History Heartwarming / XMenDaysOfFuturePast

!!Meta

* Hearing John Ottman's X-Men theme for the first time in 11 years brought a smile to the faces of every fan who loves ''Film/X2XMenUnited''.
* It cannot be emphasized enough how wonderful it felt to many fans to see ''X3'' "undone" by the timeline change at the end of the movie, 8 years after having to watch several beloved characters killed off (in what were widely regarded as poor, undeserved deaths). Compounded with the joy Logan clearly feels in-universe at seeing his world "restored", it truly captures the feeling of hope even after many years of despair, like a warm blanket after a long time out in the cold.
** On the flip side, fans of the films between ''Film/X2XMenUnited'' and ''Film/XMenFirstClass'' (or continuity in general) might feel very happy that they were not discarded so flippantly. They serve a very good narrative purpose in the context of ''Days of Future Past'', especially considering the film's theme: "Just because you stumble doesn't mean you're lost forever." Seeing those clips when Xavier reads Wolverine's mind is a good example of its powerful usage.
* Both Patrick Stewart and Ian [=McKellen=] were surprised when Bryan Singer approached them directly about the movie (during a theater production of ''Theatre/WaitingForGodot'' that the two were appearing in) as they thought the roles of Xavier and Magneto had been passed to James [=McAvoy=] and Michael Fassbender, and that they themselves would never play the roles again. According to [=McKellen=] himself, when he and Stewart learned otherwise, they were delighted and signed on right away, eager to play the parts again and to work with the younger cast.

* It cannot be emphasized enough how wonderful it felt to many fans to see X3 "undone" by the timeline change at the end of the movie, 8 years after having to watch several beloved characters killed off (in what were widely regarded as poor, undeserved deaths). Compounded with the joy Logan clearly feels in-universe at seeing his world "restored", it truly captures the feeling of hope even after many years of despair, like a warm blanket after a long time out in the cold.
** On the flip side, fans of the films between X-Men 2 and X-Men First Class (or continuity in general) might feel very happy that they were not discarded so flippantly. They serve a very good narrative purpose in the context of Days of Future Past, especially considering the film's theme of "just because you stumble, doesn't mean you're lost forever." Seeing those clips being used when Xavier reads Wolverine's mind is a good example of its powerful usage.
* Both Patrick Stewart and Ian [=McKellen=] were surprised when Bryan Singer approached them directly about the movie (during a theater production of Waiting For Godot that the two were appearing in) as they thought the roles of Xavier and Magneto had been passed to James [=McAvoy=] and Michael Fassbender, and that they themselves would never play the roles again. According to [=McKellen=] himself, when he and Stewart learned otherwise, they were delighted and signed on right away, eager to play the parts again and to work with the younger cast.

* A human Senator pointing out to Trask that if mutants exist, then they are living among humans peacefully. This guy in the 1970's is more tolerant than most of the humans we meet in the 21st century.

* When Logan admit to Charles that he has no idea how to help him and instead redirects him to to the one person he knows who can help anyone.

** Possibly made worse by the fact that, visually at least, the most prominent male mutant with a SkunkStripe (i.e. not Rogue) is a young [[{{ComicBook/Cable}} Nathan Summers a.k.a. Cable]], shown by his younger alternate counterpart [[ComicBook/XMan Nate Grey]]. As the surnames suggest, both versions are the son of Scott and Jean - and while Scott and Jean didn't have children in the films, Nate Grey was canonically bio-engineered as a weapon, and there were other mutants in both families. In other words, this could well be a Grey/Summers relative.

** Before that, Mystique disguised as President Nixon offering herself to be killed by Magneto, in place of Nixon and his entire Cabinet. Then saving them all. Even though she has every reason to hate Nixon's administration for approving the Sentinel programme.

** Before that, Mystique disguised as President Nixon offering herself to be killed by Magneto, in place of Nixon and his entire Cabinet. Then saving them all. Even though she has every reason to hate Nixon's administration for approving the Sentinel program.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/days_of_future_past_heartwarming.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"All those years wasted fighting each other, Charles. To have a precious few of them back..."'']]

-->'''Future!Charles:''' Just because someone stumbles, loses their way, it doesn't mean they're lost forever. Sometimes we all need a little help.

-->'''Magneto''': All those years we wasted fighting each other, Charles. To have a precious few of them back...

--->'''Jean''': Logan, is everything alright?\\
'''Logan''': ...yeah. Yeah, I think it is.

--->'''Charles''': Welcome back.\\
'''Logan''': It's good to see you, Charles. It's good to see everyone.\\
'''Charles''': Well, I had a promise to keep. You and I have a lot of catching up to do.\\
'''Logan''': ''(smiles)'' Yeah.

* Watch Erik carefully in the scene where Peter is rescuing him. You can see that the man really wants to be annoyed with the younger boy because of his attitude, but is restraining himself because A) Said boy is rescuing him, B) Said boy is also a mutant, therefore a brother in arms, and C) depending on how you interperet Peter's MythologyGag, he may or may not be his son.

** Nixon canceling the Sentinel program, and potentially pardoning Mystique.

-->'''Future!Charles:''' Just because somebody someone stumbles, loses their way, it doesn't mean they're lost forever. Sometimes we all need a little help.

* At the very beginning of the film before the title credits, we see a young mutant boy with a streak of white in his hair scavenging among the ruins of the decaying city shortly before a Sentinel catches up. It's a blink-and-you'll miss it sort of moment, but after Logan wakes up in the [[spoiler:Good!Future, we see that same little boy walk past his door in the Xavier school, healthy, seemingly happy, and alive]].

