A Timeline of X-Men Movies vs Superhero Movies

12 min readOct 23, 2022

Promotional artwork for ‘X-Men 2’ | 20th Century Fox

Recently I’ve done something I ordinarily avoid; I’ve looked back on my own work. Usually when I finish an article it’s thrown into the void and I never look back, because hindsight would cause me to collapse in on myself like a dying star. Thankfully I haven’t strayed too far, I’ve just been thinking about one article. Earlier this year I ranked every X-Men film, however I missed a trick. I looked at the franchise in isolation, which only paints a partial picture. What enhances our understanding is examining how X-Men performed against other superhero films.

It’s important to consider the timeline, and what was happening in the landscape of superhero films at any given point. It shows my age, but I remember a time before the MCU’s unfair monopoly of the comic book movie market. Fox’s X-Men franchise built a shared cinematic universe years before, and it’s important not to lose sight of that. A lack of respect for comic book properties was (and still is) entrenched in Hollywood, so making an X-Men film was a bold move which ultimately paid off.

Considering X-Men kick-started the modern craze of superhero films we’re still in, it’s fascinating to track how the franchise performed within the genre. So I’ve run through the timeline of significant superhero film releases, and explored how the X-Men were performing i.e. were they setting a trend, following a trend or off trend completely. I’ve not tracked the entire history of superhero films, I’ve ducked in when the first X-Men released, then exited when the franchise ended.

So, let’s borrow Cable’s body slide technology, and slide back 22 years.

2000 - ‘X-Men’

The fire is lit at a time when superhero films weren’t happening (excluding Blade two years prior). Superman hadn’t been used since 1987, Batman had been buried by Joel Schumacher, and Marvel were nowhere to be seen. It’s a fitting metaphor; the next step in evolution starting the new era of superhero films.
Characters like Batman, Spider-Man and X-Men had thrived in animated series, but remained absent from the big screen.
2002 - Blade II released, AKA the best of the trilogy.
2002 - Spider-Man released, with a fantastic reception worldwide. Thus, the fire spreads.

2003 - ‘X-Men 2’

Despite being early in the franchise, this exemplified how to make a great sequel: improve upon the original.
Daredevil and Hulk released. Daredevil flopped and made the character a tainted property for years. Hulk was a bold attempt, but not great.
2004 - Spider-Man 2 and Hellboy released, proving audiences could expect more from superhero films. Catwoman and Blade: Trinity also released, proving audiences shouldn’t expect too much every time.
2004 - Pixar released The Incredibles, an undisputed masterpiece, and a high point most films still can’t reach.
2005 - Batman Begins elevated the genre and resurrected Batman, indicating redemption through rebooting is possible. Fantastic Four was ill-advised and goofy, suggesting not all heroes translate well on screen. Finally, Elektra is a film everyone (including Jennifer Garner) would rather forget, proving spin-offs are best avoided.

2006 - ‘X-Men 3: The Last Stand’

Rough territory was abruptly hit. The third instalment was universally criticised. A combination of butchering a coveted comic book (‘The Dark Phoenix Saga’), decreased quality of storytelling and increased audience expectations. Cashing in on sequels and delivering lower quality over time proves a bad strategy.
Superman Returns released, which ironically Bryan Singer directed after stepping down from the X-Men franchise. Both films were an exercise in misunderstanding the audience.
2007 - Ghost Rider, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and Spider-Man 3 released to mixed / negative reviews. The latter two tested the rationale filmmakers took with sequels. In particular, Spider-Man 3 proved that bigger does not mean better.
2008 - The Dark Knight, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and Iron Man released, injecting a much needed boost to the genre after some sloppy sequels. Iron Man started the MCU, and The Dark Knight became one of the biggest films of all time. The superhero genre reached new heights, so X-Men were playing catch up.
2008 - The Incredible Hulk released. It was “incredible” in name only.

2009 - ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’

An unnecessary spin-off which is still baffling to this day. A popular character isn’t enough to sell a film, you actually need a good script.
Watchmen released, which was a darker, wildcard choice. This said more about the filmmaker than audience appetite. Adapting a graphic novel which was designed to be unadaptable was a stupid move.
2010 - Iron Man 2 was a dent in the emerging MCU. A noticeable trend of disappointing sequels continues, which X-Men started.
2010 - Kick-Ass was a surprise R-rated hit. Storytellers started to play with the genre in a subversive way. People could freely take the piss, as audiences became wise to tropes and lazy storytelling.

