Before there was Christopher Nolan’s game-changing Batman trilogy or the Marvel Cinematic Universe tackled The Avengers, there was X-Men.
Beginning in 2000 with Bryan Singer’s X-Men, the franchise was one of the American movie industry’s first move into more serious and grounded superhero film adaptations and set new standards for cinematic depictions of superpowered heroes.
The franchise continues to grow to this day past the original X-Men trilogy of the early 2000s. X-Men: First Class started the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s explorations of what young Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto went through in the form of a prequel series.
Meanwhile, movies like The Wolverine and Deadpool saw the franchise expand into more character-focused spin-offs.
As unique and entertaining an experience the X-Men movies are for fans watching the movies in theaters, the franchise is even more so for many actors involved in it.
A number of stars who have acted in one or more films of the franchise have come forward and emphasized how amazing the X-Men experience was.
However, now all stars were left happy after working on the movies. More actors than one might expect have been vocal about how disappointed they were with the franchise-- and these gripes don't just come from minor supporting actors.
Some of the X-Men franchise’s biggest stars have some pretty scathing critiques of the series and have turned their backs on it for good as a result.
This list combines actors who are some of the X-Men franchise’s strongest critics along with the series’ biggest supporters.
Here are the 10 Actors Who Regretted Being X-Men Movies (And 15 Who Adored Them).
Regretted: Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming gave one of the most impressionable performances of Bryan Singer’s X-Men trilogy as Nightcrawler. However, while Cumming was giving an entertaining performance, he wasn’t exactly enjoying himself.
The actor has revealed that he and Singer did not get along at all on set.
When he was asked how he felt that Singer would not be returning for the third film of the trilogy, Cumming admitted, “I’m not disappointed, I can’t deny that.”
When he was pressed for details, Cumming simply replied, “I didn’t enjoy working with him on the film.”
The actor's experiences on set soured his thoughts on the movies, and Cumming left the franchise behind shortly after.
Loved It: Olivia Munn
Olivia Munn joined the X-Men franchise in 2016 when she was cast in X-Men: Apocalypse as Psylocke.
Munn was immediately thrilled with her experience shooting the movie, and when interviewers visited her on set, she made sure to express how much fun being a new X-Men member was.
The actress said that she had been a long-time X-Men fan and was proud of how Psylocke was portrayed in the movie.
She loved playing the character so much, she wants a spin-off film dedicated to her backstory and understanding the genesis of Psylocke.
Loved It: Evan Peters
When Evan Peters raced through X-Men: Days of Future Past with his attention-grabbing “Time in a Bottle” sequence as Quicksilver, he immediately won the hearts of fans of the franchise everywhere.
Peters wants his fans to know he had just as much fun acting in the X-Men movies as viewers did watching them.
The actor regularly emphasizes in interviews how grateful he is for the opportunity to play a character like Quicksilver in a huge blockbuster franchise.
Peters has said that he’s been a comic book fan since childhood, and receiving acclaim from critics and fans alike from his role in X-Men has been life changing.
Regretted: Alexandra Shipp
When actress Alexandra Shipp took on the role of Storm in X-Men: Apocalypse, the last thing she expected was to be accused of racism by some critics on Twitter.
But that’s exactly what happened.
Some users on Twitter thought that Shipp’s depiction of Storm was too light-skinned and “racially ambiguous” instead of being a “truly black” female character.
Shipp took on her critics on the social media site, launching a long Twitter war over race, Storm, and the X-Men franchise.
The actress ended up having the last word, but there’s no doubt that the Twitter argument over colorism had her re-thinking her involvement in X-Men.
Loved It: Rose Byrne
Rose Byrne is an actress who dabbles in movies of every genre. She has starred in horror films, comedies, and grounded dramas.
In 2011, she added the superhero genre to her resume starring in X-Men: First Class. Some actors regret moving from indies to blockbusters because they prefer small-scale movies, but Byrne enjoyed the switch.
Unfortunately, earlier this year, Byrne revealed that she would not be returning for the upcoming addition to the series.
"I wish she was [returning]. I had such fun on X-Men: Apocalypse. I love that cast,” she gushed in one interview.
She liked X-Men so much that she’s basically begging to return to the franchise now.
