10 X-Men Movie Theories That Completely Change Fox’s Long-Running Franchise 4 Years After It Ended

By Ollie Bradley Published 8 minutes ago

After nearly two decades, plenty of theories have emerged surrounding Fox’s X-Men franchise that paints them in a new light on a rewatch.

Содержание

Summary
10 Magneto And Professor X Were Working Together The Whole Time
From X-Men (2000) Onward
9 Logan Put The X-Men Out Of Their Misery In Logan
From Logan (2017)
8 Deadpool And Kitty Pryde Have Been Messing Up Timelines
From X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014) & Deadpool 2 (2018)
7 Wolverine Smokes Cigars To Curb His Super-Smell
From X-Men (2000) Onward
6 Deadpool Has The Same Mutation As Domino
From Deadpool (2016) Onward
5 Jean Grey Sends Out Psychic Love Signals
From X-Men (2000) Onward
4 X-Men Origins: Wolverine Is An Anti-Mutant Propaganda Film
From X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
3 Mutant Powers Scale With Practice
From X-Men (2000) Onward
2 Wolverine Feels Pain Even More Than Humans
From X-Men (2000) Onward
1 Deadpool Wrote His Own Movie
From Deadpool (2016)
Key Release Dates

Summary

Professor X and Magneto worked together, using the Brotherhood to show mutant goodness in contrast from X-Men onward.
Logan secretly endures blame for the X-Men massacre to protect Charles from guilt and relieve their pain in Logan .
Deadpool's and Kitty Pryde's time-traveling antics caused X-Men timeline inconsistencies across the Fox franchise.

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Fox's X-Men franchise has made an indelible mark on the superhero genre after running for nearly two decades (before joining the MCU), so it's no surprise that so many convincing fan theories have arisen during that time that change everything on a rewatch. X-Men kicked off the franchise in 2000, bringing the iconic Marvel team to the big screen before Fox and Sony would go on to dominate the superhero genre throughout the 00s. After 13 movies, the X-Men franchise still evokes enough nostalgia that the MCU will be leaning into it heavily by the time Deadpool & Wolverine releases.

The movies that comprise the sprawling X-Men franchise have had many highs and lows, with often confusing storylines that were thanks in no small part to the X-Men timeline shenanigans that came with X-Men: Days of Future Past. These stories have given way to plenty of fan theories that help to rationalize inconsistencies and small details that are not confirmed, but still make a lot of sense. In fact, watching the series again with these theories in mind sheds a whole new light on their events.

10 Magneto And Professor X Were Working Together The Whole Time

From X-Men (2000) Onward

Close Director Bryan Singer Release Date July 14, 2000 Studio(s) Marvel Distributor(s) 20th Century Writers Tom DeSanto , Bryan Singer , David Hayter Cast Hugh Jackman , Patrick Stewart , Ian McKellen , Anna Paquin , Halle Berry , Famke Janssen , James Marsden , Ray Park , Rebecca Romijn

It's common knowledge that Charles and Erik share a bond that is supposedly jeopardized only by their ideological differences — namely, that Charles wishes to coexist with humanity while Erik wishes for mutants to secede from them entirely through violent means. A compelling theory suggests (via Reddit), however, that this is just part of a grand plan orchestrated by the two of them, and that Professor X and Magneto are constantly working with one another for the betterment of mutant-kind. To do this, Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants play the role of the bad guys.

By doing this, Xavier's X-Men are constantly able to prove their value to society by stepping in and showing that mutants can be trusted and are needed to protect humanity. This helps to explain several convoluted staging areas in which Charles often lets Erik go free, after having saved human lives. Eventually, this plan comes to fruition by X-Men: Last Stand, in which Erik pretends to have lost his powers, and a martyred Charles lives on in another body.

Charles' vague survival at the end of X-Men: The Last Stand was one of the many inconsistencies retconned by the time X-Men: Days of Future Past released.

9 Logan Put The X-Men Out Of Their Misery In Logan

From Logan (2017)

Director James Mangold Release Date March 3, 2017 Studio(s) 20th Century , Marvel Distributor(s) 20th Century Writers Michael Green , Scott Frank , James Mangold Cast Hugh Jackman , Patrick Stewart , Dafne Keen , Elizabeth Rodriguez , Daniel Bernhardt , Richard E. Grant , Doris Morgado , Boyd Holbrook

Logan's direct involvement in the mutant massacre that was ostensibly caused by Charles Xavier in Logan is hinted at throughout the movie by Charles' accusatory tone, including in early scenes where Charles exclaims "What did you do?" to Logan, followed by a general air of antagonism towards his supposed carer. The Westchester Incident in which seven X-Men died and the X-Mansion was destroyed was ostensibly caused by Professor X's catastrophic seizure. One theory suggests that Logan has been allowing Xavier to think that Logan was responsible to spare him the guilt.

Another theory, however, suggests that Wolverine himself delivered the final blow as a mercy killing for those in too much pain. Given the movie's similarities to the Old Man Logan run of comics, it would also make sense that Wolverine killed the X-Men while under the influence of Xavier, making them both complicit, as this is what happened to Wolverine in the comics while under Mysterio's influence. The event itself is omitted from Logan, leaving the horrendous sequence up to the imagination — with decidedly mixed results.

