The X-Men franchise is one of the longest-running superhero franchises in movie history. Revolving around a group of mutants with the X-gene who work together to fight evil and use their powers for good and call themselves the X-Men, the franchise has two decades of celebrated content. With plenty of characters to choose from in the comics, original director Bryan Singer was able to provide the audience with a unique yet diverse cast of mutants who, in some cases, have received icon status and went on to have multiple iterations and reboots across many X-Men movies.
While the X-Men franchise has plenty of films and spin-offs to choose from, there is one film that started it all: the original X-Men, released in 2000. The film introduced a new cast of superheroes to audiences who wanted something new and, boy, did they get it. Including the comic book heroes created by Stan Lee, X-Men saw a great deal of success and, according to Den of Geek, set the stage for the MCU to become what it is today. Over two decades later, though no less beloved, here’s where the cast of the original X-Men movie is today.
Anna Paquin — Anna Marie / Rogue
20th Century Fox
Playing the role of angsty teen Rogue, whose power renders her incapable of any direct physical contact, is Anna Paquin. After winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The Piano at a mere 11 years old, it was clear to everyone that Paquin had potential as an actress. After X-Men, the Canadian actress reprised her role as Rogue in three sequels. Then, Paquin went on to star in a number of lead roles, including Sookie Stackhouse in True Blood, and supporting one, like Netflix’s Original film The Irishman. Paquin’s career has flourished over the years with her most recent biographical film American Underdog receiving wonderful reviews, leaving us wondering where her career will lead her next.
Patrick Stewart — Charles Xavier / Professor X
20th Century Studios
Sir Patrick Stewart is a Hollywood icon whose career has spanned the last six decades. Appearing in everything from film adaptations of Shakespearean plays, like Macbeth, to regular appearances on Seth MacFarlane’s long-running comedy show American Dad!, there’s nothing Stewart isn’t willing to take on. His portrayal as the powerful telepath is one of the most iconic in the superhero genre. In fact, Stewart has played Professor X in movies beyond his original X-Men trilogy. What’s more, he’s now slated to return to this role in the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, nearly five years since his last performance in Logan. Despite being over the age of 80, Stewart’s career shows no sign of slowing down: his new show Star Trek: Picard will be carrying on for another season, in addition to his anticipated appearance in the Doctor Strange sequel.
Halle Berry — Ororo Munroe / Storm
In the original X-Men, Halle Berry took on the role of Storm, an ever-powerful mutant with the unique power to control the weather. After her performance in the X-Men franchise, she gained even more popularity, earning the title role in the 2004 film Catwoman. Though the movie was met with negative reviews, Berry has continued to gain prominent roles since, including her role as Sofia in the third installation of the John Wick series John Wick 3: Parabellum. Most recently, Berry has received a great deal of praise for her work on Bruised, her directorial debut for which she won a Satellite Award for Best First Feature. Berry is expected to appear in an upcoming sci-fi drama titled The Mothership. With the mutants officially entering the MCU, many are hoping to see Berry reprise her role as Storm in Black Panther 2.
Hugh Jackman — Logan / Wolverine
Marvel Entertainment Group
With the release of Logan, Hugh Jackman managed to wrap up Wolverine’s story with a tragic but heroic ending. Jackman was basically an unknown at the time of X-Men’s release, but this role launched him into stardom on-screen. After X-Men, Jackman won the role as the title character in Kate & Leopold. He eventually brought his musical theater talents to the screen in the award-winning film adaptation of Les Misérables in which he played the main character Jean Valjean. Jackman’s performance in the hit musical earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Most recently, Jackman starred in the sci-fi thriller Reminiscence. Next, he will appear in The Son opposite Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby, and Anthony Hopkins.
Ian McKellan — Erik Lensherr / Magneto
Playing the role of Magneto, who has the ability to control anything with metal compounds, is Sir Ian McKellan. This English actor’s filmography is as impressive as his counterpart Patrick Stewart’s, including appearances in Richard III, as the title character, and an Oscar-nominated performance as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings franchise. McKellan’s career has continued to grow over the years with his most recent appearance in Infinitum: Subject Unknown, a British sci-fi film shot entirely with an iPhone during the UK’s first lockdown at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. McKellen is also expected to make an appearance in the upcoming film Schadenfreude.
Rebecca Romijn — Raven Darkholme / Mystique
The original Mystique was played by Rebecca Romjin, who managed to capture the mutant’s sex appeal perfectly, with some arguing that her version of Mystique is the best on offer. Romjin is one of the lesser known actors to be on the main cast of the original X-Men film. The model-turned-actress has gone on to moderate success with few lead roles coming her way, most of which were TV rather than film. She had a regular role as Eve on the TNT series The Librarians and managed to snag the voice-acting role of Lois Lane in the DC Animated Movie Universe. On top of this, Romjin acted as host for the reality TV competition Skin Wars, which consisted of body painting challenges which contestants must fulfill. Most recently, Romjin made an appearance in the upcoming Star Trek: Strange New Worlds series.
James Marsden — Scott Summers / Cyclops
The man who has laser vision which can only be contained through wearing sunglasses or his famous visor is Cyclops. Portrayed by James Marsden in X-Men, Cyclops is in love with the all-powerful Jean Grey and does his best to establish their strong relationship to keep Logan away. This role led to Marsden’s career taking off, gaining him roles in films like The Notebook, Hairspray, and 27 Dresses. He is often typecast as the nice guy who finishes last and doesn’t get the girl, but has recently branched off. Marsden’s career has been flowing steadily, gaining recent popularity for his appearance as Tom in Sonic the Hedgehog. Marsden is expected to reprise his role in the sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 set to be released in April 2022.
Famke Janssen — Jean Grey / Phoenix
Perhaps one of the most powerful X-Men of all time is the telepathic and telekinetic mutant Jean Grey, played by Famke Janssen in the original X-Men trilogy. This Dutch actress made her debut as Xenia Onatopp in GoldenEye and went on to play the part of Jean Grey. She later went on to play the role of Lenore Mills in the Taken franchise. Janssen’s career has far from slowed as she continues to take on work. Her most recent film Redeeming Love is a Western drama set during the California Gold Rush and is based on the novel of the same name. Two other films she’s currently working on are Door Mouse and Knights of the Zodiac, both of which have yet to have confirmed release dates.
