There aren’t many characters in pop culture that leave a legacy across mediums, be it movies, cartoons, or comics. Yet, there is one that fits the bill — Wolverine.  

The rugged mutant has that antihero charm that is loved by all — men want to be like him, and women want to fix him (sigh). With keen animal-like senses, regenerative capabilities, delayed ageing, and a skeleton made up of the fictional metal adamantium, Wolverine is iconic for the three retractable claws in each of his hands. 

Played by Hugh Jackman for over 25 years, the character first appeared, cinematically, in the 2000 movie, X-Men. Thanks to Jackman’s screen presence, the Wolverine movie series is ever-so-appealing. So much so that fans couldn’t contain themselves when the Ryan Reynolds-led Deadpool franchise revived the character in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine.

In fact, Jackman shares the Guinness World Record for the ‘longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero’ with Patrick Stewart, who plays Charles Xavier.

A legacy as long as that indicates several movie appearances and the best way to experience that is to watch these films in order. So first, let’s understand the total number of X-Men and Wolverine movies and then arrange them in order. 

How many ‘X-Men’ movies are there in total?

The X-Men film series is one of the most popular superhero franchises of our time. Additionally, it is also one of the highest-grossing film series.  

As the superhero/sci-fi genre goes, the series is riddled with politics and social commentary on bigotry and justice. Plus, because the setting is America, it serves as an allegory for racism and civil rights as well. 

But coming back to the Wolverine movies. We know that not everyone is a Marvel comic book fanatic, so let’s divide the X-Men and Wolverine movies into three broad categories to understand the Wolverine movie timeline better.  

1. ‘X-Men’ original trilogy

X-Men (2000)
X2: X-Men United (2003)
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) 

2. ‘Wolverine’ duology

The Wolverine (2013)
Logan (2017, honourable mention)

3. ‘X-Men’ prequel titles

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
X-Men: First Class (2011)
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
X-Men Apocalypse (2016) 
Dark Phoenix (2019) 

The prequel films from 2011 were soft reboots for the whole franchise to create a new timeline with a focus on younger iterations of the characters. 

There are also the Deadpool movies (Deadpool and Deadpool 2) that fit in the X-Men universe. And now, there is also the latest release Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) which is seemingly reviving the iconic character of Wolverine after his last appearance in Logan (2017). 

But we’ll get to that later.  

For now, because we’re only going to be exploring the Wolverine movies in order, we will only count the films in which the character has made an appearance.  

So, let’s look at all the Wolverine movies in order by release date and chronology.  

How to watch all ‘Wolverine’ movies in order of release

1. X-Men (2000)
2. X2: X-Men United (2003)
3. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
4. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
5. X-Men: First Class (2011)
6. The Wolverine (2013)
7. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
8. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

How to watch all ‘Wolverine’ movies in chronological order

1. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Directed by: Gavin Hood
Cast:  Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Ryan Reynolds, Lynn Collins
Runtime: 1 hour 47 minutes
IMDb rating: 6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 38% 

As the name suggests, X-Men Origins: Wolverine explores the early life and origin of Wolverine and his mutant powers. It is the first film in the list of Wolverine movies in order of chronology and the fourth by release.  

The movie examines James’, aka Logan’s, (Hugh Jackman) relationship with his half-brother Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber) in a narrative that spans over 125 years, starting in 1845.  

The plot furthers as the two brothers spend the next century fighting in the American Civil War as well as World War I and World War II. As time passes, the brothers are recruited in Team X, which also includes Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), for the Vietnam War by William Stryker (Danny Huston).  

The narrative then takes a jump of seven years. With Victor gone rogue, targeting the members of Team X, it falls upon Logan to fight him. Meanwhile, Logan’s skeleton is also reinforced with adamantium when he is captured.

Eventually, Logan manages to destroy Weapon XI but loses his memories in the process. The only evidence of his identity is the dog tags he is left with that read, ‘Logan’ and ‘Wolverine’.  

Further, the post-credits scene reveals that Weapon XI has survived after his hand crawls out.

