X-Men Movies, Ranked

The 2017 R-rated finale earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, a first for the genre, at ~94% RT.

Bryan Singer's 2003 sequel (~85% RT) is widely regarded as the high point of the original trilogy, praised for its balanced ensemble.

The 2014 crossover united the original and prequel casts, earned ~90% RT and grossed roughly $746 million, then a franchise record.

The 2016 film grossed $782 million to become the highest-grossing R-rated film at the time and proved adult-rated comic movies could dominate.

The 2011 prequel (~86% RT) revitalized the flagging series with a Cold War setting and the Charles-Erik dynamic critics praised.

The 2024 MCU debut grossed roughly $1.34 billion, the biggest R-rated film in history, and gave the Fox era a celebratory send-off.

The 2000 original (~82% RT) helped launch the modern superhero boom, though its effects and pacing have dated over time.

The 2018 sequel (~84% RT) grossed $785 million and introduced Josh Brolin's Cable, matching the original's irreverent tone.

The 2013 film (~70% RT) recovered from the Origins debacle with a more focused, character-driven story set in Japan.

Brett Ratner's 2006 entry (~57% RT) drew criticism for killing off major characters and squandering the acclaimed Dark Phoenix arc.

The 2016 film (~47% RT) was widely panned for its underwhelming title antagonist and signaled the prequel run's decline.

The 2009 spin-off (~37% RT) is notorious for sewing shut a mouthless Deadpool, a mishandling the 2016 film openly mocked.

The 2019 film (~43% RT) grossed just ~$252 million, the series' box-office low, ending the prequel arc on a whimper.

Shelved for years and released in 2020 (~35% RT), the horror-tinged spin-off quietly closed out the Fox X-Men era.