X-Men United
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''X2'' (also marketed with the subtitle ''X-Men United'', and internationally as ''X-Men 2'') is a 2003 American
superhero film Superhero film/movie is a film genre categorized by the presence of superhero characters, individuals with extraordinary abilities who are dedicated to fighting crime, saving the world, or helping the innocent. It is sometimes considered a sub ...
directed by
Bryan Singer Bryan Jay Singer (born September 17, 1965) is an American filmmaker. He is the founder of Bad Hat Harry Productions and has produced almost all of the films he has directed, as well as multiple television series. After graduating from the Univ ...
and written by
Michael Dougherty Michael Patrick Dougherty (born October 28, 1974) is an American writer, director, animator, and producer known for his work in a variety of genre films, both big and small. Beginning his career as an animator and illustrator, Dougherty’s a ...
, Dan Harris and
David Hayter David Hayter is a Canadian-American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He is well known as the English-language voice actor for Solid Snake and Big Boss (Metal Gear), Naked Snake in the ''Metal Gear'' video game series. He wrote the fi ...
, from a story by Singer, Hayter and
Zak Penn Zak Penn (born March 23, 1968) is an American screenwriter. Penn wrote and directed '' Incident at Loch Ness'' and '' The Grand'', wrote the script for ''The Incredible Hulk'', co-wrote the scripts for '' X2'', '' X-Men: The Last Stand'', and th ...
. The film is based on the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
superhero team appearing in
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. It is the sequel to ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
'' (2000), as well as the second installment in the ''X-Men'' film series, and features an
ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that comprises many principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast to the po ...
including
Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor. With a career spanning over seven decades of Patrick Stewart on stage and screen, stage and screen, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Patrick Stewart, variou ...
,
Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian and British actor, singer, and producer. Beginning in theatre and television, Jackman landed his breakthrough role as Wolverine in the ''X-Men'' film franchise and the Marvel Cinem ...
,
Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has played roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cu ...
,
Halle Berry Halle Maria Berry ( ; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant of 1986 and also placing six ...
,
Famke Janssen Famke Beumer Janssen (; born 5 November 1964) is a Dutch actress and former model. She played Xenia Onatopp in ''GoldenEye'' (1995), Jean Grey (film series character), Jean Grey / Phoenix in the X-Men (film series), ''X-Men'' film series (2000 ...
,
James Marsden James Paul Marsden (born September 18, 1973) is an American actor. He began his acting career guest starring in the television shows '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' (1993), '' Touched by an Angel'' (1995), and '' Party of Five'' (1995). Ma ...
,
Rebecca Romijn-Stamos Rebecca Alie O'Connell ( , ; later Romijn-Stamos; born November 6, 1972) is an American actress and former model. She is known for her role as Mystique in the original trilogy (2000–2006) of the ''X-Men'' film series, as Joan from ''The Pu ...
, Brian Cox,
Alan Cumming Alan Cumming (born 27 January 1965) is a Scottish actor, writer and presenter. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award, two Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and an Olivier Award. He re ...
,
Bruce Davison Bruce Allen Davison (born June 28, 1946) is an American actor who has appeared in more than 270 films, television and stage productions since his debut in 1968. His breakthrough role was as Willard Stiles in the 1971 cult horror film '' Willard' ...
,
Shawn Ashmore Shawn Robert Ashmore (born October 7, 1979) is a Canadian actor whose career spans film, television, and interactive media. A former child actor, he first drew notice as Jake Berenson on Nickelodeon's ''Animorphs'' (1998–1999), Tyler Connell ...
,
Aaron Stanford Aaron Stanford (born December 27, 1976) is an American actor known for his roles as Pyro in the ''X-Men'' films '' X2'' (2003), '' X-Men: The Last Stand'' (2006) and ''Deadpool & Wolverine'' (2024), and Doug in the remake of '' The Hills Have Ey ...
,
Kelly Hu Kelly Ann Hu (born February 13, 1968) is an American actress. She starred as Dr. Rae Chang on the American television soap opera '' Sunset Beach'' and as Michelle Chan on the American television police drama series '' Nash Bridges''. She has st ...
, and
Anna Paquin Anna Helene Paquin ( ; born 24 July 1982) is a New Zealand actress. Born in Winnipeg and raised in Wellington, she made her acting debut in the romantic drama film ''The Piano'' (1993), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Act ...
. The plot, inspired by the
graphic novel A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...
'' God Loves, Man Kills'', concerns the
genocidal Genocide is violence that targets individuals because of their membership of a group and aims at the destruction of a people. Raphael Lemkin, who first coined the term, defined genocide as "the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group" b ...
Colonel
William Stryker Reverend William Stryker is a fictional character in Marvel Comics, known for his recurring role as an adversary of the X-Men. A former sergeant and a devout Christian minister, Stryker harbors an intense hatred for mutants, often leading campai ...
leading an assault on
Professor Xavier Professor X (Prof. Charles Francis Xavier) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 ( ...
's school to build his own version of Xavier's mutant-tracking computer,
Cerebro Cerebro (; Spanish language, Spanish for "brain", from Latin ) is a fictional device appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The device is used by the X-Men (in particular, their leader, Professor X, Professor Charles Xavier ...
, in order to destroy every mutant on Earth and to save the human race from them, forcing the X-Men to team up with the
Brotherhood of Mutants The Brotherhood of Mutants (originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants) is a fictional group of mutants appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Brotherhood are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men. While the ...
to stop Stryker and save the mutant race. Development on the sequel began shortly after the first film was released on July 14, 2000, by
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
.
