The Best Cast Mutants From The X-Men Movies
I’m Going to Miss these Amazing Mutants from Fox’s X-Men Movies.
For nearly two decades the X-Men movies remained separate from the MCU, meaning that there was no chance of seeing Captain America, Thor or Iron Man team up with mutants on the big screen. However, now that Disney (and thus Marvel) has completed a merger with Fox, that means the rights the to X-Men characters has finally come home. While this might sound like good news, I’m going to miss all the incredible actors who helped bring so many fan-favorite characters to life in the X-Men movies. There have been plenty of misses over the years with a lot of mutants never seeing justice thanks to bad casting or terrible scripts, but I want to take a moment to look back at some of the best cast mutants from the X-Men movies. That’s why I’ve cobbled together a list of my personal favorites. Check it out to see who earned this comic fans seal of approval!
X-23 (Dafne Keen)
The version of X-23 that appears in Logan might not exactly be comic accurate, but then again X-23 didn’t actually originate in the comics (she first appeared in the animated series X-Men: Evolution). When we first get a look at what X-23 is capable of in the X-Men movies, she viciously slaughters a group of highly trained mercenaries tasked with recovering her. It might seem unbelievable that a little girl might be capable of such a feat, but Dafne Keen sells it. She perfectly embodies all the rage and fury bottled up in a prepubescent Laura Kinney, who is actually a clone of Wolverine. It’s unclear whether X-23 will be joining the MCU, but I sure hope Keen returns to play the role because she made her a total badass.
Quicksilver (Evan Peters)
Quicksilver has already made his MCU appearance thanks to Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Age of Ultron (though he didn’t last long). However, the superior Marvel speedster has got to be Evan Peters from the X-Men movies. First appearing in Days of Future Past, he stole the show when he let his powers shine for the first time as he took out a ton of guards in a matter of moments while jamming out to Jim Croce’s Time in a Bottle. Since then he’s become a fan favorite joining the team once more to take on Apocolypse and Phoenix in the new Dark Phoenix movie. Aaron’s take on the character is one that’s more bored than angry but still doesn’t do well when it comes with patience. His casting was definitely a welcome addition to the X-Men movies.
Domino (Zazie Beetz)
A lot of fanboys were up in a tizzy over Zazie Beetz being cast as Domino in Deadpool 2. I on the other hand absolutely loved what Beetz did with the character. She took her to a happy go lucky extreme that meshed perfectly with Wade Wilson, never giving him a chance to outshine her on screen. Best of all the use of her powers made for some pretty incredible action sequences. Sure she might not look exactly like how Domino looks in the comics, but let’s be honest, Domino looks really weird in the comics. Personally, Beetz was my absolute favorite part of Deadpool 2 and I have my fingers crossed that she’s going to continue playing the role now that Marvel has regained control of the X-Men characters.
Magneto (Ian McKellan and Michael Fassbender)
I always say that a hero is only as good as their villain, and Magneto is one of the best comic book villains of all time. During the first trilogy of films, the role went to Ian McKellan who was a perfect choice to play the Holocaust survivor turned militant mutant rights terrorist. However, I found myself enjoying the young Magneto even more because Fassbender took the character in a direction where he seemed to be both good and evil at the same time. He walked the line through most of the films, but always ended up becoming a bad guy in the end. Even still Fassbender’s portrayal of the character made him a villain that audiences could not only sympathize with, but understand. That’s why he earns a well-deserved spot on this list.
Professor X (Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy)
You literally can’t have the X-Men without Professor Charles Xavier. Just like Magneto the X-Men movies ended up casting separate actors to play both the older and younger Professor X and both of them actually did a damn good job with the role (it was especially satisfying to see the two meet in Days of Future Past). However, if I had to choose one as the definitive Charles Xavier, it would definitely be Patrick Stewart. I mean, the man already had the bald look down before filming even started. Plus, he has that kindly, nurturing professor thing totally on lock. While I don’t expect Stewart or McAvoy to join the MCU in the role, I’m sure that Marvel and Disney will work diligently to find an appropriate replacement when the time comes.
Wolverine (Hugh Jackman)
Hugh Jackman was the backbone of the X-Men movies as Wolverine. True, he might not seem like the most comic accurate choice considering that Wolverine in the comics is a foot shorter than Jackman and Canadian instead of Australian. Still, Wolverine carried the franchise through the first three films and eventually earned a trilogy of his own (though we don’t talk about X-Men Origins: Wolverine). He even made a few surprise cameos in the First Class timeline. Wolverine is said to be the best there is at what he does and I think we can all agree that Hugh Jackman embodies that spirit. It was a sad day when he announced his retirement from the role, but I am actually excited to see who Disney chooses to take up the claws in future films.
Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds)
Hugh Jackman might have been born to play Wolverine in the X-Men movies, but I’m convinced that Ryan Reynolds might actually be Deadpool. While in the comics the Merc with a Mouth might not actually be a mutant, the movie version shows Wade Wilson going through a procedure that unlocks his latent mutant genes, which means he definitely deserves a spot on this list. Reynolds embodies the very spirit of Deadpool with his keen sense of humor that’s used to mask an ocean of sadness that’s just under the surface. While a lot of the other actors chosen to play mutants in X-Men movies have been great choices when it comes to Deadpool there really was never any other choice. Good news is that it doesn’t look like Disney is going to be getting rid of Reynolds anytime soon.
Honorable Mention- Colossus
As far as getting the character right, Daniel Cudmore didn’t exactly nail the part. Then again, I doubt anyone could really nail the role. That’s why the Colossus I want to give a shout out too is the one from the Deadpool films that required five actors to bring to life through the magic of SFX. However, the voice you hear is one Stefan Kapicic and he definitely deserves some props for playing such a big part.
There have been dozens of other mutants who got the big screen treatment in the X-Men movies over the years, and I’d love to hear who your favorites have been. Leave a comment below to let me know what you thought of the list and if there were any other mutants that should have gotten a shout out. With two more X-Men movies slated to hit theaters (Dark Phoenix and New Mutants), there’s a chance these rankings could change. So, make sure you check back to see if any new mutants manage to make this list after those movies hit theaters!