Let’s talk about the X-Men film franchise’s continuity, um, issues.

Which X-Men movie timeline does Dark Phoenix fit into?

As a general rule to remember: Everything that happens in 1960s-setFirst Classexists in both timelines.

James McAvoy Mcihael Fassbender and X-Men First Class Cast

With that in mind, lets break down both main timelines.

Buckle in, X-Men fans!

This is going to be a bumpy ride…

1.

The Original X-Men Timeline

To create these timelines, were using only what has been shown on-screen.

This means no viral marketing information (no matter how cool it was).

Weve also refrained from giving off-screen events their own spot on the timeline.

If it didnt happen in flashback, were not going to give a shot to fit it in here.

Creating these timelines was already hard enough.

(I kind of blame you,X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

But maybe only because that is habit?)

This will result in them being in two or more places on some of the timeline lists.

3500 B.C.

Basically, En Sabah Nur was the worst.

1845: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverineattempts to explain Wolverines backstory.

He runs off with half-brother/future Sabretooth Victor Creed.

1917-1918: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Logan and half-brother Victor Creed fight in World War I.

(They really seem to like wars.)

He offers her a home.

(His actual name is Klaus Schmidt.)

(They love being soldiers so much.)

He saves an officer named Yashida from the blast.

Unexplained continuity error: In 2000X-Men,Charles claims he met Erik at the age of 17.

There is also no mention of Charles and Mystique being brother and sister.

(Because why not?)

At the end of the film, an adamantium bullet to the head results in Wolverines amnesia.

Wolverine is a memorable guy.

Unexplained continuity error: Charles and Erik are friends; Charles can both walkanduse his powers.

(Maybe there was a period including 1979 and 1986 when Charles inexplicably gained use of his legs?)

Its also kind of weird that Erik and Charles are working together.

(Oh, Erik.)

He is thwarted by the X-Men and thrown into a plastic prison.

This would suggest that the events ofX-Menwould take place in 1994.

Jean Grey seemingly sacrifices herself to help the X-jet escape from Strykers base at Alkali Lake.

2005: X-Men: The Last Stand

Worthington Labs develops a cure for the mutant gene.

Mystique takes a shot of the cure meant to hit Magneto, turning her human.

Magneto abandons her, which is a very harsh choice.

Rogue chooses to take the cure.

Charles kind of reveals himself to be alive to Olivia Williams Moira MacTaggert.

Maybe there are two Moira MacTaggerts who are friends with the X-Men?

2013: The Wolverine

Logan isnt doing so well after Jeans death.

Yashida offers to take Logans healing powers from him so that Yashida can live and Logan can die.

2015: The Wolverine

In a post-credits sequence, Erik (complete with powers!)

and Charles (yay, he is totally alive!)

approach Logan in an airport.

Also, Charles is alive?

Mutant-kind and human-kind are screwed.

(Courtesy of David Crow)

2.

In other words, continuity confusion has always been an X-Men thing.

(Oh, Erik.)

Magneto throws Logan into the Potomac where his is fished out by Mystique.

(Courtesy of David Crow) Also, I am no convinced Bolivar is a real first name.

He convinces them to join his plot to destroy the world by giving them really cool makeovers.

At the end of the film, a man in a suit collects samples of Wolverines blood.

(This will become very relevant inLogan.)

Unexplained continuity error: No one has aged.

Its starting to get really distracting.

At this point, weve actively stopped caring.

2016: Deadpool

Former Special Forces operative Wade Wilson undergoes an experiment that leaves him with powers.

He adopts the Deadpool persona and hunts down Ajax, the man who destroyed his life.

But who has time for that?

read more: Is the Marvel Villain Problem Solved by The Disney-Fox Merger?

Everyone lives happily ever after.

Because it doesnt really fit in either.

What does it count as canon from the Original X-Men Timeline?

However,Logancant take place in the Original X-Men Timeline because the events of the Sentinel future are avoided.

read more: How Do You Put the X-Men in The MCU?

What does it count from the New X-Men Timeline?

read more: Sophie Turner on the Dark Phoenix Reshoots

Furthermore, we see different versions of Caliban inApocalypseandLogan.

What doesLogandirector James Mangold have to say about all of this?

And I think that the movie goes deeper and deeper into these characters wrestling with their own legacy.

And how much of it is true.

Or is that a function of whether they have lost belief in themselves?

Do you get it now?

Its actually a different paradigm and that will become clear [when you see the movie].

The idea is were doing our own thing.

As they say, there are many streams.

But is that a problem?

It probably depends what your ability to suspend disbelief is like and how much you care about continuity issues.

(Hey, it worked forLogan.)

In the end, it might not matter at all.

But we will always have these, frankly, ridiculous original X-Men franchise timelines.