X-MEN: 10 Of The Best Things 20th Century Fox Did With The Marvel Franchise

We've looked at some of the worst mistakes 20th Century Fox made with the X-Men franchise, but now it's time to reflect on some of the things the "X-Men Universe" got right over the years. Check it out...

By JoshWilding - Jul 30, 2020 10:07 AM EST

Filed Under: X-Men

Launched in 2000 with X-Men, 20th Century Fox's "X-Men Universe" was far from perfect, but it delivered moments that many fans still love to this day. Thanks to Dark Phoenix, things ended with a whimper rather than a bang, while The New Mutants' constant delays (both from Fox and Disney) have become a subject of ridicule for many.

Still, with Marvel Studios looking to now reboot the franchise, there are some things we can look back at and actually be grateful for. Whether it's specific scenes, certain creative decisions, or unforgettable action sequences, the X-Men movies and their respective spinoffs, aren't all bad.

Yesterday, we looked at what didn't work in this shared universe, but this feature celebrates what did. With that in mind, those of you who are fans of this world will find plenty to discuss here.

To check out the moments we've zeroed in on, simply click on the "Next" button down below!

10. Hank McCoy's Transformation Into Beast

While the finished version of Beast didn’t look all that great in X-Men: First Class (likely because production was a little rushed in order to meet its release date), the scene which saw Nicholas Hoult’s Hank McCoy transform into this blue haired beast was shot perfectly by Matthew Vaughn.

It’s a pivotal moment for the character in the comic books, and the filmmaker definitely did it justice in live-action. Hank’s panic as he begins to transform comes across effortlessly thanks to Nicholas Hoult, while the special effects were extremely effective in showing how his feet and hands are drastically altered as a result of his serum.

There’s a werewolf/Jekyll & Hyde quality about it which, while not exactly subtle, does stick with you, making it even more effective. It's just a shame he was able to transform back and forth as soon as Bryan Singer returned to the franchise, a disastrous, idiotic decision by the director.

9. Wolverine Gets A Costume (In A Deleted Scene)

This ended up being only a deleted scene on The Wolverine Blu-ray, and what a shame that it was neither included in the final cut of that movie or used in some way in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Regardless, it was still an incredibly cool moment which left fans massively excited.

The X-Men movies have always been lacking in costumes which resemble what these mutant heroes and villains wear in the comic books, but it’s the lack of Wolverine’s iconic suit which has always been the biggest disappointment. Many have said it just wouldn’t work in live-action, but what you see above is a near perfect take on it which would have looked mind-blowing.

Sadly, Hugh Jackman never did "suit up," so our hopes now lie with Marvel Studios' reboot.

8. Iceman, Finally

Brett Ratner’s X-Men: The Last Stand was a terrible movie, but despite its many faults, it did have some redeeming moments which delivered some fan-pleasing scenes and moments.

Take for example, Iceman. He had been a main character in the first two movies, but his powers were never portrayed like in the comic books. In fact, his ability to shoot ice from his fingertips always looked pretty unimpressive, so you have to hand it to Ratner for having him fully ice up when he clashed with Pyro in that messy, though undeniably action-packed, final battle.

Visuals like these are what we should have seen in the X-Men Universe since day one, and while this certainly didn't save this mostly terrible movie, it did finally do this character justice.

7. Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool

Somewhere along the line, Ryan Reynolds became a fan favourite choice for the role of Wade Wilson/Deadpool, with even his comic book counterpart pointing out that the actor should play him in a movie. Thankfully, made this a reality in the dreadful X-Men Origins: Wolverine, though the character was completely butchered and the way things ended for him was unbelievable.

Weapon XI aside, though, and the actor would later get the opportunity to play a comic accurate take on the Merc with the Mouth in two solo Deadpool movies. Those broke box office records and the franchise remains one of the best things Fox ever did with the rights to these iconic characters. It's just crazy that it took someone leaking the footage to finally make Deadpool a reality.

Now, we just have to hope Reynolds gets to reprise the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe...

6. Magneto's Powerful Origin Story

Deciding to provide some background for Magneto’s motivations in X-Men was a smart idea, as was the decision to then show him perhaps becoming what he hated most as the movies went on. Revealing that he was a concentration camp survivor didn’t necessarily make the villain more sympathetic or relatable, but it did at least make him more than a one dimensional bad guy.

It was also a powerful way of opening X-Men, and helped to set the tone for what comic book movies could be moving forwards. Matthew Vaughn’s decision to expand on this even further in X-Men: First Class was smart, and made Michael Fassbender’s take on the character even more interesting as he set out to take revenge on those who had wronged him in the past.

Whatever Marvel Studios does with Magneto, it will definitely be difficult to top what we saw here.

5. Nightcrawler's Attack On The White House

What a way to open a movie! Nightcrawler is a fan-favourite character, and this sequence definitely did him justice. Beautifully constructed, it saw the teleporter "BAMF!" his way through The White House, taking down everyone in his path with very little effort thanks to his unique power set.

This also went a long way in setting the tone for the sequel, making it clear that it would be bigger and better than the movie before it. In some respects, this scene is a big part of why X2: X-Men United is still considered to be one of the better comic book adaptations from this period, and it's a shame the hero's return in the "prequels" wasn't quite so memorable or inspired.

