We are finally here at the final rankings of the live action X-Men films. 15 films watched and dissected, there was moments that I was questioning my sanity especially near the end of the franchise. With X-Men 97 season 2 absolutely killing it and every episode making me say to myself “that’s how you do it!” The following five films are example of near perfect mutant representation.

Deadpool

Release Date: February 8, 2016

Box Office: $782.6 Million

The film that was made because of a film leak and became a massive success. Deadpool was the movie that became my identity in 2016, me being a 24 year old wise ass could relate to Deadpool. However 10 years later the movie still holds up and the best film in the Deadpool trilogy. The film was fresh with a third wall breaking and meta jokes.

Ryan Reynolds returned to play Wade Wilson after the failure of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, this time Reynolds had the opportunity to be a comic accurate Deadpool. This is an origin story but also a really messed up love story between Wade and Vanessa (played by Morena Baccarin). The love story is what really helps this film succeed, the chemistry between Reynolds and Baccarin is hard to ignore. Deadpool is not a great movie compared to the rest of the films on this list, however it is the most fun.

X-Men: First Class

Release Date: June 3, 2011

Box Office: $353 Million

After the terrible finale in X-Men: The Last Stand, the franchise needed a reboot and X-Men: First Class was the perfect reboot. Up until 2011, there was no denying that Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen were the perfect casting for Charles Xavier and Magneto, but even then they were aging out of the roles. (Even though they are back 15 years later for Avengers: Doomsday) James McAvoy and Michael Fessbender step in the roles without any struggle. Both actors carried the roles with confidence and made the roles they own. McAvoy and Fessbender establish that we were getting a young cast with some mutants we never seen before.

I love the story of establishing the X-Men and how mutants operate in a world that really don’t know they exist. The 1960s were the perfect setting and Matthew Vaughn should have been the director for the franchise from the start. Very much like Deadpool, this a fun film that does have some flaws that makes it a step away from greatness. For example, the death of Darwin and the inaccurate characterization of Emma Frost. However this film is fun and one of the best origin films in superhero media.

X2

Release Date: May 2, 2003

Box Office: $407.7 Million

Easily the best start to a superhero film with the attack on the White House. A mind controlled Nightcrawler (played by Alan Cummings) BAMFs his way through the white house on the way to the president. The way the scene builds up suspense and introduces a new character. The next three films are near perfect super hero films with a blend of great writing, action and fan service. X2 felt like it could have been an episode to the X-Men Animated Series with the character progress and use of characters throughout the film.

The one thing that X2 does well that most of the films in the franchise struggle with is giving each character the right amount of screen time… except Cyclops again. Poor Cyclops could never catch a break in franchise. Beyond Cyclops, X2 gave Storm and Jean Grey a opportunity to shine with saving Nightcrawler, Wolverine with battling his past as William Stryker (played by Brian Cox) is the villain of the story and the recruitment of Pyro by Magneto and Mystique during their team up to bring down Stryker. Truthfully X2, is probably my most watched X-Men film, as it came out at the perfect time for me.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Release Date: May 23, 2014

Box Office: $746 Million

This movie was a comic book come to life! Yes, we hear that expression a lot with comic book films, but this is seriously a comic book come to life. We get team ups due to time traveling, we get Hugh Jackman approaching his peak of Wolverine and a tragic version of Charles Xavier that we have not seen on screen. There is a lot going on in the film and it contains it perfectly.

It will forever be iconic to see McAvoy and Stewart have a conversation with each other as Charles. Having the younger X-Men tag along with Wolverine before his weapon x operation. This was the first superhero film that used time travel and alternate realities with great results. The introduction of Quicksilver (played by Evan Peters) was fantastic and he shined throughout the film, especially during the jail break scene. Even in a small sample size it was cool seeing Omar Sy play Bishop in live action, with characters like Blink, Sunspot and Warpath getting moments in live action.

Although we are getting the original team back for Avengers: Doomsday, this felt like the perfect ending for the X-Men fox franchise. It was a dumb mistake for Fox to continue the franchise beyond this film.

Logan

Release Date: March 3, 2017

Box Office: $619.2 Million

I remember thinking that we were getting an Old Man Logan adaptation when I first saw the poster for Logan, and it enlisted a lot of questions. Those questions quickly turned excitement when the first trailer came out. Logan instantly established that this was going to be different from anything that Fox had ever produced with the X-Men franchise. Logan felt like an Oscar worthy film wrapped in a superhero film, it was near perfection.

Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart both give career defying performances in roles that were already career defying. Stewart playing Xavier as a grumpy old man losing his memory and becoming a threat to humanity. Jackman’s Wolverine is getting older and his healing ability is basically gone. There is no hope for mutants until Laura (played by Dafne Keen) shows up in their life. With no new mutants and the race becoming extinct, Laura represents the future in which Logan and Xavier fought for their entire life. A mature take on the character for wolverine was the shift that both the character and franchise needed as Logan became an all time great in the genre.

Very much like Joker, Logan proved that comic book based films can be more than just action movies.

The future of X-Men films will be known very soon with Marvel Studios being rumored to announcing the cast in Hall H a San Diego Comic Con. X-Men 97 has showed that Marvel Studios has the opportunity to do amazing things with the characters.