How To Watch All Wolverine Movies In Chronological Order & By Release Date

Summary Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman, has appeared in nine movies across the X-Men franchise, shaping his iconic role in the Marvel universe.

Wolverine's timeline, dictated by his perspective, is complex, with X-Men movies showcasing his extensive backstory and development over the years.

Deadpool & Wolverine, set for 2024, will address the Fox X-Men timeline after Disney's acquisition, celebrating Wolverine's legacy with a new adventure.

Wolverine became the star of Fox's X-Men franchise, appearing in the majority of its movies across a sprawling and complicated timeline. Hugh Jackman has played Wolverine in an impressive nine movies. Jackman reprises his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine. As Deadpool & Wolverine will address Fox's X-Men timeline after Disney acquired Fox and ended the franchise, it's worth considering how Logan has developed through the movies in chronological order.

It should be noted that Wolverine reset the X-Men movie timeline in X-Men: Days of Future Past, complicating some of the X-Men chronology. For this article, Wolverine's timeline will be dictated by his perspective. This places Days of Future Past later in the timeline, as it was Logan's 2023 consciousness, which has experienced all previous events, that traveled back to 1975. It's also worth noting that the X-Men movie timeline is notoriously inconsistent, with several X-Men plotholes created throughout the franchise.

Related 10 Best Wolverine Costumes In X-Men Movies & TV Shows Wolverine’s costume is one of the most iconic in comic book history. However, in movie and television adaptations, it often varies considerably.

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Wolverine's Movie Appearances Year of Release X-Men 2000 X2: X-Men United 2003 X-Men: The Last Stand 2006 X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2009 X-Men: First Class 2011 The Wolverine 2013 X-Men: Days of Future Past 2014 X-Men: Apocalypse 2016 Logan 2017 Deadpool & Wolverine 2024

Hugh Jackman's Wolverine appeared in the first X-Men movie in 2000, with his iconic performance helping to establish the franchise. He subsequently had a leading role in its two sequels, before gaining his one solo movie. Despite X-Men Origins: Wolverine being panned by critics and fans, it did prompt two further sequels with The Wolverine, and the critically acclaimed Logan. Meanwhile, Jackman's Wolverine made entertaining cameos in two X-Men prequels and reclaimed a leading role in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Related All Marvel Movies Releasing In 2024 The Marvel movies releasing in 2024 offer a range of film experiences - and some confusion, due to the changed dates of several incoming installments.

Wolverine Movies In Chronological Order

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (1845-1970s)

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director Gavin Hood Release Date April 30, 2009 Writers Gavin Hood Cast Hugh Jackman , Ryan Reynolds , Liev Schreiber , Taylor Kitsch Runtime 107minutes

was the fourth X-Men movie but is set first chronologically. It explored Wolverine's early life and his time with Weapon X, covering approximately 125 years. It opened with a 12-year-old Wolverine discovering his mutant powers (including bone claws) while avenging his father’s murder. Logan forms a close bond with his half-brother, Victor Creed (Sabretooth), whom he fights alongside in various wars.

X-Men: Origins' opening montage shows Logan and Victor participating in major historical conflicts, including the American Civil War, World War I, and World War II, culminating in the D-Day Normandy landings. During the Vietnam War, they are recruited by William Stryker into the black ops unit Team X. This is the first time that Wolverine meets the infamously butchered Deadpool variant.

Related Wolverine's 12 Most Impressive Displays Of Power In All 8 Hugh Jackman X-Men Movies Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is one of the most impressive X-Men for a reason, and their are multiple examples featured across his 8 movie appearances.

Years later, Logan was tricked into rejoining Stryker and consented to an adamantium bonding process. This coated his skeleton and claws in indestructible metal and his escape from the Weapon X facility. X-Men Origins: Wolverine culminated in a confrontation with Reynolds’ mutilated Deadpool and Logan losing his memory, leading directly into X-Men (2000).

Related Deadpool & Wolverine's Newest Update Reveals A Crucial Detail About Wolverine's MCU Introduction There are many questions about what's going on with Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine, and a new synopsis for the film provides a fresh update.