David Hayter David Hayter is a Canadian-American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He is well known as the English-language voice actor for Solid Snake and Big Boss (Metal Gear), Naked Snake in the ''Metal Gear'' video game series. He wrote the fi ...
and
Zak Penn Zak Penn (born March 23, 1968) is an American screenwriter. Penn wrote and directed '' Incident at Loch Ness'' and '' The Grand'', wrote the script for ''The Incredible Hulk'', co-wrote the scripts for '' X2'', '' X-Men: The Last Stand'', and th ...
wrote separate scripts, combining what they felt to be the best elements of both scripts into one screenplay.
Michael Dougherty Michael Patrick Dougherty (born October 28, 1974) is an American writer, director, animator, and producer known for his work in a variety of genre films, both big and small. Beginning his career as an animator and illustrator, Dougherty’s a ...
and Dan Harris were eventually hired to rewrite the work, and changed the characterizations of
Beast Beast most often refers to: * Animal, a multicellular, eukaryotic organism in the biological kingdom Animalia * The Beast (Revelation), one of three beasts described in the Book of Revelation * Monster, a type of creature found in fiction, folklo ...
,
Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
, and
Lady Deathstrike Lady Deathstrike (Yuriko Oyama), occasionally spelled Deathstryke, is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a foe of the X-Men, especially Wolverine (character), Wolverine. Her father Lord Dark Wind ...
. Sentinels and the
Danger Room The Danger Room is a fictional training facility appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The facility is depicted as built for ...
were set to appear before being deleted because of budget concerns from Fox. The film's premise was influenced by the Marvel Comics storylines '' Return to Weapon X'' and '' God Loves, Man Kills''. Filming began in June 2002 and ended that November, mostly taking place at Vancouver Film Studios, the largest North American production facility outside of Los Angeles.
Production design In film industry, film and television, a production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and ...
er
Guy Hendrix Dyas Guy Hendrix Dyas is a British-American production designer known for his collaboration with directors such as Pablo Larraín, Danny Boyle, Christopher Nolan, Ang Lee and Steven Spielberg. He grew up in the South of England and graduated with a m ...
adapted similar designs by
John Myhre John Myhre (born 1959) is an American production designer who has been working in Hollywood since the late 1980s. He received his first Academy Award nomination, for Best Art Direction, in 1998, for Shekhar Kapur's '' Elizabeth'', bringing him ...
from the previous film. ''X2'' was released in the United States on May 2, 2003, by
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
, and received positive reviews for its storyline, musical score, action sequences, and performances. The film grossed $407million worldwide, making it the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2003, and received eight
Saturn Awards The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films bel ...
nominations. A sequel, '' X-Men: The Last Stand'', was released on May 26, 2006.


Plot

At the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
, brainwashed teleporting
mutant In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It i ...
Nightcrawler attacks the
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
, wounding many agents; he is shot and retreats. Meanwhile,
Logan Logan may refer to: Places * Mount Logan (disambiguation) Australia * Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly * Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud * Logan City, local gove ...
explores an abandoned military installation at Alkali Lake in
Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
for clues to his past, but finds nothing.
Jean Grey Jean Elaine Grey-Summers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men, The X-Men'' #1 ...
has been having premonitions and struggles to concentrate as her powers become increasingly difficult to control. Later, Logan returns to
Professor Xavier Professor X (Prof. Charles Francis Xavier) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 ( ...
's school for mutants, and Xavier tracks Nightcrawler using
Cerebro Cerebro (; Spanish language, Spanish for "brain", from Latin ) is a fictional device appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The device is used by the X-Men (in particular, their leader, Professor X, Professor Charles Xavier ...
. Xavier and
Cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; , ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguished. In Hesiod's ''Th ...
go to question the imprisoned
Magneto A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
about the attack, while Grey and
Storm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...
retrieve Nightcrawler. Military scientist Colonel
William Stryker Reverend William Stryker is a fictional character in Marvel Comics, known for his recurring role as an adversary of the X-Men. A former sergeant and a devout Christian minister, Stryker harbors an intense hatred for mutants, often leading campai ...
approaches the President and receives approval to investigate Xavier's mansion for their ties to mutants after the recent attack. Stryker's forces invade the school and abduct some of the students.
Colossus Colossus, Colossos, or the plural Colossi or Colossuses, may refer to: Statues * Any exceptionally large statue; colossal statues, are generally taken to mean a statue at least twice life-size ** List of tallest statues ** :Colossal statues * ...
leads the remaining students to safety while Logan,
Rogue A rogue is a person or entity that flouts accepted norms of behavior or strikes out on an independent and possibly destructive path. Rogue, rogues, or going rogue may also refer to: Companies * Rogue Ales, a microbrewery in Newport, Oregon * ...
, Iceman, and
Pyro Pyro comes from the Greek word πῦρ (pyr), meaning ''fire''. It may refer to: Businesses * Pyro Plastics Corporation, a plastic model kit maker 1940s through the 1970s *Pyro Studios, a computer game developer based in Madrid * NRK P3 Pyro, a N ...
escape. Stryker's assistant
Yuriko Oyama Lady Deathstrike (Yuriko Oyama), occasionally spelled Deathstryke, is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a foe of the X-Men, especially Wolverine (character), Wolverine. Her father Lord Dark Wind ...
captures Cyclops and Xavier. During the attack, Logan confronts Stryker, who addresses him as "Wolverine" and seems to know about his past. The shape-shifting Mystique gathers information about Magneto's prison and helps him escape while also discovering schematics for a second Cerebro. Logan, Rogue, Iceman, and Pyro visit Iceman's parents and brother in
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
. Iceman's parents do not accept that he is a mutant. His brother secretly goes upstairs and calls the police to their house. The police arrive and surround the house. An impulsive officer shoots Logan in the head after feeling threatened by his claws. Pyro refuses to surrender and takes matters into his own hands by attacking and fending off the police with his pyrokinesis. Logan regenerates from the gunshot shortly before Storm, Grey, and Nightcrawler arrive in their jet to pick up the group. The X-Jet is attacked by fighter jets while flying back to the mansion and is shot down, but Magneto saves them from crashing. Magneto explains to the group that Stryker has built the second Cerebro to use it and Xavier to kill every mutant on the planet telepathically. Stryker's son,
Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece is featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Med ...