‘X-Men: First Class’ (2011) | 20th Century Fox

2011 - ‘X-Men: First Class’

Making a prequel was a good way to softly reboot and gain a second life. Audiences got a kick out of seeing character backstory, and the novelty of a new generation cast.
This was a bad year to be green. DC’s Green Lantern and Dynamite’s Green Hornet both self-destructed. They were more niche properties, which can’t be abruptly introduced.
Marvel didn’t have a great year either. Captain America: The First Avenger was semi-fun, but Thor was boring and flat. The MCU was expanding, but not every character was an instant hit. While new properties faced challenges, X-Men inadvertently gained time to re-strategise and adapt.
2012 - Ignoring Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, this was another big year. Sam Raimi’s fourth Spider-Man morphed into The Amazing Spider-Man, a reboot which wasn’t the home run Sony expected. The MCU delivered their first big team-up, Avengers Assemble, and Christopher Nolan concluded his Batman trilogy with The Dark Knight Rises. The popularity of superhero films increased further, despite various studios crafting different stories. X-Men was still safe in their prequel / soft reboot.

2013 - ‘The Wolverine’

Although not a huge success, this wasn’t as bad as Origins. Fan response was unenthusiastic. Just putting the character on screen wasn’t enough. Audiences loved Wolverine, but didn’t like what Fox were doing.
Kick-Ass 2 killed any prospect of Kick-Ass 3 by springing its own traps.
Marvel had another mixed year. Thor couldn’t catch a break as Thor: The Dark World became an MCU low point. On the other hand, Iron Man 3 was a return to form. Similar to X-Men, sequels were a minefield for other franchises.
DC released Man of Steel, the first instalment of their DCEU. It completely split audiences and remains a sore spot among fans. This was the start of DC being used as a shield, taking bullets which could’ve otherwise hit the MCU or X-Men films had they been more controversial. The Wolverine ultimately didn’t suffer too much damage because audiences were in agreement over its quality. Interesting to note a polarising film could face more damage than a shoddy film.

2014 - ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’

An example of X-Men being on trend. Releasing between the first and second Avengers films, Days of Future Past was a neat spin on the growing popularity of big ensemble events. Utilising both generations of actors was genius, and the ending left the franchise open by resetting continuity. This also laid groundwork for time travel shenanigans, which Avengers: Endgame later used.
Marvel released the masterful spy thriller Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and took a risk with Guardians of the Galaxy. Both were fresh and well executed, and offered something different from other superhero films. They gave an existing hero some much needed development, and made a huge success from an obscure property. The MCU tightened their grip on the market by doing things no one else was.
Sony released The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which somehow doubled down on mistakes made with Spider-Man 3. Again, bigger doesn’t mean better, and a good character doesn’t guarantee a good film. X-Men were safely aboard a life raft, as audiences became more critical. The MCU had increased quality, which set high standards for the competition.
2015 - An interesting year for Marvel. Avengers: Age of Ultron was lukewarm, however Ant-Man was fresh and exciting. Interestingly, their risk yielded better results than their low hanging fruit. X-Men had already upped their game, and they’d have to continue an upward trajectory to keep up with audiences who valued seeing something new.
2015 - Fox released Fantastic Four (AKA Fant4stic) which was a colossal bin fire. Rebooting is clearly not always an option.
2015 - Although not X-Men territory, another influential trend was the rise of TV series like Daredevil.

2016 - ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ & ‘Deadpool’

Apocalypse released at an intriguing time. 2016 was the year of ensemble superhero films, all achieving varying degrees of success:

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Hugely divisive. Boasting big characters and taking inspiration from a famous comic book aren’t a substitute for organically growing an extended universe. Making seven films in one was a laughably terrible mistake.
Captain America: Civil War - Very popular and well executed. Basically offered everything the above film lacked. An exercise in entertainment rather than endurance.
Suicide Squad - An undisputed disaster. Dysfunctional team-ups can be fun, especially with a great cast, but even casual viewers spotted terrible storytelling a mile away.
X-Men: Apocalypse - Not great. The franchise shouldn’t have fallen apart again so quickly after their reset, but this was a bloated mess. However, it was on trend, and being rubbish was less sinful than being divisive.

Fox took a risk and released the R-rated Deadpool. Similar had been done for other independent comic book adaptations, but it wasn’t normal practice for Marvel or DC. Spoiler alert: it worked. It was the first to achieve success on such a big scale, with great reviews and high box office returns. It would inspire other films that followed.
Doctor Strange also released, which opened a new area of the MCU. It was off trend, but a better film than most in 2016.

2017 - ‘Logan’

Best in the franchise. It transcended audience expectations of comic book films. It was mature, violent and entertaining, but also emotional and character driven. Crucially, it broke free from genre constraints by allowing its characters to have a third act. This was the first and only comic book film like this, a true ‘lightning in a bottle’ experience.
DC also had a huge hit with Wonder Woman, which made audiences clap and cheer worldwide. This film was aware of the time its living in, delivering powerful representation which should have happened a long time ago. While the DCEU were making many missteps, they beat the MCU to their first female led film, and did it much better.
Marvel had a solid year. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 was disappointing but still fun, however, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Thor: Ragnarok became two of the best MCU films. Both proved past mistakes didn’t matter. If the ongoing quality of storytelling was solid and audiences could emotionally invest in characters, then it kept the magic alive.
The Lego Batman Movie unironically became one of the best Batman films, simultaneously respecting and mocking the lore.
2017 was a great year for fans of comic book films. Unrelated, but Justice League also released.

