Here's Where You Can Stream Or Rent Every 'X-Men' Movie
(Welcome to Where to Watch, which provides a clear and simple answer to the question, "Hey, where can I watch this thing?" In this edition: the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World movies.)
Now that Disney has purchased 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios), the X-Men film franchise as we know it has come to an end. Soon, Marvel Studios will give us a new big-screen version of the mutant superheroes, but until then, we can always get our X-Men fix by digging back into the 20-year history of the original franchise (and its handful of spin-offs). For your convenience, we've put together a helpful guide to let you know where you can stream or rent every X-Men movie.
The Original X-Men Trilogy
X-Men
Where to stream: PeacockWhere to rent: iTunes ($3.99), Amazon ($2.99)
Released back in 2000, this was the comic movie that launched Hollywood's obsession with superheroes, and it hasn't stopped since. X-Men ushered Marvel's mutants onto the big screen for the first time, and even though it gave us a version of the superheroes that had much more leather and far less color than fans would have preferred, it was still a huge hit that made the characters more accessible than ever. X-Men also turned then-unknown Australian actor Hugh Jackman into a star with his debut as Wolverine. It hasn't held up very well when compared to the superhero movies that would follow, but the blockbuster still earned its place in cinema history.
X2: X-Men United
Where to stream: Disney+Where to rent: iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, or YouTube (all $3.99)
Since the X-Men were successfully established in the first movie, the sequel allowed the mutant team to grow considerably. Along with a bigger cast that introduced mutants such as Nightcrawler, Deathstrike, and Pyro, the action was also beefed up, allowing for a story that expanded the origin story of Wolverine and also allowed each member of the ensemble cast to play a pivotal role. Confidence in the X-Men was so high that it even ends with a blatant tease for the next sequel.
X-Men: The Last Stand
Where to stream: Disney+Where to rent: iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, or YouTube (all $3.99)
Thanks to a perfect tee-up from X2: X-Men United, fans were itching to see how X-Men: The Last Stand adapted the famous Dark Phoenix Saga storyline from Marvel Comics for the big screen. Unfortunately, this entry is a massive misfire that completely destroys the excitement of seeing an all-powerful Jean Grey turned into a villain. The cast gets too big for the franchise, Wolverine gets turned into a walking punchline machine, and the final battle is an absolute mess that loses sight of what made the first two X-Men movies work so well.
The X-Men Prequels
X-Men: First Class
Where to stream: N/AWhere to rent: iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, or YouTube (all $3.99)
Since X-Men: The Last Stand effectively ended the original franchise, 20th Century Fox was left to reboot with a younger cast that went back to the origins of the superhero team. With the likes of Michael Fassbender as Magneto, James McCavoy as a walking Professor X with a full head of hair, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, and more, this sequel takes us back to the 1960s with style, superpowers, and a mostly satisfying story.
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Where to stream: Disney+Where to rent: iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, or YouTube (all $3.99)
For all the X-Men fans who missed the original iteration of the mutant squad in X-Men: First Class, 20th Century Fox got the gang back together along with the fresh-faced reboot cast to bring one of the most beloved comic book storylines to life. X-Men: Days of Future Past takes place in a future where mutants are facing extermination at the hands of deadly robot hunters known as Sentinels. In a last-ditch effort, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is sent back in time to stop this hellscape from becoming a reality, but he needs to convince a young, dispirited Professor X and his fellow mutants to help him. It gives us the best of both worlds, and it's the last truly good X-Men movie we got.
X-Men: Apocalypse
Where to stream: Disney+, FX Now, FuboTVWhere to rent: iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, or YouTube (all $3.99)
Apocalypse is one of the most deadly villains to grace the pages of Marvel Comics, but he's completely wasted in this sequel that goes back to the rebooted timeline featuring the young cast of mutants from First Class. But there are even more fresh faces here as Sophie Turner and Tye Sheridan debut as young Jean Grey and Cyclops, respectively, along with Kodi Smit-McPhee as Nightcrawler and more. Oscar Isaac stars as the titular villain, and he's criminally underutilized, hidden beneath hideous make-up and offering nothing but digital destruction without any substance.
Dark Phoenix
Where to stream: N/AWhere to rent: iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, or YouTube (all $3.99)
20th Century Fox got a second chance at getting the Dark Phoenix Saga right on the big screen this time, but they completely bungled it yet again. Not even the incorporation of a more comic accurate version of the tale could elevate this to being worthy of your time, and the super powerful Jean Grey was again completely misused. Jessica Chastain gets treated just like Oscar Isaac, turned into a forgettable villain without much to do. This was the final film in the X-Men franchise before Fox was sold to Disney, and it feels like a rushed farewell to the entire series without any heart or substance.
The Wolverine Trilogy
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Where to stream: Disney+, FuboTVWhere to rent: iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, or YouTube (all $3.99)
Even though the primary X-Men franchise ended with a whimper, it doesn't get quite as bad as the first attempt at a spin-off. Digging even deeper into Wolverine's origins, we learn a lot more about Hugh Jackman's character. Unfortunately, it's all stuff that we didn't need to know. He's surrounded by a boring array of characters, including a famously half-assed version of Deadpool that Ryan Reynolds would mock for years before properly suiting up as the mouthy mercenary in his own franchise. Even the visual effects are lazy in this complete dud.
The Wolverine
Where to stream: N/AWhere to rent: iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, or YouTube (all $3.99)The Wolverine certainly stepped things up from X-Men Origins, delivering a perfectly serviceable sequel. But despite the increase in quality, this chapter of Wolverine's life also still feels rather unnecessary. Hugh Jackman does the best with what he's given, and there are some comic book deep cuts that fans probably never expected to see in any X-Men movie, but ultimate, this is one of those movies that's entertaining while watching, but not all that remarkable or memorable years down the line.
Logan
Where to stream: FX Now, FuboTVWhere to rent: iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, or YouTube (all $3.99)
All right, now this is the epitome of both the X-Men and Wolverine film franchises. Director James Mangold brings the X-Men into R-rated territory with this gritty, violent emotional gut-punch of a superhero movie that follows an aging Wolverine taking care of a fading Professor X and reluctantly helping a young mutant that appears to share his DNA and some other trademark traits. Taking cues from westerns and dramatic thrillers, the superhero antics are a little more grounded than usual, allowing the characters to shine outside of their superpowers. It culminates in a heart-wrenching ending that should be regarded as the proper conclusion to the entire X-Men franchise.
The Misfits: Deadpool and The New Mutants
Where to stream: Deadpool: N/A, The New Mutants: HBO MaxWhere to rent: Deadpool: Amazon ($13.99) or iTunes ($14.99), The New Mutants: not available to rent, only buy
One of these things is not like the other. Deadpool expanded the X-Men franchise with a meta, comedic take on comic book action led by Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. Meanwhile, The New Mutants tried to pass the torch with a touch of horror, but it couldn't escape the limitations of the superhero genre. While Deadpool found great box office success, The New Mutants crashed and burned. While Ryan Reynolds will return as the red-suited rascal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The New Mutants will be relegated to the bargain bin.