, is a mutant with mind-controlling powers, whom Stryker will use to force Xavier to do this. Stryker had also previously used Jason's powers to orchestrate Nightcrawler's attack as a pretense to gain approval to invade Xavier's mansion. Magneto also tells Logan that Stryker was the man who grafted
adamantium Adamantium is a fictional metal alloy, most famously appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is best known as the substance bonded to the character Wolverine's skeleton and claws. First mention in Marvel comics It was ...
onto his bones and is responsible for his amnesia. Grey reads Nightcrawler's mind and determines that Stryker's base is underground in a dam at Alkali Lake. Disguised as Logan, Mystique infiltrates Stryker's base, letting the rest of the mutants in while she and Magneto head to disable Cerebro before the brainwashed Xavier can activate it. Storm and Nightcrawler rescue the captured students, and Grey fights a mind-controlled Cyclops; their battle frees Cyclops but damages the dam, which begins to rupture. Logan finds Stryker in an adamantium smelting lab and remembers where he received his adamantium skeleton. Logan fights and kills Yuriko, then chases Stryker to a helicopter pad and chains him to the helicopter's wheel. Magneto stops Cerebro and, using Mystique impersonating Stryker to command Jason, has Xavier redirect its powers on humans. They subsequently use Stryker's helicopter to escape, and Pyro, who has been swayed to Magneto's views, accompanies them. Nightcrawler teleports Storm inside Cerebro, where she creates a snowstorm to break Jason's concentration and free Xavier from his control. The X-Men flee the dam as water engulfs it, killing Stryker, but the X-Jet loses all power and struggles to take flight as the flood water rushes towards them. Grey sneaks off the jet and telepathically wishes the team goodbye. She holds back the water and raises the jet above it as flames erupt from her body, until she lets go and allows the flood to crash down upon her. The X-Men give Stryker's files to the President, and Xavier warns him that humans and mutants must work together to build peace. At the school, Xavier, Cyclops, and Logan remember Grey, and Xavier begins to hold a class. Meanwhile, a Phoenix-like shape rises from the flooded Alkali Lake.


Cast

*
Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor. With a career spanning over seven decades of Patrick Stewart on stage and screen, stage and screen, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Patrick Stewart, variou ...
as
Professor Charles Xavier Professor X (Prof. Charles Francis Xavier) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963 ...
: A powerful
telepathic Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...
mutant confined to a wheelchair who founded a School for "Gifted Youngsters", Xavier is a
pacifist Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ''a ...
who believes humans and mutants can live together in harmony. He uses the
Cerebro Cerebro (; Spanish language, Spanish for "brain", from Latin ) is a fictional device appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The device is used by the X-Men (in particular, their leader, Professor X, Professor Charles Xavier ...
device, designed by Magneto and himself, to track and locate mutants across the world. A natural genius, Xavier is regarded as an authority on genetic mutation. *
Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian and British actor, singer, and producer. Beginning in theatre and television, Jackman landed his breakthrough role as Wolverine in the ''X-Men'' film franchise and the Marvel Cinem ...
as Logan / Wolverine: A mysterious mutant who suffers from amnesia and has little to no recollection of his past life before he was grafted with an indestructible
adamantium Adamantium is a fictional metal alloy, most famously appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is best known as the substance bonded to the character Wolverine's skeleton and claws. First mention in Marvel comics It was ...
skeleton. Wolverine is a gruff loner, but is in love with Jean Grey and acts as a father figure to Rogue. He wields six highly durable adamantium blades that come out of each of his fists, has keen animal-like senses, has the ability to heal rapidly from virtually any injury, and is a ruthless and aggressive fighter. *
Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has played roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cu ...
as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto: Once Xavier's ally, Magneto now believes mutants are superior to humans and that a genetic war is coming. Magneto wields the ability to manipulate metal magnetically, as well as the power to create magnetic fields and fly. He wears a helmet that renders him immune to Xavier's powers and all related telepathic powers. Imprisoned after his scheme in the first film, he is drugged by William Stryker for information about Cerebro and the Xavier Institute, before making his escape and forming an alliance with the X-Men to stop Stryker. He has demonstrated sophisticated knowledge in matters of genetic manipulation and engineering. The character's helmet was slightly redesigned as McKellen found wearing it uncomfortable in ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
''. *
Halle Berry Halle Maria Berry ( ; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant of 1986 and also placing six ...
as Ororo Munroe / Storm: A mutant and teacher at Xavier's School who can control the weather with her mind. Storm befriends Nightcrawler. Berry dropped out of
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
's role in ''
Gigli ''Gigli'' ( ) is a 2003 American romantic comedy crime film written, co-produced, and directed by Martin Brest, and starring Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bartha, Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Lainie Kazan. Brest and producers di ...