Where to watch: Available to stream on Disney Plus Hotstar

2. X-Men: First Class (2011)

Directed by: Matthew Vaughn
Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Rose Byrne, Oliver Platt
Runtime: 2 hours 11 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86% 

Set during the 1960s, covering the Cuban Missile Crisis of the Cold War, X-Men: First Class is chronologically the second instalment of the Wolverine movies and the fifth movie by release date.  

The narrative slightly overlaps that of X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and focuses entirely on a new cast. However, there is one scene featuring Wolverine when Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) approach him in a bar to recruit him but he curses them out.  

The sequence occurs when Logan is still a soldier in the US Army.  

Where to watch: Available to stream on Disney Plus Hotstar

3. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Directed by: Bryan Singer
Cast:  James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Sophie Turner
Runtime: 2 hours 22 minutes
IMDb rating: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 47% 

Featuring another brief appearance from Wolverine, X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) takes place in 1983, becoming the third movie in the list of Wolverine movies in chronological order. By release date, it is the eighth movie.  

In the film, Wolverine appears in a cameo when Xavier asks Jean to release ‘an old friend’ from captivity who turns out to be Wolverine. 

It is also important to note that X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) takes place after the timeline reset in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) which makes the Wolverine movie timeline a bit murky as X-Men: Apocalypse establishes this event’s year as 1983, opposed to X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) in which this scene happens in the 1970s.  

Where to watch: Available to stream on Disney Plus Hotstar

4. X-Men (2000)

Directed by: Bryan Singer
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry
Runtime: 1 hour 44 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 82% 

The first ever movie of the X-Men franchise, X-Men (2000) is the fourth film by chronology in the list of Wolverine movies in order. This is the second film featuring a full-fledged Wolverine appearance with the plot focusing on him.

The premise, set in the present day, lays the perfect groundwork for Logan’s character arc and its development. As he joins the X-Men, Logan gets to start afresh due to his lack of memories. And, because he doesn’t remember anything, it allows him to not see other people with immediate distrust or contempt (even though he still displays the gruff attitude intrinsic to his character). Instead, Wolverine learns about teamwork and togetherness as he opens his heart to love and affection for Jean Grey (Famke Janssen).

It is also important to note that in retrospect, the movie is riddled with plot holes as some events and/or sequences from the subsequent films appear vague. This is a common occurrence when a movie is expanded into a franchise because of its box-office collections, while not being intended as one initially.  

Where to watch: Available to stream on Disney Plus Hotstar

5. X2: X-Men United (2003)

Directed by: Bryan Singer
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen
Runtime: 2 hours 13 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85% 

The fifth film in the chronological order of the Wolverine movies and the second film by release order, X2: X-Men United (2003) solidifies Logan’s character development from the antihero to the hero.  

The narrative explores Wolverine’s past as the Xavier Institute is attacked by Willian Stryker (Brian Cox). When Stryker abducts some of the students and Logan confronts him, he refers to him as ‘Wolverine,’ a nod to his past.  

Logan cements himself as the good guy by rejecting revenge to save the mutant children and thwart Stryker’s plan. This integral choice of selflessness from Logan marks his transition as Wolverine – the hero at the centre of the X-Men. 

However, towards the end of the movie, in a tragic turn of events, he loses Jean Grey who sacrifices herself to save the team.  

Where to watch: Available to stream on Disney Plus Hotstar

6. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Directed by: Brett Ratner
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin
Runtime: 1 hour 44 minutes
IMDb rating: 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 57% 

When a big pharmaceutical company develops a cure for the mutant gene, all hell breaks loose in the sixth movie on our list of Wolverine movies in chronological order. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), the third release of the X-Men movie series, marks the culmination of the original trilogy.  

The movie follows the resurrection of Jean Grey in the form of Dark Phoenix, an alternate personality with God-like destructive powers that Professor X had telepathically repressed.  

As Logan struggles with the loss of Grey, he eventually comes to terms with the knowledge that she is not the woman he once loved. Meanwhile, Magneto (Ian McKellen) declares war on humans with Dark Phoenix by his side.  

In an ultimate showdown that is both internal and external, Logan finally realises that he must kill Jean to save everyone. This selfless choice from someone who was once an aloof loner, only caring about himself, comes as a remarkable point of metamorphosis; yet again establishing him as the hero.  

