history, the reset, and the later spin-offs.
Choose what to watch
Choose order
Release order
Release order
- X-Men: The Animated Series
- X-Men
- X-Men: Evolution
- X2
- X-Men: The Last Stand
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine
- Wolverine and the X-Men
- X-Men: First Class
- Marvel Anime: X-Men
- The Wolverine
- X-Men: Days of Future Past
- Deadpool
- X-Men: Apocalypse
- Logan
- Legion
TV series; adjacent standalone continuity
- The Gifted
TV series; separate continuity
- Deadpool 2
- Dark Phoenix
- The New Mutants
- Deadpool & Wolverine
MCU crossover continuation — Film
- X-Men ’97
TV series; sequel to The Animated Series
First, the older history
- First Class — its main story is set in 1962
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine — its main Weapon X storyline follows later, despite an earlier historical opening
- X-Men
- X2
- The Last Stand
- The Wolverine
- Days of Future Past — begins from a future crisis and sends the story back to 1973, changing history
Then, the revised history
- Apocalypse — set in 1983
- Dark Phoenix — set in 1992
Story order: animated X-Men continuity
- X-Men: The Animated Series
- X-Men ’97
TV series; direct continuation
Story order: separate TV continuities
These series tell separate versions of the X-Men world; they do not slot into the Fox-film timeline.
The original trilogy should not simply be added after Dark Phoenix as though the reset changed nothing. First Class provides shared background, but even the prequels contain inconsistencies with the older films.
- X-Men: Evolution
- Wolverine and the X-Men
- Marvel Anime: X-Men
- Legion
- The Gifted
Finally, the later character branches
- Deadpool (2016 • Film) → Deadpool 2 (2018 • Film) → Deadpool & Wolverine (2024 • Film) is Wade’s viewing sequence. The films play loosely with continuity and cross into multiverse storytelling
- Logan
is set in 2029. Treat it as a future conclusion to Wolverine’s story rather than proof that every previous film joins perfectly. Watch it before Deadpool 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine to avoid having its outcome spoiled
- The New Mutants
is largely self-contained. Its exact placement is too uncertain to assign a definitive calendar slot; watch it after becoming familiar with the franchise
No entries match this selection.
Peppermoon’s recommendation
Release order is the strongest first-time option. If you want a smaller introduction, watch X-Men, X2, First Class and Days of Future Past, then expand from there. The branch explanation is useful for a rewatch, but no arrangement can remove contradictions written into the films themselves.
Sources: TechRadar’s release and timeline guide (https://www.techradar.com/how-to/how-to-watch-the-x-men-movies-in-order); X-Men film catalogue (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-Men_(film_series)); JustWatch franchise guide (https://guides.justwatch.com/us/x-men-movies-in-order).