What Comes After X-Men First Class
X-Men: First Class hit screens in 2011. Bryan Singer rebooted the franchise with a young Charles Xavier and a young Erik Lehnsherr. Fans were hooked immediately. The chemistry between James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender felt electric. But the question lingered loudly. What came next? Guys, explore more in Guides And Explainers and what comes after x men first class.
The answer involves sequels, prequels, and a soft reboot. The timeline splits between theatrical releases and a streaming surprise.
The Official Sequel Pushed Forward
The direct follow-up arrived in 2014. X-Men: Days of Future Past merged the old cast with the new. Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine traveled through time. The young cast from First Class aged decades on screen. The story fixed the dark, grim timeline of the earlier films. It was a massive box office win.
Days of Future Past
This film rewrote the franchise rules. Sentinels wiped out mutants and humans alike. The plot demanded a desperate journey to the past. The cast expanded significantly. Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique became the central figure. The movie balanced nostalgia with a fresh start.
The Third Chapter Dropped Later
- 2016. The plot jumped forward to
- 1983. Apocalypse, the world’s first mutant, woke up. He recruited Storm, Jean Grey, and Cyclops. The younger X-Men had to stop him. Critics gave mixed reactions.
Apocalypse's Threat
Oscar Isaac delivered a commanding performance. His character felt ancient and alien. The action sequences were visually loud. Some fans missed the tight political thriller tone of the original. The movie prioritized scale over character depth.
The Final Installment Before the Reboot
Dark Phoenix closed the loop in 2019. The story adapted the famous Phoenix Saga. Jean Grey absorbed a cosmic force. Her power grew beyond control. Simon Kinberg directed for a second time. The film underperformed expectations. Disney’s acquisition of Fox changed everything shortly after.
The Cosmic Fallout
The Phoenix Force corrupted Jean Grey deeply. The X-Men tried to save her from herself. The ending felt dark and unresolved. Many fans questioned the execution. The franchise seemed directionless by that point.
The Secret Disney Plus Timeline
Everything shifted with a streaming series. Marvel launched Legion before the Disney deal. That show explored David Haller, Charles’s son. But the real game of thrones was The Gifted. The series aired on Fox from 2017 to 2019.
The Gifted
This show picked up immediately after the events of X-Men: Apocalypse. The Strucker family went on the run. They joined a hidden mutant underground. The Hellfire Club played a shadowy role. The series offered a grounded, small-town drama. You can watch The Gifted on Disney+ now. It stands as the last official canon story in that continuity.
The Soft Reboot Erased the Timeline
Disney absorbed 20th Century Fox. The X-Men franchise restarted. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) brought the team into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The multiverse concept explained away the old films. Now, a new timeline exists. The question of what comes after First Class has a new answer. The mutant era has merged with the Avengers.