Where to watch: Available to stream on Disney Plus Hotstar

7. The Wolverine (2013)

Directed by: James Mangold
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Hiroyuki Sanada, Famke Janssen, Will Yun Lee
Runtime: 2 hours 06 minutes
IMDb rating: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 71% 

One of the Wolverine duology titles that explores Logan’s character arc, The Wolverine (2013) is the seventh film by chronology and the sixth film by release date. The movie is also the fifth highest-grossing film of the series.  

The premise picks up after the events of The Last Stand (2006) as Wolverine, still reeling from Jean Grey’s death, seeks solace in solitude. However, the narrative picks up pace when he is summoned to Japan by Yashida (Haruhiko Yamanouchi), a Japanese officer whose life he once saved.  

Thus, arises the main conflict of the movie — Yashida seeks to take away Logan’s healing abilities, threatening his immortality (which Wolverine views as a curse). However, confronted by the actuality and realness of death, Logan refuses.  

Following that, towards the climax, Logan prepares to fight the Silver Samurai (Yashida) while still grappling with his unresolved grief and hallucinations of Jean Grey.  

In the post-credit scene, when Wolverine comes back to the United States, he is informed by Professor X (Patrick Stewart) that the humans might be creating a weapon that could end the mutant race once and for all.  

Where to watch: Available to stream on Disney Plus Hotstar

8. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Directed by: Bryan Singer
Cast: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart
Runtime: 2 hours 11 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90% 

The eighth movie in our list of Wolverine movies in order of chronology and the seventh film by release date, X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) serves as a reset button for the entire franchise.  

Set in a dystopian 2023 where mutants are hunted and racism is rampant, Logan’s consciousness travels back to 1973 to prevent the political upheaval that sprouted the apocalyptic future.  

The movie brings together the entire cast of the X-Men universe, including those from the original trilogy and the prequels. As Logan navigates the past, he succeeds in changing history and, thereby, the future (2023).  

Furthermore, this timeline cleanse also brings back many of the deceased characters like Jean Grey.  

Where to watch: Available to stream on Disney Plus Hotstar

Honourable mentions

Logan (2017)

Directed by: James Mangold
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen
Runtime: 2 hours 17 minutes
IMDb rating: 8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93% 

Set in an alternate universe that is technically not canon, Logan (2019) takes place in a future (2029) where mutants have gone extinct. Wolverine, who suffers because his healing abilities are depleting, comes across a young mutant, Laura (Dafne Keen) who possesses powers that are similar to his.  

Hesitant to take her in, Logan, who has now reverted to his birth name, James Howlett, in a full circle moment, eventually assumes the role of her protector.  

The darkness and earthy tones of the movie, and its direction brilliantly translate Logan’s colourless, fading life that is at an end.  

As the movie progresses, Wolverine fights many dangerous threats to protect Laura and the future of mutant-kind. In the end, he sacrifices himself for her sake, marking a glorious end to his character and the franchise.  

Along with X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Logan (2019) is considered one of the greatest superhero films ever made.  

Where to watch: Available to stream on Disney Plus Hotstar

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Directed by: Shawn Levy 
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen 
Runtime: 2 hours 07 minutes 
IMDb rating: 8.3/10 
Rotten Tomatoes score: 82% 

As a retired Deadpool tries to live a normal life as just Wade Wilson, the Time Variance Authority forces him into a new mission, which forces him to team up with a Wolverine from an alternate universe. But with the latest addition to the Deadpool franchise, the question on everyone’s mind is… 

How does ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ fit into the Wolverine movie timeline?

For the past two decades, Marvel has been looking for ways to converge all the Marvel media in a single Cinematic Universe. For instance, three Spider-Men came together in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), and some years ago in 2019 Marvel also bought back the film rights to the X-Men along with Fantastic Four and Deadpool.  

Additionally, in the 2022 movie Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, we saw Patrick Stewart reprising his role as Professor X.

Many fans are speculating that Wolverine could become a permanent member of the MCU post-Deadpool 3, and not just a one-time thing. 

But one thing that we gather from Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) is that this is Marvel’s sure-shot way of merging all the timelines and universes so that every piece of Marvel media becomes canon; regardless of the production house, timeline or the year of release.  

(Header and feature image courtesy: IMDb/X-Men Origins: Wolverine)

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