'' to reprise the role. *
Famke Janssen Famke Beumer Janssen (; born 5 November 1964) is a Dutch actress and former model. She played Xenia Onatopp in ''GoldenEye'' (1995), Jean Grey (film series character), Jean Grey / Phoenix in the X-Men (film series), ''X-Men'' film series (2000 ...
as
Jean Grey Jean Elaine Grey-Summers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men, The X-Men'' #1 ...
: A mutant and teacher at Xavier's school and the X-Mansion's doctor, Jean has begun to experience a growth in her
telepathy Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...
and
telekinetic Telekinesis () (alternatively called psychokinesis) is a purported psychic ability allowing an individual to influence a physical system without physical interaction. Experiments to prove the existence of telekinesis have historically been cri ...
powers since the X-Men's battle with Magneto. She is Cyclops'
fiancée An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...
, even though she is attracted to Wolverine. *
James Marsden James Paul Marsden (born September 18, 1973) is an American actor. He began his acting career guest starring in the television shows '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' (1993), '' Touched by an Angel'' (1995), and '' Party of Five'' (1995). Ma ...
as Scott Summers / Cyclops: The field leader of the X-Men, and a teacher at Xavier's Institute, he shoots uncontrollable beams of concussive force from his eyes and wears a visor to control them. He is
engaged An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...
to Jean. Cyclops is taken prisoner and brainwashed by Stryker. *
Rebecca Romijn-Stamos Rebecca Alie O'Connell ( , ; later Romijn-Stamos; born November 6, 1972) is an American actress and former model. She is known for her role as Mystique in the original trilogy (2000–2006) of the ''X-Men'' film series, as Joan from ''The Pu ...
as Mystique: Magneto's
shapeshifting In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shapeshifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through unnatural means. The idea of shapeshifting is found in the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism, as well as the oldest existen ...
henchwoman, Mystique is blue, covered in scales, and acts as a spy. She injects a prison guard with metal, with which Magneto makes his escape, and also sexually tempts Wolverine. Romijn's makeup previously took nine hours to apply during the filming of ''X-Men'', but the make-up department was able to bring it down to six hours for ''X2''. * Brian Cox as Colonel William Stryker: A military scientist who plans a worldwide
genocide Genocide is violence that targets individuals because of their membership of a group and aims at the destruction of a people. Raphael Lemkin, who first coined the term, defined genocide as "the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group" by ...
of mutants using Xavier and Cerebro. Stryker has experimented on mutants in the past, including Wolverine, and uses a serum to control them—using his own son as the test subject. Singer opted to cast Cox in the role as he was a fan of his performance as
Hannibal Lecter Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a character created by American novelist Thomas Harris. Lecter is a cannibalistic serial killer and former forensic psychiatrist; after his incarceration, he is consulted by FBI agents Will Graham and Clarice Starling ...
in '' Manhunter''. Singer, Bryan, Sigel, Newton Thomas, DVD
audio commentary An audio commentary is an additional audio track, usually digital, consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with a video. Commentaries can be serious or entertaining in nature, and can add informatio ...
, 2003,
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
*
Alan Cumming Alan Cumming (born 27 January 1965) is a Scottish actor, writer and presenter. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award, two Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and an Olivier Award. He re ...
as Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler: A kindly German mutant with a strong
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
faith, yet ironically he has the appearance of a blue demon. Nightcrawler was used by Stryker in an assassination attempt on the President of the United States and gives help to the X-Men. He is capable of teleporting himself (and others) instantly from one location to another. On his body are many tattoos, one for every sin. Cumming had always been Singer's choice for the role, but Cumming could not accept the part due to scheduling conflicts.
Ethan Embry Ethan Embry (born June 13, 1978), credited early in his career as Ethan Randall, is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor, starring roles in the films '' Dutch'' (1991), '' All I Want for Christmas'' (1991), and '' A Far Off Pl ...
had been reported to be in contention for the role, but the film labored in development long enough for Cumming to accept the part. Singer also felt comfortable in casting Cumming since he is fluent in
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
. The drawings of
Adam Kubert Adam Kubert (; born 1959) is an American comics artist known for his work for publishers such as Marvel Comics and DC Comics, including work on ''Action Comics'', '' Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine'', '' The Incredible Hulk'', ''Ultimate Fanta ...
were used as inspiration for Nightcrawler's makeup design, which took four hours to apply. For the scene where Nightcrawler has his shirt off, Cumming went through nine hours.
Alan Cumming Alan Cumming (born 27 January 1965) is a Scottish actor, writer and presenter. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award, two Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and an Olivier Award. He re ...
, Introducing the Incredible Nightcrawler, 2003,
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
To best pose as Nightcrawler, Cumming studied comic books and illustrations of the character. *
Bruce Davison Bruce Allen Davison (born June 28, 1946) is an American actor who has appeared in more than 270 films, television and stage productions since his debut in 1968. His breakthrough role was as Willard Stiles in the 1971 cult horror film '' Willard' ...
as Senator Robert Kelly: Although Kelly was killed in the first film, Davison reprised the role for scenes where Mystique uses his persona to infiltrate the government. *
Shawn Ashmore Shawn Robert Ashmore (born October 7, 1979) is a Canadian actor whose career spans film, television, and interactive media. A former child actor, he first drew notice as Jake Berenson on Nickelodeon's ''Animorphs'' (1998–1999), Tyler Connell ...
as Bobby Drake / Iceman: Rogue's boyfriend, he can freeze objects and create ice. His family is unaware that he is a mutant and simply believes he is at a boarding school. After returning home, Bobby reveals to them what he is, much to his brother's derision. *
Aaron Stanford Aaron Stanford (born December 27, 1976) is an American actor known for his roles as Pyro in the ''X-Men'' films '' X2'' (2003), '' X-Men: The Last Stand'' (2006) and ''Deadpool & Wolverine'' (2024), and Doug in the remake of '' The Hills Have Ey ...
as John Allerdyce / Pyro: A friend of Bobby and Rogue, Pyro has anti-social tendencies and can control (although not create) fire. The filmmakers cast Stanford in the role after they were impressed with his performance in ''
Tadpole A tadpole or polliwog (also spelled pollywog) is the Larva, larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully Aquatic animal, aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial animal, ...
