Deadpool and Wolverine were at the center of a billion-dollar blockbuster for a reason. Ever since the X-Men debuted on the big screen back in 2000, they broke out as the two most popular mutants from the films. Wolverine has always been a prominent character, while Deadpool’s standalone films in 2016 and 2018 helped turn him into a megastar. Putting them together in 2024 equaled a ton of success for the MCU and while they’re undoubtedly associated with the X-Men name, there are a few characters who actually do a better job of defining the X-Men in cinema. These are characters who have been crucial players in several X-Men movies and showcase the true harrowing elements of being a mutant in a world that doesn’t accept something different. They might not be as beloved as Deadpool and Wolverine, but they’re even more important to defining the X-Men.
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Some of these characters were at the center of the original trilogy of films from Fox, some saw their role expand in the prequel entries, and a few have been major players across every installment of the series. They’re also all likely to play a big part in the future of the X-Men on the big screen with the MCU.
4) Professor X
It’s hard to think about the X-Men and not think that Professor Charles Xavier is at the forefront. He’s the man behind the Charles Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters and the leader of the X-Men. The powerful telepath has appeared in every mainline entry of the X-Men film franchise, as well as in Logan and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Even more than Wolverine, he’s the steady presence that works to keep everything tied together in this world. It helps that both Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy were incredible in the role.
What makes Professor X such a defining character in X-Men is how he always fights for a better world. The stories about how the X-Men are viewed in the world are always unfair and it would be easy for him to view humans as the enemy. However, Charles’ endless quest for a peaceful existence between humans and mutants is exactly the kind of pure good that can be the backbone of a franchise. No matter what kind of X-Men story gets told in the past or future, Professor X is exactly who should be at the center of it.
3) Mystique
The increased role for Mystique in the prequel films was unexpected, but welcome. When Rebecca Romijn played her for three movies, the shapeshifter was a cool villain, yet she wasn’t given much outside of that. The prequels cast Jennifer Lawrence and made her one of the most important characters. Her friendship with Charles was a surprising delight that helped balance him out and her abilities set the stage for the plot of X-Men: Days of Future Past. She’s at the forefront of what many consider the two best X-Men movies.
It will be interesting to see where Mystique goes in Avengers: Doomsday, with Romijn returning to the role. Mystique is an interesting character to define X-Men because her natural appearance stands out so much. Anyone who hates mutants can automatically see that she’s one, which makes it even more meaningful when she chooses not to hide it. When you add in her complicated romances with Beast and Magneto, there’s even more to her. Future films could also incorporate her relationships with Rogue and Nightcrawler for something truly special.
2) Jean Grey
In the pages of the comic books, Cyclops is the leader of the X-Men in the field and certainly a defining member of the team. However, the film adaptations haven’t done him justice. He was relegated to the role of the uninteresting third wheel in a love triangle in the original trilogy and was barely a player in the prequels. Instead, Jean Grey took more of a center-stage role in the films and you can’t talk about X-Men movies without her. In fact, she’s the main character of two X-Men films.
The Phoenix storyline is an iconic one that was utilized in X-Men: The Last Stand and Dark Phoenix. While neither adaptation was done all that well, it’s still important to note how central she was to major stories. The feelings she shared with Logan and Scott were also key factors in the early films. Now, Jean is back with Sadie Sink taking over the role and the fact that she’s the first X-Men member to join the MCU is all you need to know about how important she is.
1) Magneto
Magneto isn’t just the peak of X-Men characters; he’s in the conversation for Marvel’s greatest character overall. The movies have mostly done him justice, with Ian McKellen doing stellar work in the original films and Michael Fassbender being just as good, if not better, in the prequels. Magneto is the opposite of Professor X. He’s the leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants and uses his powers to terrorize humans, never believing that a peaceful harmony can happen between them because of all the bad that humans have done.
His tragic backstory is part of his philosophy, as he is a Holocaust survivor who never wants to see mutants face the same kind of situation. That push and pull between Magneto and Professor X is the X-Men at its core. He’s also among the most powerful mutants ever depicted, which further adds to how he defines the X-Men as a whole. Magneto has often been the best part of the best X-Men movies, and that’s not likely to change if he’s brought back.
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