History YMMV / XMenFilmSeries

* [[Monster/MatvelFilms Complete Monster]]

* CompleteMonster: [[YMMV/XMenOriginsWolverine William Stryker]]; [[YMMV/XMenFirstClass Sebastian Shaw]]; [[YMMV/Deadpool2016 Ajax]]; [[YMMV/XMenApocalypse Apocalypse]]; [[YMMV/{{Logan}} Dr. Zander Rice and Donald Pierce]]; [[YMMV/DarkPhoenix Vuk]]. See those pages for details.

** The casting of Henry Zaga as Sunspot and Alice Braga as Cecilia Reyes in ''Film/TheNewMutants'' has lead to considerable backlash and accusations of whitewashing. Although Zaga is from Brazil, Sunspot is ''Afro''-Brazilian, and his origin specifically has him being discriminated against for his African features. Likewise, Reyes is Afro-Latina. Both Zaga and Braga fall more under AmbiguouslyBrown (being olive skinned and light enough to appear somewhat white under some shades). The reaction to Braga's casting is further fueled by the fact she is replacing the much better-received Creator/RosarioDawson, who had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with ''Series/LukeCage2016''.

** ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} is the leader of the team and main character in many of the comics, but he's DemotedToExtra in in ''Film/X2XMenUnited'' and [[spoiler:killed off within a few scenes]] in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand''. This is also seen as a waste of actor Creator/JamesMarsden, who many agree was a pitch-perfect casting choice. An adolescent Scott Summers (portrayed by Creator/TyeSheridan) does have a significant role in ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' and ''Film/XMenDarkPhoenix'', though, so the AlternateTimeline repaired some of the damage.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Probably one of the biggest criticisms laid against these movies is that the SpotlightStealingSquad of Wolverine, Professor X, Magneto and Mystique[[note]]specifically for the ''First Class'' trilogy; she was merely a SatelliteCharacter in the original trilogy[[/note]] take away screen time from several other characters who are deserving of attention. ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} especially is commonly cited as getting the absolute worst of this treatment (and in effect, criminally under-utilizing actor Creator/JamesMarsden, who many agree was a pitch-perfect casting choice), as he's the main character in many of the comics, but he's DemotedToExtra in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'', and he wasn't a major character in ''Film/X2XMenUnited''. An adolescent Scott Summers (portrayed by Creator/TyeSheridan) does have a significant role in ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' and ''Film/XMenDarkPhoenix'', though, so the AlternateTimeline appears to be repaired some of the damage. Though his character is still very much secondary compared to Professor X, Magneto, Mystique and Jean.
** ComicBook/{{Storm}} is an especially painful example of this. She’s the easily the most iconic black female superhero and generally one of Marvel Comics’s most celebrated leading ladies, however her role in the first trilogy and new timeline films left much to be desired with her character as barring a couple of cool moments (e.g frying Toad with lightning) she was mainly there for widow dressing being firmly on the sidelines, even when Creator/HalleBerry (who is a oscar winner) pushed for a bigger role in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'' she was still at best only Wolverine’s sidekick. ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' and ''Film/XMenDarkPhoenix'' (where she was recast with Alexandra Shipp) likewise don’t do much with her character with the former film reducing her to a HeroWorshipper of Mystique who becomes a UnwittingPawn of Apocalypse and in the latter film she is once again a side character. Her mutant powers additionally get a massive amount of AdaptationalWimp with only her lightning being noteworthy. This treatment of Storm is only more upsetting, considering the [=MCU=] had pushed its iconic black characters (as well as more minor ones) fully into the limelight with films like ''Film/BlackPanther2018''. Fans can only hope Marvel Studios will be able to do the same with Ororo sooner or later.
** ComicBook/{{Rogue}} is another commonly cited example of this within the films, though less to do with her importance in the story (she has a fairly major role in the first film) and more to do with how her character was portrayed. Comic Rogue is a iconically badass female FlyingBrick who’s right up the with likes of Wonder Woman and the aspects people like about her character that she’s sassy and confident whilst also having a great vulnerability and tragedy (something exemplified in the [[WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries 90s cartoon]]) is lost in the films which only highlight her TroubledTeen IJustWantToBeNormal sadness and [[AdaptationalWimp none]] of the cooler ActionGirl traits that make up the bulk of her character. Worse still ''Last Stand'' thanks to a change in directors has Rogue cure herself of her powers rather than choose not as originally planned. Even the ReCut of ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' which features Rogue more prominently (after enough fan outcry over this trope) still only has Rogue as a damsel to be rescued and plot device to take over Kitty’s role of sending Wolverine’s mind to the past. Like with Storm, the [=MCU=] has shown how wasted Rogue was in the Fox films, with her rival ComicBook/CarolDanvers (whom Rogue got her powers from) getting [[Film/CaptainMarvel2019 a massive push]] as a powerful heroine. Creator/AnnaPaquin shared the fans disappointment saying she really wanted to fly and kick some ass at some point.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Probably one of the biggest criticisms laid against these movies is that the SpotlightStealingSquad of Wolverine, Professor X, Magneto and Mystique[[note]]specifically for the ''First Class'' trilogy; she was merely a SatelliteCharacter in the original trilogy[[/note]] take away screen time from several other characters who are deserving of attention. ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} especially is commonly cited as getting the absolute worst of this treatment (and in effect, criminally under-utilizing actor Creator/JamesMarsden, who many agree was a pitch-perfect casting choice), as he's the main character in many of the comics, but he's DemotedToExtra in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'', and he wasn't a major character in ''Film/X2XMenUnited''. An adolescent Scott Summers (portrayed by Creator/TyeSheridan) does have a significant role in ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' and ''Film/XMenDarkPhoenix '', though, so the AlternateTimeline appears to be repaired some of the damage. Though his character is still very much secondary compared to Professor X, Magneto, Mystique and Jean.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Probably one of the biggest criticisms laid against these movies is that the SpotlightStealingSquad of Wolverine, Professor X, Magneto and Mystique[[note]]specifically for the ''First Class'' trilogy; she was merely a SatelliteCharacter in the original trilogy[[/note]] take away screen time from several other characters who are deserving of attention. ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} especially is commonly cited as getting the absolute worst of this treatment (and in effect, criminally under-utilizing actor Creator/JamesMarsden, who many agree was a pitch-perfect casting choice), as he's the main character in many of the comics, but he's DemotedToExtra in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'', and he wasn't a major character in ''Film/X2XMenUnited''. An adolescent Scott Summers (portrayed by Creator/TyeSheridan) does have a significant role in ''Film/XMenApocalypse'', though, so the AlternateTimeline appears to be repairing some of the damage.