* Mystique saving [[spoiler:four mutants, including Havok and Toad from the horrible fate of being used as lab rats]] shows she's the only one fighting for mutant rights.
* Havok attempting to talk down [[spoiler:Mystique from killing Stryker. She may have abandoned the X-Men, but you can tell he's glad to see her and doesn't want her to pull the trigger.]]
** Not to mention that when leaving, he pauses [[spoiler:and asks, with a small amount of audible sadness, if she is going to leave with them. When she declines and goes to continue her plans,]] you can tell that Havok misses his old friend.

* The younger Charles' paternal side (which he has suppressed for a decade) surfaces for a moment when he assigns Peter a task which requires the latter to behave responsibly (i.e. returning the rental car) and tells him to "take it slow." Quicksilver's grin expresses more than simple amusement at the little joke; he comes from a fatherless household, and he generally disregards any form of authority, but you can sense in that moment that the teen thinks Xavier is a pretty cool guy. [[spoiler:In ''Film/XMenApocalypse'', it turns out that Maximoff hadn't forgotten the Professor's kindness because he chooses Charles to be his ParentalSubstitute instead of building a relationship with his biological father Erik.]]
* Past!Erik asking Charles for a game of chess after they've had a huge argument, and Charles eventually agreeing. Plus, the way they [[spoiler: almost casually say goodbye to each other when Charles lets Erik go after he's tried to ''kill the president'']], starting their strange FriendlyEnemy relationship they'll have most of their lives.
* Although the younger Charles hasn't seen Mystique in 11 years by the time he finds her at the Paris hotel, his first instinct after she is stunned by a Taser is to try to comfort her by caressing her hair and shoulder while telling her that he will keep her safe along with other soothing words. He also stands in between the barrel and his foster sister after [[spoiler:Magneto points a gun in her direction, and Erik later has to use his power to change the bullet's trajectory so that it won't hit Charles in the head]]. Despite their estrangement, Xavier is willing to die for Raven to save her life.

* In a bizarre way, Beast beating the heck out of Magneto and doing his best to drown him [[spoiler: for trying to kill Raven. Hank still cares deeply about her.]]

* Future!Charles talking to [[spoiler: past!Charles and showing him all the good he can do, giving him hope again. And he finally starts acting like the Xavier we all knew.]]
** [[spoiler: One major thing that sticks out in their conversation is that future!Charles ''still'' hasn't given up on humanity. This is a man who has seen the near complete genocide of his species, the deaths of countless numbers of his friends and students, all at the hands of homo sapiens. And he still has faith.]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Future!Charles:''' Just because somebody someone stumbles, loses their way, it doesn't mean they're lost forever. Sometimes we all need a little help.]]

* After Future!Erik[[spoiler: is hit by shrapnel and is dying]], he does not fight the Sentinels but rather strengthens the Barricade.[[spoiler: He uses the last of his strength not to fight his enemy like he's been doing his whole life, but to protect his friends.]]

* [[spoiler:Future!Professor X holding Future!Magneto's hand while the latter is dying. Plus Erik lamenting that they spent so many years fighting each other when they should have been working together.]]
** [[spoiler: This simple gesture, while brief due to the Sentinels about to barge in, shows that whatever difference these two had, they were still friends. And now they have finally buried the hatchet after all these long years. It's sad too, because they know there's nothing else for them since they'll both die soon, but at least they have finally made peace.]]

* Charles [[spoiler: convincing Raven not to shoot Trask by appealing to her better nature. Despite that he could telepathically force her not to do it, Charles lets her make her own choices, stating that he has faith in her. And it works.]]
** Before that, Mystique [[spoiler: disguised as President Nixon offering herself to be killed by Magneto, in place of Nixon and his entire Cabinet. Then saving them all]]. Even though she has every reason to hate Nixon's administration for [[spoiler: approving the Sentinel program]].
** [[spoiler: Before she leaves, Raven looks at Charles and Hank and smiles warmly.]]
** [[spoiler: Nixon canceling the Sentinel program, and potentially pardoning Mystique]].
* The ending, where Wolverine wakes up [[spoiler:in the changed future]].
** [[spoiler: He's walking around like he can't believe he's in such a cheerful and familiar place. Think about it; he spent decades in the BadFuture and now he's back in the closest thing he has to home.]]
** [[spoiler: He's overjoyed to see Jean alive again and even Scott too. "It's good to see you, Scott," is heartfelt considering their adversity in the first two films.]]
** [[spoiler: Just seeing the school bright and whole and full of children again.]]
--->'''[[spoiler:Jean]]''': Logan, is everything alright?\\

** Early in the film Wolverine tells Beast "You don't know this, but you and I are gonna be really good friends." [[spoiler: Even in the changed future this is completely true.]]

** Wolverine [[spoiler:returning from the past to the peaceful, happier timeline of the present and greeting the Professor after seeing Scott and Jean. The way the Professor's face lights up when he realizes that this is the Logan that helped him in the past without any recollection of the last fifty years is full of relief and comfort for both Logan and the audience and a confirmation that Logan's hard work to fix things in the past paid off]].

** For certain shippers, seeing [[spoiler:Bobby and Rogue together again at the end]].
* With the film's explanation that the blue furry form for Beast is him hulking out when he loses control of himself, him being that way all the time [[spoiler:in the future]] could be interpreted as Beast no longer feeling like he needs to hide that he is a mutant.

* Another one laced with a TearJerker: [[spoiler:Past!Charles deciding against using the serum that stops his powers and restores his ability to walk, despite it being the only thing that's kept him going for years. He really does still have hope.]]