The Highest-Grossing X-Men Movies, Ranked By Box Office Receipts

Highlights

• X-Men films have consistently turned in massive profits, grossing over $6 billion at the global box office, with each movie outgrossing its predecessor.
• X-Men: First Class marked a new chapter in the franchise and re-popularized it, garnering critical acclaim and commercial success.
• Logan , with its dark and gritty tone, resonated emotionally with audiences and became the highest-grossing R-rated film at the time of its release in 2017.

Following 20th Century Fox's acquisition of the team and related characters in 1994, the X-Men franchise kicked off in simple fashion, with the release of X-Men in 2000.

The franchise helped propel the superhero genre to new heights through its impressive numbers at the box office, and the decision to stay faithful to the source material.

Early X-Men films tested the waters for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and helped the Marvel Studios push its plans for a "cinematic universe" forward.

It's been over two decades, and some changes have occurred; Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, and regained the rights to X-Men characters through the ownership of Marvel Studios.

With Marvel Studios regaining the ownership of its X-Men characters, the chance to bring the X-Men universe together with the MCU has presented itself.

Since the release of the first X-Men, ten other films have been released within the universe, which includes sequels, the Wolverine trilogy, two Deadpool films, a reboot tetralogy, and two television shows.

Although the MCU may be less successful than the franchise, the X-Men films have consistently turned in massive profits, grossing over $6 billion at the global box office, with each movie outgrossing its predecessor.

10 X-Men: First Class (2011): $352,616,690

X-Men: First Class is the fourth installment in the X-Men film series; it serves as a prequel to X-Men (2000).

The sequel takes viewers back to the 1960s when Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto, former friends, embark on divergent paths that will shape the future of mutants.

The film was set during the Cuban Missile Crisis and introduced a younger generation of characters while delving into the origins of the X-Men and Brotherhood of Mutants.

Released in 2011, X-Men: First Class marked a new chapter in the X-Men franchise and re-popularized it. It garnered critical acclaim and commercial success.

The film opened with a solid international box office gross of $61 million on its first weekend, followed by a robust domestic box office gross of $55.1 million.

With a production budget of $160 million, the film's total worldwide gross reached an impressive $352 million.

9 X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009): $373,062,864

The franchise's decision to give one of its most iconic characters a solo run paid off.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine takes viewers on a thrilling journey through Wolverine's early life, centering upon the mutant with adamantium claws and regenerative powers.

The film delves into Wolverine's dark past, revealing his transformation from a feral mutant into a formidable member of the X-Men. The film was released in 2009 and had a decent run at the box office.

However, it was heavily criticized for its story, script, visual effects, and misrepresentation of Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool character.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine raked in $35 million on its first day, grossed over $179 at the domestic box office, and ended with $373 million worldwide.

8 X-Men 2 (2003): $407,711,549

Serving as the sequel to the groundbreaking 2000 X-Men film, X-Men 2 continues the story of the mutant team as they face new threats and challenges.

The film explores the complex relationship between humans and mutants, delving into themes of prejudice, tolerance, and the struggle for coexistence.

X-Men 2 was praised by fans and critics for its well-constructed narrative, action sequences, and the performances of Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen.

X2 premiered in 2003, accumulating $85 million on its opening weekend.

The film's total worldwide gross reached an impressive $407.7 million on the back of a $125 million budget.

7 The Wolverine (2013): $414,828,246

The Wolverine (2013) is the second installment in the Wolverine trilogy; it also serves as a spin-off and sequel to X-Men: The Last Stand.

The film had a much better reception by fans and critics compared to its prequel. It was lauded for its visual aesthetics, Hugh Jackman's performance, and thematic depth.

The Wolverine outgrossed its prequel (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) in total box office, though it earned less domestically. It grossed $132 million locally, in excess of its budget of $115 million.

The film was wildly successful at the international box office, picking up $282 million in 100 countries.

The film's worldwide gross of $414 million surpassed expectations and brought discussion of a third installment to the table.

6 X-Men: The Last Stand (2006): $460,435,291

The critics panned X-Men: The Last Stand for its lack of depth, shallow plot, and departure from its comic book roots.

Despite the critical panning, the film coasted on the goodwill of the established X-Men franchise and the power of its name, securing substantial box office success.