*** This is Kodi Smit-[=McPhee=]'s assessment of Nightcrawler from the May 2016 issue of ''Empire''.

** Specifically for Professor X, it has become so ''ingrained'' into the minds of viewers that he should speak with an English accent that Creator/HarryLloyd portrayed him as a full-blooded Englishman in ''{{Series/Legion|2017}}'' (which is set in an AlternateUniverse that's separate from the Fox films) instead of an American, or even half-British, half-American like the Creator/PatrickStewart-Creator/JamesMcAvoy version. In ''Film/DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness'', the character is TruerToTheText, yet the Received Pronunciation accent is retained instead of being replaced by an American one (and the role was reprised by Stewart, no less).

** ''Film/{{Deadpool 2016}}'': Colossus' first couple scenes have him eating cereal out of a bowl at least three sizes too small for him and lecturing his ward on the importance of eating breakfast in the morning. Near the end of the film, he catches a ride with Deadpool in Dopinder's cab--he's squished in the backseat next to Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and he's casually sipping a drink from a cup that's probably normal-sized, but comically small in his giant hands.

** In the prequel films, none of the characters age much across the several decades, which some fans handwaved as a result of them being mutants. However, Moira threw a wrench in this fan theory due to her being a baseline human who also didn't age at all between the 60s and 80s... which makes the retcon in the ''[[ComicBook/JonathanHickmansXMen House of X]]'' comics that she's not only a mutant herself, but an exceptionally powerful one as well, an amusing reveal. Now the mutant aging fan-theory has no holes!

** Also, up till then, superhero films tended to be star-driven vehicles in order to avoid a perceived comic-book ghetto; you needed a $20-million headliner like Creator/JackNicholson, Creator/ValKilmer or Creator/WesleySnipes to pull in a mass audience, and ones that didn't, like ''Film/{{The Phantom|1996}}'' and ''Film/TheRocketeer'', got destroyed at the box office. Here, the two biggest under-50 names were Creator/HalleBerry and Creator/AnnaPaquin, both supporting characters (and both ''women'') and two of the three central leads were played by aged Shakespearean actors, while the other was an Australian unknown in Hugh Jackman. Nowadays, especially in the TurnOfTheMillennium and TheNewTens movie landscape where star vehicles have given way to ensemble pieces driven by premise and spectacle, superhero films have few qualms about casting [[Film/{{Thor}} unknown actors]] or [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy actors who had never headlined a blockbuster before]], knowing that the property will sell itself and the movies will propel the actors to further heights instead of the other way around.