''. *
Kelly Hu Kelly Ann Hu (born February 13, 1968) is an American actress. She starred as Dr. Rae Chang on the American television soap opera '' Sunset Beach'' and as Michelle Chan on the American television police drama series '' Nash Bridges''. She has st ...
as Yuriko Oyama / Deathstrike: A mutant with a healing ability like Wolverine's and who is controlled by Stryker. She wields long adamantium fingernails. Only her first name is mentioned in the dialogue. *
Anna Paquin Anna Helene Paquin ( ; born 24 July 1982) is a New Zealand actress. Born in Winnipeg and raised in Wellington, she made her acting debut in the romantic drama film ''The Piano'' (1993), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Act ...
as Marie / Rogue: A girl who can absorb any person's memories and abilities by touching them. As she cannot control this power, Rogue can easily kill anyone and thus is unable to be close to people. Additionally,
Daniel Cudmore Daniel Cudmore is a Canadian actor, stuntman, and former professional rugby union player. He is best known for his roles as the superhero Peter Rasputin / Colossus in the ''X-Men'' film series, and as the Volturi Felix in ''The Twilight Saga' ...
portrayed Peter Rasputin / Colossus: a mutant with the ability to turn his body into metal, the character's importance was reduced to a cameo, Michael Reid MacKay portrayed Jason 143, William Stryker's son who could create illusions. Keely Purvis portrayed the little girl whom Jason uses as an avatar when controlling Xavier.
Cotter Smith Joseph Cotter Smith (born May 29, 1949) is an American stage, film, and television actor. Early life He was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Madeline (née Cotter) and John Lewis Smith, Jr., who was a federal judge. He graduated from the ...
portrayed US President McKenna, and
Ty Olsson Tyler Victor Olsson(born January 28, 1974) is a Canadian actor. He is known for playing Ord in the PBS Kids animated children's series ''Dragon Tales'' (1999–2005), real-life 9/11 hero Mark Bingham in the A&E television film ''Flight 93'' (200 ...
portrayed Mitchell Laurio, the security guard for Magneto's prison cell.
Cameo appearance A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...
s include
Katie Stuart Katherine Anne Stuart (born March 22, 1985) is a Canadian actress and stunt performer, born in Vancouver. She played the lead character Meg Murry in the 2003 television film ''A Wrinkle in Time ''A Wrinkle in Time'' is a young adult scienc ...
as
Kitty Pryde Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (January 1980) and was ...
, Bryce Hodgson as
Artie Maddicks M-11 M-11 is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Originally known as the Human Robot, the character was named "M-11" in the 2006 to 2007 ''Agents of Atlas'' miniseries as an allusion to its first ...
, Kea Wong as Jubilation Lee / Jubilee,
Steve Bacic Steve Bacic ( ;"Waiting for lift-off; U of W alumnus Steve Bacic hopes to revise role on Andromeda" by Ted Shaw, ''Windsor Star, The Windsor Star'' (17 Jan, 2004)
inal Edition Inal may refer to: * Inal (name), both a given name and a surname *Inal Nekhu also known as Inal the Great, Circassian king * İnal, Osmancık * Inal, Mauritania, a village and rural commune in Mauritania * Beylik of İnal, small principality in ea ...
Retrieved from ) is a Canadians, Canadian actor. He is known for ...
as Dr. Hank McCoy and Shauna Kain as Theresa Rourke / Siryn.
Gambit A gambit (from Italian , the act of tripping someone with the leg to make them fall) is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices with the aim of achieving a subsequent advantage. The word '' gambit'' is also sometimes used to describe si ...
's cameo was shot, but the footage was not used in the final cut. Also in the final scene with Xavier, a girl is seen dressed in a Native American style jacket, as well as a blond-haired boy dressed in blue, played by
Layke Anderson Jonathan Layke Anderson (born 10 October 1983) is a British film director and former actor. Career Anderson starred opposite Udo Kier and Stephen Fry in the 2009 Luxembourgian-German drama ''House of Boys'', though left acting behind shortly a ...
. In the film's DVD commentary, the two are identified as
Danielle Moonstar Danielle "Dani" Moonstar (also known as Psyche, Mirage, and Moonstar) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in the graphic novel ''The New Mutants'' (Sept. 1982), created by writer Chris C ...
and
Douglas Ramsey Cypher (Douglas Aaron "Doug" Ramsey) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character appears usually in the X-Men family of books, in particular those featuring the New Mutants, of which Cypher has been ...
.
Michael Dougherty Michael Patrick Dougherty (born October 28, 1974) is an American writer, director, animator, and producer known for his work in a variety of genre films, both big and small. Beginning his career as an animator and illustrator, Dougherty’s a ...
, Dan Harris,
David Hayter David Hayter is a Canadian-American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He is well known as the English-language voice actor for Solid Snake and Big Boss (Metal Gear), Naked Snake in the ''Metal Gear'' video game series. He wrote the fi ...