2018 - ‘Deadpool 2'

This was a misfire. At a time when audiences saw some damn good storytelling, Fox cashed in on a sequel which was half as good. Perhaps Fox were unaware of the genre landscape or what audiences wanted.
Marvel Studios released Ant-Man and the Wasp, which was an unremarkable sequel, however they released two great films. Avengers: Infinity War gave a masterclass in comic book ensemble storytelling, but the real standout was Black Panther. That film became a massive cultural moment, which is still rippling down the years. Not that awards mean anything, but at a time when Fox were cashing in on a messy sequel, Black Panther won Oscars and had people talking about superhero films in a totally different way. The genre was changing, but Fox clearly weren’t aware. They were plodding along delivering more of the same, while elsewhere cinematic history was made.
DC released Aquaman, which ditched their signature washed out colour palette, in favour of vibrant colours, well polished action, and characters which weren’t one dimensional. It fit more with a trend the MCU was steering.
Pixar released The Incredibles 2, which didn’t live up to the original.
Sony released the confusing hit Venom. Arguably this wouldn’t have happened without Deadpool and Logan proving audiences had an appetite for rogue R-rated comic book films.
Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse released. This wasn’t merely a great Spider-Man film or a great superhero film, this was one of the greatest films ever made. The multiverse would later become the focus of the MCU’s next big saga, and it has Spider-Verse to thank.

2019 - ‘X-Men: Dark Phoenix’

As if Apocalypse wasn’t low enough, Fox kept going. Hoping audiences had forgotten past sins, they opted for a second attempt at ‘The Dark Phoenix Saga.’ It was somehow worse. By this point Fox weren’t reading the room at all, and were taking blind stabs.
The MCU’s year was mixed. Captain Marvel was their first female led film, however it felt like any other Marvel film rather than the momentous occasion it should’ve been. Avengers: Endgame became one of the most popular films of all time, and Spider-Man: Far From Home closed off Phase 3 with another solid web slinging adventure. Although, Endgame felt more like a final chapter and Far From Home would’ve been better placed as the opening of Phase 4, but we move.
DC had a surprisingly good year. Shazam once again showed the advantages of borrowing tricks from Marvel regarding levity, but the real surprise was Joker. Making a serious, gritty film which wasn’t bogged down by continuity proved to be a huge success at the box office and during awards season. It diverted from normal superhero films, and tipped its hat to Deadpool and Logan in gratitude.
Dark Horse released Hellboy, however this reboot absolutely tanked.
Outside of the cinema, Amazon released season one of The Boys, a harsh critique of superhero culture. It was incredibly popular, particularly among those who aren’t fans of superhero franchises.
Around this time (2018/2019), news hit that 20th Century Fox had been bought by Disney. X-Men and Fantastic Four could eventually be used in the MCU, thus the X-Men franchise would shortly end.

2020 - ‘New Mutants’

New Mutants was a second expert opinion, which confirmed the X-Men body was in fact dead. The inconsistent tone, under-cooked characters and inconsequential story made this another doomed spin-off for the X-Men. Despite Covid disrupting film releases in 2020, including MCU projects, New Mutants was somehow one of the few which made it. Coincidentally it echoed the bleak image of reality at the time.
Valiant comics found their way to the screen with Bloodshot. Count yourself lucky if you didn’t see it.
DC book-ended the year. Birds of Prey got 2020 off to a fantastic start, offering a bombastic and fun Harley Quinn story. However, in December Wonder Woman 1984 received negative reviews more characteristic with what we’ve come to expect for DC films. A familiar sight, just in time for Christmas.

The X-Men franchise was not perfect in terms of quality, yet it perfectly encapsulates the superhero franchise journey. A great start, numerous sequels which vary in quality, prequels, failed spin-offs, high points which go further than the limitations of the genre, and then outstaying their welcome in dismal fashion. It was an inconsistent journey, with violent fluctuations. They kick-started the new boom of superhero films, but the MCU and other franchises soon started fighting for dominance and influencing audience expectations. The X-Men franchise lost its way, but there were numerous high points and we still have a lot to thank them for. The fact they carried on fighting until 2020 before literally being bought out by the competition shows they had enough momentum and enough fans to go down swinging. The ending was a car crash, but it was their car crash.

X-Men spent 20 years bouncing between being on trend, missing trends, occasionally setting trends, and barely keeping their head above water. In a way, that encapsulates the X-Men. Because who are they? A group of outsiders, who seldom flirt with being accepted in society, and are predominantly an allegory for the mistreatment of marginalised groups, and anyone who feels they don’t belong. The misfits. The weirdos. The freaks. People who don’t walk to the same beat as the mainstream, who don’t dress the same or think the same. Come one, come all! There’s a welcoming set of arms to be found among the mutants!

Does that sound like a group who give a shit about being on trend?

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