What a world! The X-Men franchise is still kicking after nearly two decades of filmmaking. So Us Weekly is taking a look back at the stars who strapped on the superhero suits throughout the years — from their first appearances in the series to now.
X-Men kicked off the 20th Century Fox output in 2000, before Marvel Studios ventured into making their own films. In the first movie, Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, who would become mainstays, were introduced as Wolverine, Professor X and Magneto, respectively.
From there, the blockbuster flicks kept coming, including 2003’s X2, 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, 2011’s X-Men: First Class, 2013’s The Wolverine, 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, 2016’s Deadpool, 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse, 2017’s Logan, 2018’s Deadpool 2 and 2019’s Dark Phoenix.
Amid the onscreen crime-fighting, real friendships formed. Ryan Reynolds and Jackman enjoy a playful frenemy relationship, as evidenced by the Green Lantern star’s hilarious jabs at his pal in the Deadpool sequel. “One person I definitely talked to was Hugh before I threw him over the coals. He’s bigger than me so I for sure let him know we’d be making fun of him a little, but I love him,” the actor told Us exclusively in May 2018. “I’m really trying to see a Wolverine and Deadpool movie.”
Reynolds added of the celeb-targeted jokes: “There’s a little bit of making-fun, but I think everyone sees it for what it is, in the spirit of what it is. Most of the humor is really without teeth.”
Jackman, for one, definitely seems to understand. The actor quipped in a July 2013 interview with The Sun that he wears his Wolverine costume during sex. “The sheets we go through …” he joked. “Oh, my God, it’s dreadful! Always with the claws.”
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Scroll to see photos of the X-Men cast then and now!