,
Lauren Shuler Donner Lauren Diane Shuler Donner (born June 23, 1949) is an American film producer, who specializes in mainstream youth and family-oriented entertainment. She owned The Donners' Company with her late husband, director Richard Donner. Her films have ...
, Ralph Winter, DVD
audio commentary An audio commentary is an additional audio track, usually digital, consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with a video. Commentaries can be serious or entertaining in nature, and can add informatio ...
, 2003,
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
Michael Dougherty Michael Patrick Dougherty (born October 28, 1974) is an American writer, director, animator, and producer known for his work in a variety of genre films, both big and small. Beginning his career as an animator and illustrator, Dougherty’s a ...
and Dan Harris, the film's writers, make cameo appearances as surgeons in Wolverine's flashbacks to his time at
Weapon X Weapon X is a fictional government genetic research facility project appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They were conducted by Department K, which turned willing and unwilling beings into living weapons to carry out c ...
.
Chiara Zanni Chiara Zanni () is a Canadian actress. She is known for her roles as Amy Ryan on The N series '' About a Girl'' and Maggie Buckman on the CBC series '' Edgemont''. She is also known for her voice-work as Hahli in '' Bionicle: Mask of Light'' ...
, who voiced Jubilee in '' X-Men: Evolution'' (2000-2003), appears as a White House tour guide at the start of the film.


Production


Writing

The financial and critical success of ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
'' (2000) persuaded
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
to immediately commission a sequel. Starting in November 2000,''The Second Uncanny Issue of X-Men: Making X2'' Documentary, 2003,
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
Bryan Singer Bryan Jay Singer (born September 17, 1965) is an American filmmaker. He is the founder of Bad Hat Harry Productions and has produced almost all of the films he has directed, as well as multiple television series. After graduating from the Univ ...
researched various storylines (one of them being the
Legacy Virus The Legacy Virus is a fictional plague appearing in American comic books featuring the X-Men published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in an eponymous storyline in Marvel Comics titles, from 1993 to 2001, during which it swept through the mut ...
) of the ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
'' comic book series. Singer wanted to study, "the human perspective, the kind of blind rage that feeds into warmongering and
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
," citing a need for a "human villain". Bryan and producer
Tom DeSanto Tom DeSanto (born January 1, 1968) is an American film producer and screenwriter. Career DeSanto is a founding writer/producer behind several of the biggest franchises in movie history (''X-Men'', ''Transformers''). DeSanto's films have gross ...
envisioned ''X2'' as the film series' equivalent to the ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' franchise's ''
The Empire Strikes Back ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic film, epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based o ...
'' (1980), in that the characters are "all split apart, and then dissected, and revelations occur that are significant... the romance comes to fruition and a lot of things happen". Producer
Avi Arad Avi Arad (; ; born August 1, 1948) is an Israeli-American studio executive and producer of film, television and animation. He became the CEO of Toy Biz in the 1990s, was the chief creative officer of Marvel Entertainment and is the founder, ...
announced a planned November 2002 theatrical release date, while
David Hayter David Hayter is a Canadian-American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He is well known as the English-language voice actor for Solid Snake and Big Boss (Metal Gear), Naked Snake in the ''Metal Gear'' video game series. He wrote the fi ...
and
Zak Penn Zak Penn (born March 23, 1968) is an American screenwriter. Penn wrote and directed '' Incident at Loch Ness'' and '' The Grand'', wrote the script for ''The Incredible Hulk'', co-wrote the scripts for '' X2'', '' X-Men: The Last Stand'', and th ...
were hired to write separate scripts. Hayter and Penn combined what they felt to be the best elements of both scripts into one screenplay. Singer and Hayter worked on another script, finishing in October 2001. Penn was partially hired when he convinced Singer to not adapt the "
Dark Phoenix Saga "The Dark Phoenix Saga" is an extended X-Men comic-book storyline published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byrne, the storyline first appeared in ''X-Men'' #129 (January 1980). It focuses on the superhero Je ...
" storyline for the film, feeling that the franchise's universe should be established much more before "going cosmic". Instead, in what he feels was his major contribution to the project, Penn based the film's outline on
Chris Claremont Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is an English-born American comic book writer and novelist. Claremont is best known for his 16-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Clarem ...
's
graphic novel A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...
'' X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills'' (1982) before leaving to work on another film.
Michael Dougherty Michael Patrick Dougherty (born October 28, 1974) is an American writer, director, animator, and producer known for his work in a variety of genre films, both big and small. Beginning his career as an animator and illustrator, Dougherty’s a ...
and Dan Harris were hired to rewrite Hayter and Penn's script in February 2002, turning down the opportunity to write '' Urban Legends: Bloody Mary'' (2005). they turned in hundreds of drafts to Singer.
Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
and
Beast Beast most often refers to: * Animal, a multicellular, eukaryotic organism in the biological kingdom Animalia * The Beast (Revelation), one of three beasts described in the Book of Revelation * Monster, a type of creature found in fiction, folklo ...
appeared in early drafts, but were deleted because there were too many characters. Dr. Hank McCoy can be seen on a television interview in one scene. Beast's appearance was to resemble
Jim Lee Jim Lee (; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean-born American comic book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. As of 2023, he is the President, Publisher, and Chief creative officer, Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work ...
's 1991 artwork of the character in the series '' X-Men: Legacy''. Angel was to have been a mutant experiment by William Stryker, transforming into Archangel. A reference to Dougherty's and Harris's efforts to include Angel remains in the form of an X-ray on display in one of Stryker's labs.