Released in 2006, X-Men: The Last Stand became a commercial success, grossing an impressive $460 million worldwide. The film opened with a strong box office gross of $102 million in its first weekend.

It eventually grossed $235 million at the domestic box office and $225 million internationally, for a total of $460 million worldwide.

It was the highest-grossing film in the franchise at the time of its release.

5 X-Men: Apocalypse (2016): $543,934,105

Once again, critics took a swing at an X-Men sequel, and X-Men: Apocalypse found itself in the crosshairs. It was ill-received and was considered the lowest point in the X-Men series.

Fans perceived that the writers disconnected from the source material; however, goodwill and a loyal fan base saved yet another X-Men film.

Apocalypse serves as the ninth installment in the X-Men film series, and takes viewers back to the 1980s ,when the ancient mutant En Sabah Nur (played by Oscar Issac), also known as Apocalypse, emerges from thousands of years of slumber to destroy the world and create a new one.

The film grossed $155 million in North America and $388 million in other territories, for a global total of $543 million against a budget of $178 million.

4 Logan (2017): $619,179,950

Logan's critical and commercial success owed much to the positive reception of Deadpool.

The third entry in the Wolverine trilogy had to be a knock-out to keep the franchise's motor running. According to Rotten Tomatoes, Logan is the best entry in the franchise, despite its R-rating.

Critics praised its emotional depth, action sequences, screenplay, uncompromising tone, and leading actors' performances; it is the first live-action superhero film nominated for screenwriting.

The film's dark and gritty tone resonated emotionally with the general audience, and that was evident at the box office. Logan surpassed its prequel's entire theatrical gross in just 13 days with $440 million.

It would go on to bring in $619 million, making it the highest-grossing R-rated film at the time of its release in 2017.

3 X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014): $746,045,700

X-Men: Days of Future Past serves as a bridge between the original X-Men film trilogy and the prequel films, uniting two generations of mutants in a fight for survival.

Faced with a bleak future where mutants are hunted and exterminated by Sentinels, Wolverine travels back in time to alter the past and prevent this catastrophe. The film is the highest-grossing entry in the franchise that is not a solo movie.

Days of Future Past is a refreshing take on the series; it received rousing praise for its story elements, standout performances, and visual effects — most notably, a specific Quicksilver sequence that was strongly appreciated by the audience.

In a swift sprint through its opening weekend, the film clinched an impressive $262 million, the highest worldwide opening weekend for an X-Men film.

The film's worldwide gross reached an impressive $746 million on a production budget of $200 million.

2 Deadpool (2016): $782,836,791

The live-action depiction of the "Merc with a Mouth" was long discussed, even before the character appeared in X-Men Origins.

Yes, Deadpool is technically a spin-off from the X-Men film series – but we included it because it's loosely considered a part of the X-Men universe among fans, and by many reputable sources .

Deadpool finally saw the light of day in 2016, emerging from a prolonged period in developmental limbo. The film brought a fresh new take on solo films, breaking the fourth wall and introducing audiences to the foul-mouthed, wise-cracking antihero Deadpool.

The entry was a critical and commercial success, garnering praise for its humor, action sequences, and Ryan Reynolds' performance as the titular character.

Deadpool paved the way for the success of R-rated movies that followed in the genre, such as Joker and Logan. The film grossed $362 million domestically and $420 million in other countries for a total of $783 million worldwide.

Deadpool stands out as not only the second-highest-grossing X-Men series, but also the most profitable, having earned a staggering 13 times its $58 million budget at the box office.

1 Deadpool 2 (2018) - $786,470,484

Following the box office exploit of Deadpool, a sequel was inevitable.

Deadpool 2 premiered in 2018 and continued the "Merc with a Mouth"'s uproarious journey, maintaining the momentum of its predecessor's signature irreverent style and success.

The sequel was well received; critics praised its humor and action sequences, with some asserting its superiority over the original in many respects (a trend that will hopefully hold steady for Deadpool 3):

The story line was faithful to its comic book origins, especially with the introduction of Cable (played by Josh Brolin), which added an extra dose of excitement for audiences.

Deadpool 2 grossed $324 million in the United States and Canada and $462 million in other regions, for a global total of $786 million.

With a net profit of $235 million against a $110 million production cost, Deadpool 2 emerged as one of the most profitable releases in 2018.