Loved It: Zoë Kravitz
Zoë Kravitz has had one heck of a career. Her action-packed filmography includes some of the biggest blockbusters in recent memory, including Mad Max: Fury Road, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and the Divergent series.
However before she began this impressive run of movies, her first experience with big-budget productions was on X-Men: First Class.
The filming experience made a big impression on her.
“It's nerve-wracking to be on a production this big, in a way,” she told journalists, discussing her stunts and working with Kevin Bacon. “But it's really fun.”
She enjoyed the film so much, it’s what made her hooked on starring in the action genre.
Regretted: Famke Janssen
Perhaps the most memorable performance of Bryan Singer’s original X-Men trilogy was given by Fanke Janssen when she took on the role of Jean Grey.
While Janssen might have enjoyed playing Jean originally, she’s changed her opinion in recent years.
Janssen has claimed that the reason why she has not been involved in any of the recent installments of the franchise was because producers haven’t asked her. She attributed this diss to both ageism and sexism.
The actress argued that the X-Men producers have been switching out older actresses for younger female stars for years, although they often keep the older male actors.
Janssen now regrets ever being involved in the series.
Loved It: James Marsden
One of the more charismatic performances of the early X-Men movies was given by James Marsden in his role of Cyclops.
Marsden grew to be a fan-favorite in the franchise, with many viewers arguing he was one of the best actors in the series.
Many would probably like to see Marsden’s return to X-Men in one form or another – including the actor himself. “I’ve always been proud of my role,” he said in one interview. “I’d like to [return]. ... I loved being a part of those movies.”
It seems like nobody wants Marsden to come back to the franchise more than he does.
Loved It: Nicholas Hoult
When filmmakers decided they wanted to bring the character of Beast back in the prequels, fans wondered who they would bring in to fill in Kelsey Grammar’s shoes from his role in X-Men: The Last Stand and if they could truly measure up to the iconic actor.
Nicholas Hoult, who has been a fan of X-Men since his childhood, was more than excited to take on the role
Hoult says he’s grateful not only of his new fans, but of his time on set with his fellow X-Men stars.
“I'd be happy to go back - I love playing that character and I love everyone involved,” he said in one interview.
Regretted: Sophie Turner
Sophie Turner is no stranger to big-budget productions and dedicated fandoms. The British actress has played Sansa Stark in HBO’s Game of Thrones for years.
So when she was cast as Jean Grey in X-Men: Apocalypse, the role wasn’t too much of a culture shock to the young star.
She did, however, need to make some sacrifices for the part.
The shooting schedule was demanding and required Turner to give her 100%, so she was forced to give up her party lifestyle and socializing to stick to the movie's strict schedule.
There's no doubt that she felt some regrets having to change her entire lifestyle for the one role.
Loved It: Ian McKellen
Before he was cast in Bryan Singer’s original X-Men, people may not have expected a Shakespearean stage actor from Great Britain to agree to a role in a superhero movie.
However, McKellen jumped into his part as Magneto with excitement, and it turns out that his role in the franchise is one of the favorite parts that he’s ever taken on.
British actor was asked to return in 2012 for X-Men: Days of Future Past, and McKellen agreed without hesitation.
When journalists asked how he felt coming back to the world of X-Men, McKellen called the return "wonderful".
Who knew a classic theater actor would have such fun in the X-Men universe.
Loved It: Halle Berry
With her role in the disastrous Catwoman, Berry hasn’t necessarily had the best track record when it comes to superhero movies.
However, her experience with X-Men went much better, to the point where the actress insists to this day that she’d love for her character Storm to have a spin-off movie.
“I love that character,” she told journalists in 2016. “I love what the X-Men series stands for. Absolutely. Fans have to tell Fox if that's something they're wanting!”
Berry gave a great performance as Storm in Singer’s early trilogy, so it would be a thrill to see her return and take on the hero once again.
Regretted: Ryan Reynolds
One of the most famous tales of an actor criticizing the X-Men franchise involves Ryan Reynolds’ experience on X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
The actor was initially thrilled when he was cast as Deadpool in the 2007 movie, but issues quickly came up when producers took Deadpool’s character arc down a strange turn.
Reynolds didn’t agree with the script, which he claimed made an “abomination” out of the character. He maintains Origins is one of the worst experiences he’s had with a movie.
