20th Century Fox launched the hugely successful live-action X-Men movie franchise in 2000 which introduced Marvel's mutants to the mainstream movie-goer for the first time. The assembled cast that brought the team together helped carry the long-lasting franchise.
With multiple trilogies and a cast that spanned the generations of the X-Men timeline, there were a number of actors who perfectly encompassed their roles to bring the characters to life. There were also a few actors who didn't quite capture the essence of their roles.
10 Nailed: Rebecca Romijn Introduced A New Fan-Favorite Mystique
The live-action X-Men franchise re-imagined a number of Marvel's mutants which included Rebecca Romijn's role of Mystique. This overtake gave the character a visual overhaul that changed how her shape-shifting powers were displayed, which was also later reflected in the comics and animated series.
While Mystique didn't have many lines throughout the original trilogy, her actions spoke louder as she effectively took down almost the entire X-Men with snark and fighting skills. Her role also led to Mystique's further development in the prequel trilogy, where Jennifer Lawrence continued to build on Romijn's take on the character.
9 Fell Short: James Marsden Wasn't Able To Shine As Cyclops
While he definitely hit the loyal and stoic traits of Scott Summers/Cyclops, James Marsden, unfortunately, wasn't given much room to work with. The leader of the X-Men was a little more than a third member of the Wolverine and Jean Grey love triangle before he was swept to the background and killed off in the last two installments of the first trilogy.
Tye Sheridan was given more room to explore the character in the following trilogy, though fans would have loved to see Marsden get the chance to shine front and center as the dedicated and powerful leader of the X-Men.
8 Nailed: Hugh Jackman Evolved Into The Role Of Wolverine
When Hugh Jackman was initially cast in the role of Logan/Wolverine for the live-action X-Men movie in 2000, fans weren't immediately onboard due to the actor's height and Australian heritage, given Logan's small stature and Canadian origins in the comic.
However, Jackman quickly made the role his own and became one of the most profitable characters in the X-Men franchise. He appeared in almost every live-action movie while also starring in a solo Wolverine trilogy. Unfortunately, despite all of the appearances, fans never once got to see Jackman in the iconic mask from the comics.
7 Fell Short: Sophie Turner Wasn't Able To Capture Dark Phoenix's energy
The character of Jean Grey was explored by Famke Janssen in the original trilogy, with Sophie Turner took on the younger version of the role for the prequel series of movies.
Both actors explored versions of the classic "Dark Phoenix Saga" storyline, though Game of Thrones' Turner wasn't able to quite capture either the essence of the comic character or the spirit of Janssen's version. This ultimately hindered the franchise and led to its downfall with the disappointing X-Men: Dark Phoenix.
6 Nailed: Evan Peters Stood Out As Quicksilver In The Prequel Trilogy
2016's X-Men: Apocalypse served as the new start to the live-action X-Men franchise following the beginnings of the team in First Class and Days of Future Past. It introduced younger versions of already-introduced team members alongside powerful new mutants like Quicksilver, who was played perfectly by Evan Peters.
This version of the character was slightly different given the competing takes with the MCU, though Peters quickly breathed new life into the character. He starred in a couple of dynamic action scenes that made the character a star of the final installments in Fox's X-Men franchise that later led to the actor's fake-out appearance as the MCU's Quicksilver in WandaVision.
5 Fell Short: Anna Paquin Wasn't Able To Fully Adapt The Comic Version Of Rogue
Bryan Singer's X-Men adaptation in 2000 focused on mutants like Wolverine and Anna Paquin's Rogue as they found themselves caught up in Magneto and his Brotherhood's ominous plans. The plans involved the use of Rogue's power-absorption abilities that perfectly showcased the occasional curse that comes with mutant gifts.
While Paquin's Rogue was a central character in the original trilogy and returned for a cut role in X-Men: Days of Future Past, the character never received additional abilities like flight and super-strength that made her one of the X-Men's powerhouses. Her trademarked southern charm was also absent from the role for a more reserved take on the character.
4 Nailed: Patrick Stewart Is Still The Best Professor Xavier
Fans weren't too surprised by the original casting news that Patrick Stewart would be taking on the role of Professor Charles Xavier for 2000's X-Men, because he was already the front-runner even before plans for the movie were announced.
Not only was Stewart visually perfect for the role, but he was also a classically trained actor with a love for Shakespeare and a loyal fanbase due to his time on Star Trek: The Next Generation. All this set the standard for the character even when the role was recast for a younger take by James McAvoy, who also did an impressive job.
3 Fell Short: Daniel Cudmore Didn't Bring Much To The Role Of Colossus
When Daniel Cudmore first appeared as the armored mutant named Colossus in 2003's X2: X-Men United, fans were hoping to see the super-strong Russian in a larger role that suited his deep connection to the comic team, though his appearance was little more than a cameo.
Even when Colossus was added to the main roster for 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand, Cudmore didn't bring much more to the role than his imposing figure. Not much of the character's rich history was explored in the X-Men franchise.
2 Nailed: Ian McKellen As Magneto Was Absolute Perfection
While Patrick Stewart was the perfect casting for Professor Xavier in 2000's X-Men, his role would never have worked as well without the pitch-perfect casting of Sir Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr. He would become the mutant terrorist known as Magneto after years of fighting for mutant rights following his tragic youth during the Holocaust.
McKellen was older than most versions of the comic character, but he brought a gravitas to Magneto that will likely never be replicated, even though Michael Fassbender's brilliant take on the younger version of the character came very close.
1 Fell Short: Halle Berry Didn't Win Comic Fans Over As Storm
Storm was one of the most anticipated members of the X-Men to appear on the big screen when X-Men was first announced. The live-action portrayal from Halle Berry failed to capture the true character of Ororo Munroe, who first appeared as a weather goddess before she joined Xavier and his new team of international X-Men.
Berry's Storm quickly became a leader in the X-Men franchise, though her character wasn't given much exploration or development beyond a subtly altered failed accent and changing costumes, which ultimately let down the powerful Marvel hero.