8 Deadpool And Kitty Pryde Have Been Messing Up Timelines

From X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014) & Deadpool 2 (2018)

Director Bryan Singer Release Date May 22, 2014 Studio(s) 20th Century Distributor(s) 20th Century Writers Simon Kinberg Cast Hugh Jackman , James McAvoy , Michael Fassbender , Jennifer Lawrence , Patrick Stewart

It is no secret that the tangled web of altered timelines has given rise to myriad continuity errors in the X-Men franchise, but the events of X-Men: Days of Future Past and Deadpool 2 offer a convincing explanation for the messy events. The theory states that Kitty Pryde's surprising ability to send back consciousnesses is used more than once in their desperate attempts to stave off annihilation, while Deadpool's reckless time-traveling shenanigans combined with this to cause several instances of the butterfly effect. This helps explain several inconsistencies including, for example, Colossus' inexplicable nationality and power changes.

7 Wolverine Smokes Cigars To Curb His Super-Smell

From X-Men (2000) Onward

Wolverine is a big fan of chomping on cigars, something which is almost as synonymous with his character as his Adamantium skeleton. One fan theory suggests this could be more than just a penchant for the taste, however, as constantly having the strong smell of tobacco beneath his nose would no doubt stifle external scents. This brings a practical excuse for Wolverine's love for cigars, as his super sense of smell would no doubt be overwhelming when going about his day-to-day business, with cigars offering a moment of reprieve.

6 Deadpool Has The Same Mutation As Domino

From Deadpool (2016) Onward

Close Director Tim Miller Release Date February 9, 2016 Writers Rhett Reese , Paul Wernick , Geoff Johns , Rob Liefeld , Len Wein , Dave Cockrum Cast Ryan Reynolds , Morena Baccarin , T.J. Miller , Brianna Hildebrand , Karan Soni , Ed Skrein , Michael Benyaer , Stefan Kapicic

While there is a theory to suggest that Wade Wilson was already a mutant before undergoing the procedure that gave him his healing factor, this tends to dub his incomprehensible ability to pull off incredible stunts to a "hyperkinetic charge." Yet his interactions with Domino, whose powers of sheer luck he decries as being "not real," would be all the more hilarious if it turned out he had the exact same set. After all, Wade Wilson's uncanny ability to pull off death-defying and death-dealing stunts would be a lot more explicable if it was put down to sheer luck.

5 Jean Grey Sends Out Psychic Love Signals

From X-Men (2000) Onward

The X-Men franchise's love triangle involving Scott, Jean, and Logan may not have brought anything of much value to the X-Men movies, but it was at least comic-book accurate. Wolverine's dogged pursuit of Phoenix, however, despite her being romantically involved, was an uncomfortable watch at times. Yet his instant infatuation may be a little more explicable if the theory that Jean Grey — who happens to warrant significantly more attention in the comics — is emitting a certain type of psychic energy that causes those around her to like, or even love, her without realizing it.

4 X-Men Origins: Wolverine Is An Anti-Mutant Propaganda Film

From X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Director Gavin Hood Release Date April 30, 2009 Writers Gavin Hood Cast Hugh Jackman , Ryan Reynolds , Liev Schreiber , Taylor Kitsch

This theory is likely to make what is widely believed to be the worst X-Men movie much more bearable to watch. It states that X-Men Origins: Wolverine, with its hammy script, over-the-top sequences, and general ability to evoke a bad response, is in fact an in-universe anti-mutant propaganda flick starring Hugh Jackman. Given that it spawned so many continuity errors in the X-Men franchise, it certainly helps to explain these away while keeping it within the wheelhouse of the wider X-Men narrative.

3 Mutant Powers Scale With Practice

From X-Men (2000) Onward

This popular theory helps to explain the gulf in certain mutants' powers, be it between each other or at different points in their lives. It suggests that powers are like a muscle rather than inherently powerful, and must be trained to achieve their full potential. Magneto, who is depicted at various stages of his life, is a prime example of how this works. As a child, his ability to move metal is difficult for him to manifest as he struggles to move a coin, yet later in life, he can move the entire Golden Gate Bridge.

This is because Magneto has spent his life honing his powers, and has achieved Omega level status because of it. Bobby Drake is another example of this. Rogue, meanwhile, has a very similar power to Apocalypse, yet thanks to her shunning them instead of embracing them, she never achieves her "full potential," even though she could give the world's most powerful mutant a run for his money if she did.

2 Wolverine Feels Pain Even More Than Humans

From X-Men (2000) Onward

Wolverine's ability to heal from his injuries does not preclude him from feeling pain. The script of X-Men even draws attention to this when Rogue asks him if unsheathing his claws hurts, to which he responds, "Every time." Yet while regular humans respond to injuries by growing calluses and scars, thereby reducing sensitivity, Wolverine's healing factor overwrites this biological process, turning his skin into brand-new, particularly sensitive skin each time he heals.

This theory helps Wolverine seem a lot braver than he already is, with his reckless abandon when charging into battle carrying much higher stakes than first believed. His berserker rage is also much more explicable when considering the amount of pain he inflicts on himself each time he un-sheaths his claws and takes several hits in the heat of battle. Rather than it being a purely animalistic rage, it is instead Logan embracing the scientifically-backed method of screaming to suppress the agony he's enduring.

1 Deadpool Wrote His Own Movie

From Deadpool (2016)

The theory is fittingly meta, given that Deadpool actor, Ryan Reynolds, worked closely with the movie's scriptwriters, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and produced the movie. It states that Deadpool, with its rampant fourth-wall-breaking and impossible action sequences, was written by the titular hero himself. Rewatching Deadpool with this theory in mind sheds a new light on many of its funniest moments, including Negasonic Teenage Warhead warming to him and the fact that the only guy who could beat him, Colossus, is so much bigger and meaner than previously seen in the X-Men franchise.