X-Men: First Class (1962)

X-Men: First Class Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director Matthew Vaughn Release Date June 3, 2011 Writers Bryan Singer , Matthew Vaughn , Zack Stentz , Jane Goldman , Ashley Miller Cast Jennifer Lawrence , Caleb Landry Jones , Michael Fassbender , Nicholas Hoult , Oliver Platt , Rose Byrne , Michael Ironside , Jason Flemyng , January Jones , Kevin Bacon , Glenn Morshower , James McAvoy , Lucas Till , Edi Gathegi , Zoe Kravitz Runtime 131 minutes Expand

X-Men: First Class is set in 1962, placing it midway through the X-Men Origins narrative. During one memorable scene, Professor Xavier and Magneto approach Wolverine in a bar, hoping to recruit him into their fledgling team. Logan curtly interrupts with, "Go f*** yourself," refusing their offer without a second thought. This short scene occurred while Wolverine was still a soldier in the US Army. It is presumably set just before his deployment to Vietnam and his affiliation with Team X.

X-Men Apocalypse (1983)

X-Men Apocalypse Director Bryan Singer Release Date May 27, 2016 Writers Simon Kinberg Cast Jennifer Lawrence , Kodi Smit-McPhee , Michael Fassbender , Rose Byrne , Tye Sheridan , Josh Helman , Nicholas Hoult , Lucas Till , Evan Peters , Oscar Isaac Stan Lee , James McAvoy , Alexandra Shipp , Olivia Munn , Sophie Turner Runtime 144 Minutes Expand

X-Men: Apocalypse is set in 1983 and features a very brief Wolverine appearance. While Jean Grey, Cyclops, and Nightcrawler navigated Stryker’s Weapon X facility, Xavier directed Jean to release “an old friend” captive in the facility. This is revealed to be Wolverine during the Weapon X experiments that gave him his metal skeleton, leading to his escape in his comic-accurate Weapon X costume.

As X-Men: Apocalypse happens after the timeline is reset in X-Men: Days of Future Past, this scene should technically be considered separately from the main X-Men timeline. As such, there is a discrepancy in the timeline as X-Men: Apocalypse establishes this event as happening in 1983, as opposed to the 1970s in X-Men Origins. However, the difference is inconsequential, and placing it here allows for a far superior Weapon X escape scene and teases Wolverine's later infatuation with Jean Grey.

X-Men (2000)

Wolverine’s next chronological appearance was in the franchise's first movie, X-Men (2000). X-Men was set in the present day, following on from X-Men Origins around 20 years later. This began the original X-Men trilogy during which Logan, without his memories, met and was recruited into the X-Men. During this time, Logan learns the benefits of working in a team after his time with Team X and years as a loner.

In X-Men (2000), Wolverine encounters Sabretooth, but the two don't recognize each other - though their enmity is certainly suggested. The movie also establishes Wolverine’s love for Jean Grey and his rivalry with her paramour, Cyclops. As the very first X-Men movie, several plotholes were created by later X-Men movies and the narrative is missing references to events placed earlier in the timeline.

X2: X-Men United (2003)

X2: X-Men United delved into Wolverine’s past when William Stryker attacks the Xavier Institute for Gifted Children and kidnaps several students. Wolverine was still without his memory of Styker and Weapon X at this point, but Stryker certainly remembers Logan. Logan learns of his ordeal during the Weapon X program and the adamantium bonding process.

In X2: X-Men United’s climax, Wolverine battles Lady Deathstrike, another of Stryker’s creations, and ultimately kills her. Despite Stryker’s manipulations, Wolverine rejects the chance for revenge, choosing instead to save the mutant children and stop Stryker's plan. This journey solidifies Wolverine's role as a hero and integral member of the X-Men, further connecting him with his past and the team. However, moments later, Jean Grey sacrificed herself to save the team, devastating Wolverine.

