Here is every character who was recast in Fox's X-Men movie franchise, which amounts to 25 mutants and humans across the 13 X-Men movies and spinoffs. The X-Men films' continuous recasting includes many of the most important characters in the long-running franchise, which spans two different timelines and includes three spinoff movies for Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), two for Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), and The New Mutants.
Even during the original X-Men trilogy directed by Bryan Singer and Brett Ratner, which featured the same actors playing the main X-Men and villains throughout the trio of films, the cracks were evident in terms of the consistency of casting ancillary characters. Some mutants who were merely background characters in the first X-Men film, like Pyro, Kitty Pryde, and Colossus, took on greater importance in the sequels and were recast with new actors. X-Men Origins: Wolverine then recast the villainous roles of Sabretooth and Col. William Stryker but it also reintroduced a young Cyclops (with a different actor) and Professor X, throwing the timeline into confusion.
X-Men: First Class completely reordered the timeline and recast Charles Xavier, Magneto, Mystique, and Beast with new, younger actors, establishing that they all met by 1962 and beginning a revamped mainline X-Men franchise that would last for three more films. 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past brought the original and newer X-Men casts together in the same film before 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse reintroduced main characters like Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Storm as teenagers in the 1980s. The core X-Men saga ultimately wrapped up with 2019's Dark Phoenix, while Hugh Jackman's historic run as Wolverine concluded with an alt-future finale in 2017's Logan.
Some X-Men characters like Wolverine, Iceman (Shawn Ashmore), and Rogue (Anna Paquin), were played by the same actors in every film appearance, which was both reassuring for fans but also added to the overall confusion. There are other cases where characters were intended to be recast for spinoff films that never happened after Fox was purchased by Disney. These include Channing Tatum's aborted Gambit movie, where he would have taken the role over from Taylor Kitsch, and James Franco starring as Madrox, the Multiple Man, who was played by Eric Dane in X-Men: The Last Stand. Lastly, Ryan Reynolds played a bizarre version of Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine but successfully campaigned to star in a more comic book accurate version of the Merc With a Mouth in two wildly successful Deadpool films.
Professor X
Patrick Stewart played Professor Charles Xavier AKA Professor X in five films: X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and Logan, as well as cameos in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and in The Wolverine's end-credits scene. Stewart's version of Professor X also has the distinction of dying twice in two different timelines (as well as an unexplained resurrection).
In the revised timeline that began with X-Men: First Class, James McAvoy took over the role of Professor X and he also starred as the mutant psychic in X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, Dark Phoenix, and he also had a cameo as Xavier in Deadpool 2. Laurence Belcher plays the young Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class. In addition, Harry Lloyd played a different version of Charles Xavier in FX's Legion, which was set in a completely different timeline from the X-Men films.
Magneto
The role of Erik Lensherr AKA Magneto was originated by Ian McKellan, who would star as the magnetic mutant terrorist in X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. McKellan's Magneto also has a cameo in The Wolverine's end-credits scene. Brett Morris plays the young Erik in X-Men's flashback scenes at Auschwitz.
Michael Fassbender was cast as Magneto in the revised timeline and he played Lensherr in X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix. In addition, Bill Millner plays the young Erik in First Class' flashback scenes at Auschwitz.
Mystique
Raven Darkholme AKA Mystique was radically reimagined from the Marvel Comics and Rebecca Romjin portrayed the stealthy blue shapeshifter in X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, and she also briefly cameos in X-Men: First Class.
Jennifer Lawerence took over the role for X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix, while Lawrence's version of Mystique was reconceived to become one of the most pivotally important mutants in the revised X-Men timeline. Morgan Lily also played the young Raven in X-Men: First Class.
Cyclops
Three different actors have played three different versions of Scott Summers AKA Cyclops in the X-Men movies. James Marsden played the role of the X-Men's ocular field commander in X-Men, X2: X-Men United, and X-Men: The Last Stand. Tim Pocock played the young Scott Summers in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Finally, Tye Sheridan played Cyclops in X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix, and he also had a cameo in Deadpool 2.
Jean Grey
The pivotal role of Jean Grey, who transformed into Dark Phoenix in both X-Men timelines, was originated by Famke Janssen, who played the mutant psychic in X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, and The Wolverine. The young Jean was played by Haley Ramm in X-Men: The Last Stand.
Sophie Turner took over the role of Jean Grey in X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix, while the younger version of this Jean Grey was played by Summer Fontana in Dark Phoenix.
Storm
Halle Berry originated the role of Ororo Munroe AKA Storm in X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. The role was then recast with Alexandra Shipp, who played the mutant mistress of weather in X-Men: Apocalypse, Dark Phoenix, and she also had a cameo in Deadpool 2.
Henry "Hank" McCoy made his first appearance in X-Men: The Last Stand where he was played by Kelsey Grammer, who also reprised the role at the end of X-Men: Days of Future Past. In the revised X-Men timeline, the furry blue mutant genius was played by Nicholas Hoult, who starred as Beast in X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, Dark Phoenix, and he also cameoed in Deadpool 2.
Nightcrawler
Kurt Wagner AKA Nightcrawler made a memorable debut in X2: X-Men United, where he was played by Alan Cumming. Nightcrawler made his return in the revised X-Men timeline where he was played as a teenager by Kodi Smit-McPhee in X-Men: Apocalypse. Smit-McPhee returned as Nightcrawler in Dark Phoenix and he had a cameo in Deadpool 2.
Sabretooth
Tyler Mane played Victor Creed AKA Sabretooth in X-Men, where he was a henchman of Magneto and a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants. The role was recast with Liev Schreiber in X-Men: Origins Wolverine, and this version of Sabretooth was retconned to be the half-brother, oldest friend, and arch-enemy of Wolverine.
