Released in 2000, X-Men is the film that can easily be considered the torchbearer of the golden age of superhero films. To be precise, the concept of a team of superheroes was popularized by the first X-Men movie. This was the first time we ever saw the X-Men in action outside the pages of comic books, and believe me when I say, the cast and characters for this project made it even better.
From the righteous and charismatic Professor So in this article, let’s dive into our nostalgia and remember the cast of X-Men!
1. Patrick Stewart as Professor
The leader of the X-Men and the man behind the team’s brains is none other than Charles Xavier (aka Professor Especially if you’ve seen the later X-Men films X-Men: First Class where James McAvoy played the role of Professor Or I’d rather say James was perfect younger casting for the world’s most popular telepath.
As soon as this film came out, Stewart became both a sensation and an instant hit among X-Men fans due to his exceptional charm and charisma, as if Professor X himself walked out of the comic books and onto our screens.
2. Hugh Jackman as Logan (Wolverine)
The best decision ever made in the history of casting decisions is choosing Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in X-Men. Before this movie, Hugh Jackman was virtually unknown, but then he became an overnight superstar and forever the face of Wolverine.
In this film, we are introduced to Wolverine after the experiment that gave him his Diamond bones as well as its signature claws. After the great success of X-Men and the explosive fanbase of Jackman as Wolverine, an X-Men: Origins film project was started, with the first film X-Men Origin: Wolverine. Although the film has some flaws, it became a huge fan favorite and is one of the best best X-Men movies to date.
3. Ian McKellen as Erik Magnus Lehnsherr (Magneto)
When talking about the antagonist of 2000’s X-Men, I don’t think anyone can dispute the fact that anyone other than Ian McKellen could have brought a better adaptation of Magneto’s charismatic yet dark personality to the screen. Magneto is best defined as the enemy of Professor X. They both want to protect the interests of Mutants, but there is a striking moral difference between the two of them.
In this film, we see this difference crystal clear when Magneto tries to turn the world leaders into Mutants using some extreme methods, but Professor
3. James Marsden as Scott Summers (cyclops)
If we talk about comic accuracy, Cyclops, played by James Marsden, along with Wolverine was another Mutant cast with utmost perfection. I don’t know about you, but to me, not only the way he carried the character, but also the way he looks is strikingly similar to how we saw Cyclops in the comics.
Marsden played the character Cyclops in three X-Men films in which he is a key member of the team and possibly one of the core members of the original X-Men team. The chemistry between Wolverine and Cyclops was the best ever seen in a comic book movie, adding a sense of comic relief to the film’s generally serious tone.
4. Famke Janssen as Jean Gray
The first X-Men movie itself introduced us to one of the most powerful mutants in the X-Men comic book series. Jean Gray evolves into the Dark Phoenix in comics initially posing a threat to the X-Men and everyone else as Jean is completely under the control of the Phoenix Force. Ultimately, she takes control of the Phoenix Force and becomes the strongest member of the team.
In the X-Men film trilogy, Jean is killed by Wolverine to protect everyone around him. In the first X-Men she is a doctor, a telepath and can perform telekinesis, but her powers are not that enhanced in this film.
5. Anna Paquin as Anna Marie (Villain)
Rogue was actually the central character of this film. She is a young mutant who can absorb life energy from anyone she touches. So if she touches a mutant, she gains a fraction of that mutant’s powers for a while. Her powers are more like a curse to her because she doesn’t have a switch for her powers. This makes her more of a threat to anyone she makes physical contact with.
In the X-Men movie, Magneto kidnaps her to transfer his powers to her and use her as collateral damage as he tries to turn the world leaders into mutants.
6. Halle Berry as Ororo Munroe (Storm)
Storm is officially one of the most powerful mutants in the X-Men universe, simply because of her rather exceptional powers. Halle Berry was cast as Storm from the first X-Men movie to the last X-Men movie, except in X-Men Origin: Wolverine And X-Men: First Class.
She has the power to control the weather and bend it to her will. If you’ve seen later projects in the X-Men universe, you already know that she has been an important part of the X-Men universe, whether it’s the timeline where “Days of the future past‘ takes place or the one we see the events of X-Men: Apocalypse And Dark Phoenix.
7. Rebecca Romijn as Raven Darkholme (Mystique)
Mystique is the most famous shapeshifter in the X-Men universe and was first seen in this film. She is Magneto’s right hand. In the comic series, she is often referred to as one of the most powerful mutants due to her unique ability to not only shape-shift, but also replicate the powers of another person or mutant.
In the entire X-Men universe, Rebecca Romijn is the one who reprized the role of Mystique in most of the X-Men films. In the later projects of X-Men, we get to see a full arc of how Raven went from Charles Xavier’s sister to Magneto’s right-hand man.
8. Ray Parker as Mortimer Tonybee (Path)
Ray Parker is a professional martial artist, best known for playing the role of Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Solo: A Star Wars Story. He played the role of a B-Grade X-Men villain named Toad, who has the abilities of a…well…toad? He can jump to great heights, spit out a slimy substance and has a tongue extending to 13 feet so he could catch his prey. His appearance was a one-off, but he made a brief appearance X-Men: Days of Future Past also.
Featuring Toad, our list of popular characters in the X: Men (2000) movie is coming to an end. Now you may be wondering, “Where is Sabertooth?” Well, I made a conscious decision not to include him in this list because later, in the X-Men universe, Sabertooth’s story was twisted and Logan’s half-brother and fellow soldier were turned into Sabertooth. In my opinion, the decision to recast and change the character’s origins was itself cruel to the X-Men universe. But aside from the flaws of this universe, we all have to agree that this movie ushered us into a new era of superhero movies and made our childhood a whole lot better.