* CompleteMonster: [[YMMV/XMenOriginsWolverine William Stryker]];[[YMMV/XMenFirstClass Sebastian Shaw]]; [[YMMV/Deadpool2016 Ajax]]; [[YMMV/XMenApocalypse Apocalypse]]; [[YMMV/{{Logan}} Dr. Zander Rice and Donald Pierce]]; [[YMMV/DarkPhoenix Vuk]]. See those pages for details.

** [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Raven Darkhölme]], better known as [[Characters/XMenFilmSeriesMystique Mystique]], is [[Characters/XMenFilmSeriesProfessorCharlesXavier Charles Xavier's]] adopted sister and Magneto's right-hand woman with the power to shapeshift into anyone, who joined Erik after his falling out with Charles. [[Film/XMen1 Kidnapping Senator Kelly]] by pretending to be his aide, Mystique later tricks Rogue into running away from the mansion by making her believe everyone there has turned on her, and sabotages Cerebro as everyone is distracted. Engaging Logan in a fight within the Statue of Liberty, Mystique gets the upper hand several times, evades capture, and takes Kelly's place in the government. [[Film/X2XMenUnited Discovering William Stryker]] is in charge of holding Magneto, Mystique sneaks into his office in order to learn where Magneto is being held before ensuring his escape by putting iron in his prison guard's blood. Later joining the X-Men in taking down Stryker, Raven even takes the lead by infiltrating the dam by using her powers, before trying to force Charles to kill all humans. Truly believing in Erik's goal, and with some of the best fighting abilities in the series, Mystique lives life by her personal motto, "Mutant and proud."

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: While the source material is well-known, the movies have had a major impact on how general audiences picture the X-Men. Many fans who were introduced to the franchise via the films believe that ComicBook/{{Rogue}} is a timid teenager who steals other people's superpowers, that [[Characters/MarvelComicsProfessorX Charles Xavier]] is a kindly old British schoolmaster, that ComicBook/{{Magneto}} is a grey-haired old man named "Erik Lehnsherr", that ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} is a TallDarkAndHandsome loner, and that ComicBook/{{Mystique}} is Magneto's loyal female minion.[[note]] In the comics, Rogue is a sexy and confident [[HeelFaceTurn former supervillain]] who could [[FlyingBrick fly and punch through walls]] for most of her history, Charles Xavier is an ''American'' political activist with a strong manipulative streak, Magneto is a young and muscular [[WhiteHairBlackHeart white-haired man]] named "Max Eisenhardt" ("Erik Lehnsherr" is one of his many aliases), Wolverine is a scruffy-looking loner who's often the butt of jokes for [[TheNapoleon his short stature]], and Mystique is a [[ChronicBackStabbingDisorder treacherous and slippery]] spy and assassin who led her own supervillain team for most of her history.[[/note]]

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: While the source material is well-known, the movies have had a major impact on how general audiences picture the X-Men. Many people are likely to picture ComicBook/{{Rogue}} as a timid teenager who steals other people's superpowers, and they're likely believe that Charles Xavier is a kindly old British schoolmaster, that ComicBook/{{Magneto}} is a grey-haired old man named "Erik Lehnsherr", that ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} is a TallDarkAndHandsome loner, and that ComicBook/{{Mystique}} is Magneto's loyal female minion.[[note]] In the comics, Rogue is a sexy and confident [[HeelFaceTurn former supervillain]] who could [[FlyingBrick fly and punch through walls]] for most of her history, Charles Xavier is an ''American'' political activist with a strong manipulative streak, Magneto is a young and muscular [[WhiteHairBlackHeart white-haired man]] named "Max Eisenhardt" ("Erik Lehnsherr" is one of his many aliases), Wolverine is a scruffy-looking loner who's often the butt of jokes for [[TheNapoleon his short stature]], and Mystique is a [[ChronicBackStabbingDisorder treacherous and slippery]] spy and assassin who led her own supervillain team for most of her history.[[/note]]

* [[SignatureScene/XMenFilmSeries Signature Scene]]

** ComicBook/{{Magneto}}, real name [[Characters/XMenFilmSeriesMagneto Erik Lehnsherr]], is equally magnificent in both timelines:

** [[Characters/XMenFilmSeriesMystique Raven Darkhölme]], better known as ComicBook/{{Mystique}}, is [[Characters/XMenFilmSeriesProfessorCharlesXavier Charles Xavier's]] adopted sister and Magneto's right-hand woman with the power to shapeshift into anyone, who joined Erik after his falling out with Charles. [[Film/XMen1 Kidnapping Senator Kelly]] by pretending to be his aide, Mystique later tricks Rogue into running away from the mansion by making her believe everyone there has turned on her, and sabotages Cerebro as everyone is distracted. Engaging Logan in a fight within the Statue of Liberty, Mystique gets the upper hand several times, evades capture, and takes Kelly's place in the government. [[Film/X2XMenUnited Discovering William Stryker]] is in charge of holding Magneto, Mystique sneaks into his office in order to learn where Magneto is being held before ensuring his escape by putting iron in his prison guard's blood. Later joining the X-Men in taking down Stryker, Raven even takes the lead by infiltrating the dam by using her powers, before trying to force Charles to kill all humans. Truly believing in Erik's goal, and with some of the best fighting abilities in the series, Mystique lives life by her personal motto, "Mutant and proud."

* EndingAversion: ''Film/DarkPhoenix'' was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews by professional critics and a lukewarm reception by fans. Some found the last entry in the main franchise to be merely disappointing, while others push it into FanonDiscontinuity and credit either ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' or ''Film/{{Logan}}'' as the proper finale. The final released film of the series, ''Film/TheNewMutants'', was met with similarly poor reactions.

* MemeticBadass: Quicksilver, ''especially'' when compared to the MCU version.

* CompleteMonster: [[YMMV/XMenFirstClass Sebastian Shaw]]; [[YMMV/Deadpool2016 Ajax]]; [[YMMV/XMenApocalypse Apocalypse]]; [[YMMV/{{Logan}} Dr. Zander Rice and Donald Pierce]]; [[YMMV/DarkPhoenix Vuk]]. See those pages for details.

* DorkAge:
** Both ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'' and ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' fall under this, with the dip in quality being blamed on {{Executive Meddl|ing}}er Tom Rothman, the executive working at Twentieth Century Fox when those two films [[note]]along with ''Film/FantasticFour2005'' and ''[[Film/FantasticFour2005 Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer]]'', which are similarly derided by Marvel fans[[/note]] were made. Rothman was responsible for Creator/BryanSinger's departure for the third movie, as well as the many woes faced in the TroubledProduction for the first spin-off. Both movies are widely considered to be the worst out of the entire series and most of the movies that followed (''Film/XMenFirstClass'', ''Film/TheWolverine'', ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'', ''Film/Deadpool2016'', ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' and eventually ''Film/DarkPhoenix'') were specifically written to right the wrongs that had happened under Rothman's watch (as he'd been let go by the company in the middle of 2012).
** A second DorkAge arrived with the main series in the latter half of the [=2010s=] with ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' and ''Film/DarkPhoenix'', both of which underperformed significantly at the box office, were panned by critics, and were divisive with fans. However, this only applies to the main series, whereas the spin-offs (both ''Film/{{Deadpool|2016}}'' [[Film/Deadpool2 movies]] and ''Film/{{Logan}}'') are held in high regard -- with the exception of ''Film/TheNewMutants'', which got a critical lashing on a level comparable to ''Dark Phoenix''. This unfortunately left the series ending on a low note from a commercial and audience standpoint as well, and no chance for Fox to WinBackTheCrowd due to Disney's acquisition of the company.

* CantUnhearIt: Several including, Creator/PatrickStewart or Creator/JamesMcAvoy as Xavier, Creator/IanMcKellen or Creator/MichaelFassbender as ComicBook/{{Magneto}}, Creator/HughJackman as ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}, Creator/AlanCumming as ComicBook/{{Nightcrawler}} and Creator/KelseyGrammer as ComicBook/{{Beast}} to name a few.

** In the prequel films, none of the characters age much across the several decades, which some fans handwaved as a result of them being mutants. However, Moira through a wrench in this fan theory due to her being a baseline human who also didn't age at all between the 60s and 80s... which makes the retcon in the

* HarsherInHindsight: A meta example: Creator/HughJackman was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2013. Cancer is cell growth taken to dangerous and uncontrollable levels. [[HealingFactor Now consider what Hugh Jackman spends a lot of time doing as Wolverine...]] Also, cancer is caused by mutation. Cancer also plays a big part in Deadpool's origin story as well.

** In the premiere episode of ''Series/MacGyver2016'' (which stars Creator/LucasTill as the titular hero), Vinnie Jones was cast as a baddie, so it's funny to see Havok and the Juggernaut face off in a non-superpowered scenario.

** This is not the last time that Creator/AnnaPaquin [[Series/TrueBlood would play a Southern woman with special powers]].
** ''[[ComicBook/JonathanHickmansXMen House of X]]'' comics that she's not only a mutant herself, but an exceptionally powerful one as well, an amusing reveal. Now the mutant aging fan-theory has no holes!