Tyler Mane Daryl Karolat (born December 8, 1966) is a Canadian actor and retired professional wrestler, better known by the name Tyler Mane. He is known for playing supervillain Sabretooth in ''X-Men'' (2000), and '' X-Men: The Official Game'' (2006), Ajax ...
was to reprise as Sabretooth before the character was deleted. In Hayter's script, the role eventually filled by
Lady Deathstrike Lady Deathstrike (Yuriko Oyama), occasionally spelled Deathstryke, is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a foe of the X-Men, especially Wolverine (character), Wolverine. Her father Lord Dark Wind ...
was Anne Reynolds, a character who appears in ''God Loves, Man Kills'' as Stryker's personal assistant/assassin. Singer changed her to Deathstrike, citing a need for "another kick-ass mutant". There was to be more development on
Cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; , ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguished. In Hesiod's ''Th ...
and
Professor X Professor X (Prof. Charles Francis Xavier) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 ( ...
being brainwashed by Stryker. The scenes were shot, but Fox cut them out because of time length and story complications. Hayter was disappointed, feeling that
James Marsden James Paul Marsden (born September 18, 1973) is an American actor. He began his acting career guest starring in the television shows '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' (1993), '' Touched by an Angel'' (1995), and '' Party of Five'' (1995). Ma ...
deserved more screentime. Rewrites were commissioned once more, specifically to give
Halle Berry Halle Maria Berry ( ; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant of 1986 and also placing six ...
more screen time. This was because of her recent popularity in ''
Monster's Ball ''Monster's Ball'' is a 2001 American romantic drama film directed by Marc Forster, produced by Lee Daniels and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos, who also appeared in the film. It stars Billy Bob Thornton, Heath Ledger, Halle Berry, and ...
'' (2002), earning her the
Academy Award for Best Actress The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a lead ...
. A budget cut meant that the Sentinels and the
Danger Room The Danger Room is a fictional training facility appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The facility is depicted as built for ...
were dropped.
Guy Hendrix Dyas Guy Hendrix Dyas is a British-American production designer known for his collaboration with directors such as Pablo Larraín, Danny Boyle, Christopher Nolan, Ang Lee and Steven Spielberg. He grew up in the South of England and graduated with a m ...
and a production crew had already constructed the Danger Room set. In the words of Dyas, "The control room f the Danger Roomwas a large propeller that actually rotated around the room so that you can sit up n that control roomand travel around the subject who is in the middle of the control room. The idea for the traveling is that if it's a mutant has some kind of mind control powers they can't connect."


Production

Producer
Lauren Shuler Donner Lauren Diane Shuler Donner (born June 23, 1949) is an American film producer, who specializes in mainstream youth and family-oriented entertainment. She owned The Donners' Company with her late husband, director Richard Donner. Her films have ...
had hoped to start filming in March 2002, but production did not begin until June 17, 2002 in
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
and ended by November. Over sixty-four sets were used in thirty-eight different locations. The film crew encountered problems when there was insufficient snow in
Kananaskis, Alberta Kananaskis is an unincorporated community in Alberta's Rockies within the Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8 of Alberta, Canada. It is located on Highway 1A approximately east of Canmore and west of Cochrane. The community is located on ...
for them to use for some scenes. A large amount of
fake snow Fake snow is any product which simulates the appearance and texture of snow, without being made from frozen crystalline water. Fake snow has been made from many materials. In the early 1900s, decorative snow was sometimes made from borax flake ...
was then applied. The idea to have
Jean Grey Jean Elaine Grey-Summers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men, The X-Men'' #1 ...
sacrifice herself at the end and to be resurrected in a third installment was highly secretive. Singer did not tell
Famke Janssen Famke Beumer Janssen (; born 5 November 1964) is a Dutch actress and former model. She played Xenia Onatopp in ''GoldenEye'' (1995), Jean Grey (film series character), Jean Grey / Phoenix in the X-Men (film series), ''X-Men'' film series (2000 ...
until midway through filming. While filming the scene where Xavier and Lehnsherr play chess, Stewart and McKellen had no clue how to play chess so a Canadian grandmaster was called on set for a day. Cinematographer
Newton Thomas Sigel Newton Thomas Sigel, (born August 1955; sometimes credited as Tom Sigel) is an American cinematographer, best known for his collaborations with director Bryan Singer. Life and career Sigel was born in Detroit, Michigan, and studied painting ...
and two stunt drivers nearly died when filming the scene in which
Pyro Pyro comes from the Greek word πῦρ (pyr), meaning ''fire''. It may refer to: Businesses * Pyro Plastics Corporation, a plastic model kit maker 1940s through the 1970s *Pyro Studios, a computer game developer based in Madrid * NRK P3 Pyro, a N ...
has a dispute with
police officer A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a Warrant (law), warranted law employee of a police, police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. ...
s.
James Bamford James Bamford (born September 15, 1946) is an American author, journalist and documentary producer noted for his writing about United States intelligence agencies, especially the National Security Agency (NSA). ''The New York Times'' has calle ...
worked as
Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian and British actor, singer, and producer. Beginning in theatre and television, Jackman landed his breakthrough role as Wolverine in the ''X-Men'' film franchise and the Marvel Cinem ...
's stunt double for rehearsals until he suffered an injury; due to Bamford's looks, Singer asked him to play the role of
Gambit A gambit (from Italian , the act of tripping someone with the leg to make them fall) is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices with the aim of achieving a subsequent advantage. The word '' gambit'' is also sometimes used to describe si ...
for a
cameo appearance A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...
, but Gambit's scene was deleted from the film's final cut. According to Alan Cumming, Singer began berating the cast which lead to Halle Berry saying to Singer "you can kiss my black ass". Cumming would also later say that working on the film was a "bad experience".