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

In X-Men: The Last Stand, Wolverine faced some of his most challenging trials. The film centered on a newly developed "cure" for mutation, sparking intense debate among mutants. Throughout the movie, he struggled with his feelings for Jean Grey, who returned from the dead and transformed into the powerful and unstable Dark Phoenix.

This led to the tragic climax in The Last Stand, in which Wolverine confronts Dark Phoenix. Understanding that Jean is no longer in control, Wolverine is forced to kill her to save countless lives, a heart-wrenching decision that underscores his deep love and enduring sacrifice. This act in X-Men: The Last Stand cements Logan’s role as a hero willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good.

Related 6 Reasons Why X-Men: The Last Stand Isn’t As Bad As People Say It Is (& 4 Reasons It Is) Let's look at some of the best and worst qualities of X-Men: The Last Stand to determine whether it really is as bad as people say it is.

The Wolverine (2013)

The Wolverine Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director James Mangold Release Date July 26, 2013 Writers Mark Bomback , Christopher McQuarrie Cast Famke Janssen , Will Yun Lee , Brian Tee , Hugh Jackman Runtime 2h 6m

The Wolverine opens with a flashback from 1945 in which Logan saves a Japanese soldier named Yashida after the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. The narrative then commences the timeline years later in 2013, after the events of The Last Stand. Haunted by the memories of Jean Grey's death, Wolverine seeks solitude in the wilderness, distancing himself from the world he once knew. However, his isolation is interrupted when he is summoned to Japan by Yashida.

Upon arriving in Japan, Wolverine becomes entangled in a complex web of intrigue and betrayal. Logan faced off against formidable adversaries, including the enigmatic Viper and the deadly Silver Samurai. Throughout his journey, he confronted his own mortality as his healing factor began to falter, leaving him vulnerable for the first time in centuries.

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2023 & 1973)

X-Men: Days of Future Past was set in two distinct time periods, 2023 and 1973. In 2023, Earth has been consumed by a dystopian future where mutants are hunted to near extinction by unstoppable Sentinels. With the aid of Kitty Pryde's phasing abilities, Wolverine's consciousness was sent back to his younger self in 1973 to prevent the post-apocalyptic future. This is before Wolverine gains his adamantium skeleton, and depicts him learning about his bone claws for the first time since losing his memory.

In 1973, Wolverine navigates a tumultuous era of political upheaval and mutant discrimination, seeking to unite the younger versions of Professor Xavier and Magneto to stop the creation of the Sentinels. Wolverine succeeded and managed to alter the course of history, averting the catastrophic future. This reset the X-Men timeline and restored several deceased characters to life, including Jean Grey and Cyclops.

Logan (2029)

Logan portrays a future later than Days of Future Past where mutants are almost extinct, and Wolverine, now going by his birth name James Howlett, is a shadow of his former self. Set in an alternate universe separate from other X-Men movies, the movie follows an aging and ailing Logan caring for an ailing Charles Xavier in a remote hideout near the Mexican border. Their quiet existence is disrupted when a young mutant named Laura, possessing powers similar to Wolverine's, enters their lives.

Pursued by ruthless mercenaries, Logan reluctantly takes on the role of protector, leading to a brutal and emotional journey. Ultimately, Logan sacrifices himself to ensure Laura's safety and the survival of mutantkind creating a sense of closure and redemption. Though not directly connected with the earlier timeline, Logan was considered the character’s swan song, completing Wolverine’s long and storied narrative.

Where Deadpool & Wolverine Fits Into Wolverine's Movie Timeline

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It is unclear whether the Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine will be from an established timeline or a variant from a different universe. However, considering all the allusions to Fox's franchise and Wolverine saving the universe in the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer, it could be the Wolverine from Days of Future Past. This is the Wolverine from the original trilogy, the first two Wolverine movies, and First Class. However, it's also very possible this is a brand new variant separate from previous movies.

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman assured audiences that Logan's perfect ending would not be interfered with. While this Wolverine technically exists in a separate universe, it is safe to assume that the Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine will be from a much earlier period in Logan's life. Nevertheless, the established Wolverine chronology will remain, with Deadpool & Wolverine serving as a celebration of Fox's superhero legacy.