The 10 Best Performances From The X-Men Franchise

X-Men: Apocalypse has arrived in theatres and the general reaction has been rather muted, with the liveliest responses being credited to a genuinely strong performance from Michael Fassbender, the ridiculous over the top nature of Oscar Isaac’s villain and what has to be the oddest, most nonsensical chronology in any film universe ever. With so little love directed at Bryan Singer's latest effort, it’s easy to look back and reminisce on the highlights of the series (in a series with admittedly a lot of lows). Much of those highlights have come from the character building and performances of these characters - many of whom who have become iconic due to the actors playing them. While some seem to miss their mark (can’t say I’ve ever been a big fan of Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique), there have been plenty who have made the roles their own, such as Shawn Ashmore’s Bobby Drake/Iceman, who had one of the most affecting scenes of the entire series. So, on that note, take a look at the ten best performances of the X-Men franchise thus far, ranging from the obvious (aka the first name on this list) to the supporting players who managed to stand out amongst the crowd. Hugh Jackman - X2 Let’s just make the assumption that after Hugh Jackman’s last go around as Wolverine, the studio will not be recasting the character. How could they? Jackman has left his personal stamp on Logan, making a character that could have been tiresome and one-note into one of the more engaging, popular and recognizable superheroes of the past 15 years. He brings the required physicality to the character while also giving Wolvie a wisdom that he would have gained over the years. Jackman is affectionate when he needs to be and furious at the drop of a hat, making his version of the iconic hero a wild force to be reckoned with. Sir Ian McKellen - X2 Who knew that Ian McKellen could make such a superb villain? His and Patrick Stewart's chemistry as the reluctant on again, off again friends/enemies is electric, and the villainous mastermind always plays it as if he's five steps ahead of whomever he’s talking to. With his natural inquisitive features, McKellen's Magneto isn’t a great villain just due to how threatening he appears (metal controlling powers are endlessly useful), but because of how he builds his relationships with the other characters and generates both fear and sympathy. James McAvoy - X-Men: Days Of Future Past After playing a perfectly respectable version of Professor X, aka Charles Xavier, in X-Men: First Class, albeit a rather collected one next to Michael Fassbender's simmering Magneto, McAvoy came back for the Bryan Singer-directed sequel (prequel?) to steal the entire show. His character growth in this film is the true heart of the story, as we watch him become an emotionally crippled, ex-hero who would rather sleep away his pain in a drug fuelled haze than confront the lives he couldn’t save and the students he couldn’t protect. Delivering a truly moving performance as a man in the throes of despair, unable to find the hope that would go on to define his character, McAvoy's is the performance worth watching in the film and the character who we truly aim to go on a journey with. Anna Paquin - X-Men We could discuss all day just how wrong the films did by this character, one of the very best of the comic book canon, but this doesn’t negate the excellent work that Anna Paquin puts in as the troubled Rogue in the first film while she helps introduce the audience to this universe. Vulnerable and totally destructive when still learning to use and control her powers, Rogue became less and less interesting as the series went on, but she has remained a strong presence throughout because of Paquin’s natural charm in the role. Famke Janssen - X2 For as many characters that the X-Men universe has, they sure seem to be light in the heroine department when it comes to the films. Either underdeveloped or stuck in love triangles, the female characters get the short end of the stick a lot here, which is why it was so exciting to see Famke Janssen’s Jean Gray get the big hero moment at the end of X2. It’s also the one scene that showcases how great of an asset Janssen was to the film. Is there an image quite as evocative as Jean standing in the vast body of water and creating a safe exit for her friends, her family? Powerful beyond anyone's capabilities but also decidedly human, her “death” hits hard both because we love the character but also because of what Janssen puts into her. Michael Fassbender - X-Men: First Class Certainly not his first role that put him on the map for critics (Hunger did that along with Inglorious Bastards) but very definitely the one that helped make him a bonafide movie star, Michael Fassbender as Magneto was a genius casting decision. Playing both on his roguish charm and ability to project a vulnerability even in the harshest of roles, Fassbender made Magneto so engaging that although we already know the path he’ll end up taking due to prior films, we still get to the end of the movie hoping that he’s going to stick with the team he’s helped build. Time and time again, Fassbender has proven that he can shine both in the big budgeted, summer tentpoles along with the smaller, more intimate fare. Alan Cumming - X2 X2 is the pinnacle film of the X-Men universe in the same way that Spider-Man 2 is definitive for its franchise, and while there’s much that contributes to its overall quality, Alan Cumming’s introduction as comic favorite Nightcrawler was the most surprising one. Mysterious and cunning but also not lacking in pathos, the character gives the film a much needed element of fun. His introduction scene where he infiltrates the White House is riveting and kicks the movie off with an immediate sense of urgency and style. An underrated character as it is, Nightcrawler was always an unlikely mutant to be a launching pad for more notoriety (too much blue makeup), but it solidified what a strong presence Alan Cumming truly is as he made a character as outlandish as Nightcrawler totally his own. Ryan Reynolds - Deadpool The only other person in the X-Men universe to immediately become synonymous with their role was Hugh Jackman, but you can now add Ryan Reynolds to that list with his slightly manic, unapologetically absurd performance as the Merc with a Mouth. Getting a second chance to do right by the character, there’s a very heavy sense that Deadpool wouldn’t have succeeded without Reynolds, who not only plays Wade Wilson as the funniest superhero currently onscreen, but also one who runs deeper than the quips and fourth wall breaking. The affection and respect for the character is present as Reynolds never delivers a watered down version of Deadpool and instead only enhances upon what audiences already know and love. Reynolds, like Jackman (and even like Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man), has delivered a definitive performance as Wade Wilson and seemed to have a blast doing so. Rila Fukushima - The Wolverine What do we remember about The Wolverine other than the fact that it kind of, sort of course corrected after the abysmal X-Men Origins: Wolverine? Sure, it was overall more fun and less frustratingly bad, and okay, that fight atop the bullet train was marvelous, but really, it was the fresh faced Rila Fukushima as Yokio that brought a sense of “new” to the proceedings. Creating a fun dynamic between herself and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, her performance was playful and athletic, livening up what could have been yet another run of the mill Wolvie tale (which, let’s be honest, it still pretty much was). Patrick Stewart - X2 Calm, calculated and exuding effortless empathy for his character and others, Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier left his large and iconic mark pretty much immediately in the X-Men universe. He never gets the “big” moments like the more flashy characters such as Wolverine and Magneto, but he brings a sense of gravitas to his surroundings with a single stare. While he may not make leadership decisions that are consistently helpful, Stewart's Professor X generates such a tremendous feeling of warmth and welcoming that his place at the head of the X-Men is well earned.

The 10 Best Performances From The X-Men Franchise

Alan Cumming – X2