Kitty Pryde
Three different actors have played Kitty Pryde, who has the mutant power of phasing (i.e. walking through walls). Sumela Kay played Kitty in X-Men and Katie Stuart took over the role in X2: X-Men United. But these were mere cameos and when Kitty was promoted to become a principal character, Ellen Page was cast as the phasing mutant. Page played Kitty in X-Men: The Last Stand and she reprised the role in X-Men: Days of Future Past, where Kitty also got the new mutant ability to send Wolverine's mind back through time.
Colossus
Three actors have also played Piotr Rasputin AKA Colossus, who can transform his body into organic steel. Donald McKinnon cameoed as Colossus in X-Men, and then Donald Cudmore took over the role for X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. In Deadpool and Deadpool 2, Colossus took on a more prominent role and the metallic mutant was now a CGI creation voiced by Stefan Kapicic.
Pyro
John Allerdyce AKA Pyro was memorable as the first student of the Xavier School who turned and joined Magneto's Brotherhood. Pyro was played by Alexander Burton in X-Men but when the character's prominence was increased, the role was recast with Aaron Stanford in X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand.
Jubilee
Jubilation Lee AKA Jubilee has been played by three different actresses in four X-Men movies. Katrina Florece appeared as Jubilee in X-Men and then Kea Wong took over the role in X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand. In the revised X-Men timeline, Lana Condor was cast as Jubilee in X-Men: Apocalypse.
Psylocke
A version of Psylocke played by Meiling Melancon appeared in X-Men: The Last Stand. In the revised X-Men timeline, the role was recast with Olivia Munn, who played a more comic book-accurate incarnation of Psylocke in X-Men: Apocalypse.
Toad
Mortimer Toynbee AKA Toad was played by Ray Park in X-Men and the member of the Brotherhood of Mutants was the subject of that film's most infamous dialogue: "Do you know what happens to a toad that's struck by lightning? Same thing that happens to everything else." In the revised X-Men timeline, a new incarnation of Toad in 1973 was played by Evan Jonigkeit in X-Men: Days of Future Past.
William Stryker
Col. William Stryker is in charge of the Weapon X program and he has tormented Wolverine for decades while he was played by three different actors. Brian Cox originated the role as the main villain of X2: X-Men United. Danny Huston played Stryker in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. In the revised X-Men timeline, William Stryker was recast with Josh Helman, who played the younger version of the government agent in X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse.
Angel
Warren Worthington III AKA Angel was originally played by Ben Foster when he debuted in X-Men: The Last Stand, with the younger version of Warren played by Cayden Boyd. In the revised X-Men timeline, Angel was turned into Archangel by Apocalypse and joined the Four Horsemen in X-Men: Apocalypse, where the winged mutant was played by Ben Hardy.
Moira MacTaggert
The role of Moira MacTaggert was originated by Olivia Willaims, who played the Muir Island-based scientist in X-Men: The Last Stand. In the revised X-Men timeline, Moira was reimagined as a CIA agent in the 1960s-set X-Men: First Class and she was played by Rose Byrne, who reprised the role in the 1980s-set X-Men: Apocalypse.
Bolivar Trask
In X-Men: The Last Stand, Bill Duke played Secretary Trask, who appeared in the White House scenes and was the Secretary of Homeland Security. But in the revised X-Men timeline, Peter Dinklage played Bolivar Trask, the creator of the Sentinels who was destined to bring about the end of the mutant race in the 1972-set X-Men: Days of Future Past. While Secretary Trask's first name wasn't said in The Last Stand, it can be assumed that it's also Bolivar and Dinklage's version of Trask is a complete retcon of the character.
Emma Frost
In X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a character named Emma who had the same diamond mutant powers as the comic book Emma Frost appeared and she was played by Tahyna Tozzi. That Emma turned out to be Emma Silverfox, and she was retconned to be a different character. In X-Men: First Class, the proper, comic book-accurate Emma Frost - a telepath with diamond powers and was also the White Queen of the Hellfire Club - was played by January Jones.
Juggernaut
Cain Marko AKA the unstoppable Juggernaut was played by Vinnie Jones when he appeared in X-Men: The Last Stand, and he uttered the film's most infamous dialogue, "I'm the Juggernaut, b*tch!" Deadpool 2 reintroduced the Juggernaut to be more comic book-accurate, and he was a CGI creation whose voice and facial motion capture were provided by Ryan Reynolds.
Blink
In X-Men: Days of Future Past's apocalyptic future scenes, Blink was played by Fan Bingbing. However, a different version of the teleportation portal-making mutant appeared in FOX's X-Men spinoff TV series, The Gifted, where she was played by Jamie Chung.
Apocalypse
En Sabah Nur AKA Apocalypse was played by Oscar Isaac in X-Men: Apocalypse, although there was also an older version of the almighty mutant played by Berdj Garabedian whose mutant powers were transferred to the younger version of Apocalypse played by Isaac. Prior to that, En Sabah Nur appeared in the end-credits scene of X-Men: Days of Future Past, and he was played by Brendan Pedder.
Blob
Fred J. Dukes, the mutant known as the Blob, debuted in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, where he was played by Kevin Durand and had a memorable boxing match with Logan. In the revised X-Men timeline, Blob briefly reappeared in a cameo during X-Men: Apocalypse, where he was played by Gustav Claude Ouimet.
Caliban
Caliban is the bald, albino mutant with the power to locate other mutants. He debuted in X-Men: Apocalypse and he was played by Tomas Lemarquis. In Logan's alternate future, Caliban returned as the caretaker to the deathly sick Professor X and he was now played by Stephen Merchant.