From a purely technological standpoint, this sequence also stands out as being a huge win for Fox.

4. Past Meets Future

This happening immediately after X-Men: First Class rebooted the franchise was a huge mistake, and there's a lot X-Men: Days of Future Past got wrong (including the appearance of the Sentinels).

However, seeing the younger cast cross paths with their future selves was fantastic, and that scene with James McAvoy and Sir Patrick Stewart was unforgettable. Hugh Jackman's trip back in time also proved to be a highlight, and it's easy to see why so many fans love this 2014 release.

Ultimately, it made a few too many mistakes to be considered a classic, and it would have been great seeing what Matthew Vaughn would have done with this movie had he remained in charge.

3. Meet Magneto

X-Men: First Class was very much Magneto’s story, and ultimately delivered his transformation into the villain we all know from the comic books and previous films (in which the character was played by Sir Ian McKellen) perfectly. Henry Jackman’s score accompanied this scene very nicely, and Michael Fassbender’s delivery of the "I prefer...Magneto" line was simply brilliant.

With Bryan Singer back in charge, Magneto lost this comic accurate costume based on the version from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's comic books, and seeing him battling the X-Men in this outfit would have been a treat for fans. Regardless, Fassbender established himself as the best Magneto in this movie, even if what followed saw him become a little less memorable.

Honestly, it would be no bad thing if he got the call to reprise the role from Marvel Studios!

2. Casting Hugh Jackman As Wolverine

Whereas Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool was an expected bit of casting which worked out just as well as everyone hoped, Hugh Jackman was far more unexpected, and it's not unfair to say that no one could have ever imagined just how great the Australian actor would end up being in the role.

Though some fans have been quick to point out that he’s much taller than the comic book version of the character, Jackman still managed to prove himself a damn near perfect Wolverine.

We found fault with Logan in our previous X-Men feature, but many loved it as a farewell for his iteration of the clawed mutant, and the actor certainly went out on a high. There are definitely moments which could and should have been better, but for the most part, this was a fantastic run.

1. How Charles Xavier Lost The Use Of His Legs

This was perhaps the most powerful moment in the entire X-Men franchise, and one which also answered a question that many fans had long wondered; how exactly did Charles Xavier lose the use of his legs? As it turns out, it was actually Magneto’s fault and both James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender played this scene perfectly as their friendship dissolved in front of our eyes.

This set both men on separate paths, and the formation of both the X-Men and Brotherhood of Evil Mutants follows. The moment in which Charles realises he can’t feel his legs is also heartbreaking, and filmmaker Matthew Vaughn really brought a lot of their dynamic with this scene.

What followed wasn't quite as good, of course, but this remains a perfect moment in a movie that helped establish a new status quo for these characters...until Bryan Singer returned, of course.

Jean Grey Rises From The Ashes In Her New Costume On PHOENIX #1 Variant Covers

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90 Comments

1 2 3

OmegaDaGrodd - 7/30/2020, 10:36 AM

Vaughn did such a great job with Beast in First Class only for Singer and Kinberg to screw him up for the rest of his tenure. Truly one of the most frustrating things about the prequels

OmegaDaGrodd - 7/30/2020, 10:42 AM

Realizing this applies to every First Class character except for maybe Xavier, who understandably got the most opportunity to shine. Mystique was pushed to the front to an embarrassingly money-driven degree despite almost zero interesting character work for her (although she had good visual moments in DOFP). Magneto gets a decent enough reintroduction in DOFP and then immediately becomes Leroy Jenkins only to then go on the most repetitive character arc I've ever seen in a franchise. Everyone else, and all the great potential for a near perfect X-Men franchise from First Class got completely wasted, and aside from the Quicksilver scene and the future bits in DOFP I can't point to a single worthwhile thing to have come from that decision

Origame - 7/30/2020, 10:36 AM

Im guessing he just flat out doesnt like logan. He put Logan's lack of accuracy to the old man logan storyline as number 1 on his worst things the fox x men movies did and now he wont even give a single positive from that film on his best of the x men list. The closest is the basic casting of hugh jackman. Come on man.

Oberlin4Prez - 7/30/2020, 10:44 AM

Quicksilver

FinnishDude - 7/30/2020, 10:54 AM

Tells you something that most of these are from First Class.

Seriously, if the two Deadpools and Logan don't count, FC was easily the only all-around great X-Men movie.

rebellion - 7/30/2020, 10:58 AM

x2 teased phoenix - failed to deliver in the sequel
first class teased the brotherhood of evil mutants - went nowhere
apocalypse teased accurate outfits - went nowhere
apocalypse teased pheonix again - failed even harder with the sequel
wolverine teased accurate costume in a deleted scene - went nowhere
dofp teased the old cast - went nowhere

honestly, this franchise only works if you look at x2, dofp and logan as a trilogy. the rest is a forgettable mess (excluding deadpool).

narrow290 - 7/30/2020, 10:58 AM

I really hate how they handled Angel in this series! Here's hoping the MCU gives Warren Worthington his due

WeaponXCII - 7/30/2020, 10:59 AM

Number one should be giving the rights back.

1 2 3

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