However, the actor was inspired to bring Deadpool to life on screen in a different way after his terrible experience, and his successful Deadpool 2 was released in May.
Loved It: Zazie Beetz
Zazie Beetz is best known for her characters on shows like Netflix’s Easy and Donald Glover’s FX series Atlanta.
Recently, she took her skills playing complex female leads to the big screen with her role as Domino in this summer’s Deadpool 2.
While most of her professional experience is on the set of more intimate dramas, Beetz had a blast playing the heroine.
The actress enjoyed it so much that she wants to return and bring fans an origin story.
“I would like to see where Domino came from, because it is kind of a dark and interesting background,” Beetz told interviewers.
Let’s hope we can see a Domino spin-off in theaters soon.
Loved It: Oscar Isaac
Oscar Isaac is one of the most exciting actors working in Hollywood at the moment.
So when he joined the X-Men franchise playing the titular villain in X-Men: Apocalypse, fans had reason to celebrate.
The movie ended up having some flaws, and while some fans had issues with Apocalypse and his character design, Isaac stood by the movie and his character.
Isaac told journalists he enjoyed the challenge of playing such a serious villain (never mind his heavy make-up and costuming).
The actor also said the experience was “humbling”, adding, that it’s “been amazing to be a part of.”
Regretted: Ellen Page
Perhaps the biggest hit to the X-Men franchise came from Ellen Page, who made an explosive a 2017 Facebook post accusing Brett Ratner of verbal abuse while the two worked together on X-Men: The Last Stand.
Page’s Facebook post described disturbing incidents that occurred between the actress and Ratner on the set of the 2006 movie.
Page was only 18 at the time and her post claims she endured a stream of homophobic abuse from the director.
The actress condemned the filmmaker and made it clear that she regretted joining the franchise.
The filmmaking industry responded with support to Page and outrage over Ratner, and the historic #MeToo movement began shortly after.
Loved It: Josh Brolin
With his role as Thanos in the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Brolin is no stranger to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Brolin had fun becoming involved in the MCU through a different role with his character Cable in Deadpool 2.
The actor said it was his co-star, Ryan Reynolds, that helped him have such a fun time on set.
In fact, Brolin enjoyed working with Reynolds so much, he wants to return for more Deadpool, even though he doesn't enjoy returning to a role in multiple movies.
“He’s created a tone that’s very unique,” Brolin said about Reynolds. “I think he is the only reason why I would sign on for four movies.”
Loved It: Hugh Jackman
With his role as Wolverine, Hugh Jackman cemented himself as one of the best on-screen superheroes of all time.
Having played Wolverine for nearly two decades, Hugh Jackman had a dedicated fan base that grew up seeing the Australian actor play the clawed superhero on the big screen.
Jackman and fans said goodbye to his depiction of Wolverine for good with 2017’s Logan.
The actor said playing Wolverine in Logan was the best goodbye he could have given to the character.
Still, Jackman was emotional about the role. “I’m going to miss that guy,” he admitted when he was asked how he felt about leaving Wolverine behind.
Regretted: Anna Paquin
When Ellen Page came forward claiming that Brett Ratner had harassed her on the set of X-Men: The Last Stand, some on the internet stood by the director and insisted that Page might have been lying.
It was Anna Paquin who stepped up to support her co-star’s accounts.
After Page published her Facebook post, Paquin tweeted out, “I was there when that comment was made. I stand with you.”
She later called the movie industry “victim grooming” and claimed she was pressured to stay silent on Ratner’s set instead of confronting the director.
Her tweets make it clear that Paquin has some regrets joining the franchise and witnessing Ratner’s harassment firsthand.
Loved It: Peter Dinklage
While he plays one of the few morally righteous characters on Game of Thrones with Tyrion Lannister, Dinklage decided to switch sides in another big-budget fictional universe by taking on the role of villain Bolivar Trask in X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Dinklage has said that he seriously enjoyed playing such a twisted character and that as an actor, he loved Trask’s complexities as well.
“To get to play the villain is always great fun,” Dinklage admitted. “He’s not your everyday villain either. It’s complicated just like the mutant characters are.”
Dinklage brought his typical energy and charisma to the role, making Trask one of the best parts to the movie.