** In the prequel films, none of the characters age much across the several decades, which some fans handwaved as a result of them being mutants. However, Moira through a wrench in this fan theory due to her being a baseline human who also didn't age at all between the 60s and 80s... which makes the retcon in the ''[[ComicBook/JonathanHickmansXMen House of X]]'' comics that she's not only a mutant herself, but an exceptionally powerful one as well, an amusing reveal. Now the mutant aging fan-theory has no holes!

* LGBTFanbase: ''X-Men'' has always been a series about empowering the marginalized, but this particular iteration of the franchise, having many of its installments directed by an openly-bisexual man (Bryan Singer) and starring openly-gay actors (Ian [=McKellen=] and Elliot Page), has been associated with the gay community in spite of having very few open LGBT relationships shown onscreen (HoYay and HomoeroticSubtext notwithstanding). Considering that the main movies were made with a gay allegory in mind ("Have you tried ''not'' being a Mutant?") and that the film series came out around the time that popular culture was becoming vastly more accepting of the LGBT community, this isn't too surprising. Unfortunately, sexual assault allegations against Bryan Singer have since hurt this franchise's image with gay fans.

* MagnificentBastard: ComicBook/{{Magneto}}, real name [[Characters/XMenFilmSeriesMagneto Erik Lehnsherr]], is equally magnificent in both timelines:
** In the original timeline, Erik Lehnsherr is a Holocaust survivor [[FreudianExcuse who believes mutants will suffer the same injustices]] unless they strike first to establish mutant superiority. Founding the Brotherhood of Mutants as Magneto, [[Film/XMen1 he later kidnaps Senator Kelly]] to test his machine that turns humans into mutants like him, while also having Mystique take Kelly's place in the government. Magneto plans to use Rogue to power the machine, and later captures her by having Mystique convince her that Xavier and the rest of the school have turned against her. [[Film/X2XMenUnited Imprisoned and forced to help William Stryker]], Magneto escapes and joins forces with the X-Men to stop him, before using Stryker’s son to try to force Charles to kill all non-mutants. [[Film/XMenTheLastStand Magneto uses Jean Grey to attack the Worthington Labs]] facility making a mutant cure, even at the cost of Charles's life, something that saddens him greatly. Though temporally depowered, [[Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast Magneto later returns to help save the world from the Sentinels]] and reconciles with Charles, before helping send Logan back in time to prevent the BadFuture.
** In the Reboot Timeline, Erik "Magneto" Lehnsherr is [[Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast broken out of the Pentagon]] by Charles and a time traveling Logan and agrees to help them stop Raven from inadvertently causing a Bad Future by killing Bolivar Trask, before attempting to kill her for the greater good. When this fails, Erik steals the plans for the Sentinels and fuses metal to them, so he can use them to attack the White House and try to kill President Richard Nixon. [[Film/XMenApocalypse Going into hiding and starting a family]], Erik is found out and his family is killed, killing the men who did so for revenge before joining Apocalypse. Erik later betrays Apocalypse and helps the X-Men beat him, departing on good terms with his old friend and starting the island of Genosha, as a refuge for mutants to live in peace. [[Film/DarkPhoenix When Jean arrives at Genosha]] seeking his help controlling her rage, Erik agrees and later saves a military helicopter from her. Learning that Jean accidentally killed Raven, Erik leads his forces, along with Hank, in attempt to kill her, using a train to get into the building Jean is in. Later, Erik leads the united forces to keep the D'Bari busy while Charles reaches out to Jean. Tracking Charles to Paris, Erik ends the series engaging his friend in a friendly game of chess.

* MagnificentBastard: ComicBook/{{Magneto}}, real name Erik Lehnsherr, is a Holocaust survivor [[FreudianExcuse who believes mutants will suffer the same injustices]] unless they strike first to establish mutant superiority. Using his charisma and promises of freedom and acceptance to rally like-minded mutants to his side, Magneto forms the Brotherhood of Mutants with the goal of seeking mutant dominance over the world through any means necessary, even if he must cause the mass death or forced mutation of multiple humans. Yet he is calm, affable, and soft-spoken, regarding Charles Xavier as an old friend despite their ideological differences, and willing to work with the X-men against threats to all mutantkind when they arise. Between his careful plotting, his powerful mutant abilities, and his willingness to go as far as he must to ensure mutantkind's safety from humans, Magneto repeatedly demonstrates himself the most complex and competent foe Xavier and the X-men would ever face.