John Ottman John Ottman (born July 6, 1964) is an American film composer, director, and editor. He is best known for collaborating with director Bryan Singer, composing and/or editing many of his films, including '' Public Access'' (1993), ''The Usual Suspec ...
composed the
score SCORE may refer to: *SCORE (software), a music scorewriter program * SCORE (television), a weekend sports service of the defunct Financial News Network *SCORE! Educational Centers *SCORE International, an offroad racing organization *Sarawak Corrido ...
. Ottman established a new title theme, as well as themes specifically for
Magneto A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
,
Jean Grey Jean Elaine Grey-Summers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men, The X-Men'' #1 ...
, Nightcrawler, Mystique, and
Pyro Pyro comes from the Greek word πῦρ (pyr), meaning ''fire''. It may refer to: Businesses * Pyro Plastics Corporation, a plastic model kit maker 1940s through the 1970s *Pyro Studios, a computer game developer based in Madrid * NRK P3 Pyro, a N ...
.


Design and visual effects

Singer and Sigel credited '' Road to Perdition'' (2002) as a visual influence. Though Sigel shot the first ''X-Men'' in
anamorphic format Anamorphic format is a cinematography technique that captures widescreen images using recording media with narrower native Aspect ratio (image), aspect ratios. Originally developed for 35 mm movie film, 35 mm film to create widescreen pres ...
, he opted to shoot ''X2'' in
Super 35 Super 35 (originally known as Superscope 235) is a motion picture film format that uses exactly the same film stock as standard 35 mm film, but puts a larger image frame on that stock by using the space normally reserved for the optical a ...
. Sigel felt the recent improvements in film stocks and optics increased the advantages of using spherical lenses, even if the blowup to anamorphic must be accomplished optically instead of digitally. Sigel noted, "If you think about it, every anamorphic lens is simply a spherical lens with an anamorphizer on it. They'll never be as good as the spherical lenses that they emulate." Cameras that were used during filming included two Panaflex Millenniums and a Millennium XL, as well as an
Aaton Aaton Digital (formerly known as Aaton) was a French motion picture equipment manufacturer, based in Grenoble, France. History Aaton was founded by Eclair engineer Jean-Pierre Beauviala, whose efforts have been primarily focused on making qui ...
35mm. Singer also used
zoom lens A zoom lens is a system of camera lens elements for which the focal length (and thus angle of view) can be varied, as opposed to a fixed-focal-length (FFL) lens (''prime lens''). A true zoom lens or optical zoom lens is a type of '' parfocal ...
es more often than he did in his previous films, while Sigel used a
Frazier lens The Frazier lens is a special camera lens designed by Australian photographer Jim Frazier. The Frazier lens provides an appearance of a massive depth of field, allowing the foreground and background of an image to be in focus. Frazier's lenses ...
specifically for dramatic moments. The Blackbird was redesigned and increased in virtual size from 60 feet to 85 feet.
John Myhre John Myhre (born 1959) is an American production designer who has been working in Hollywood since the late 1980s. He received his first Academy Award nomination, for Best Art Direction, in 1998, for Shekhar Kapur's '' Elizabeth'', bringing him ...
served as the
production designer In film and television, a production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Work ...
on the first film, but Singer hired
Guy Hendrix Dyas Guy Hendrix Dyas is a British-American production designer known for his collaboration with directors such as Pablo Larraín, Danny Boyle, Christopher Nolan, Ang Lee and Steven Spielberg. He grew up in the South of England and graduated with a m ...
for ''X2'', which was his first film as a production designer. For scenes involving Stryker's Alkali Base, Vancouver Film Studios, the largest
sound stage A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a large, soundproof structure, building or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or te ...
in North America, was reserved. Visual effects supervisor Mike Fink was not satisfied with his work on the previous film, despite the fact it nearly received an
Academy Award nomination The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
. Up to 520 shots were created for ''X-Men'', while ''X2'' commissioned roughly 800. A new
computer program A computer program is a sequence or set of instructions in a programming language for a computer to Execution (computing), execute. It is one component of software, which also includes software documentation, documentation and other intangibl ...
was created by
Rhythm & Hues Studios Rhythm & Hues Studios was an American visual effects and animation company founded in 1987, that received the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1995 for '' Babe'', in 2007 for '' The Golden Compass'', and in 2012 for '' Life of Pi''. It a ...
(R&H) for the
dogfight A dogfight, or dog fight, is an air combat manoeuvring, aerial battle between fighter aircraft that is conducted at close range. Modern terminology for air-to-air combat is air combat manoeuvring (ACM), which refers to tactical situations requir ...
tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...
scene.
Cinesite Cinesite (also known as The Cinesite Group) is an independent, multinational business which provides services to the media and entertainment industries. Its head office in London opened for business in 1994, initially offering services in visu ...
was in charge of scenes concerning
Cerebro Cerebro (; Spanish language, Spanish for "brain", from Latin ) is a fictional device appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The device is used by the X-Men (in particular, their leader, Professor X, Professor Charles Xavier ...
, enlisting a 20-man crew. The Alkali Lake Dam miniature was high and wide. Cinesite created 300
visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated as VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action fo ...
shots, focusing on character animation, while Rhythm and Hues created over 100. Janssen would later admit that she was not a fan working with green screen on set of the film.


Post-production

The first cut of ''X2'' was
rated R Rated R refers to movies (and also to TV shows and video games in certain systems) that have been given a "restricted" rating according to one of the following film rating systems or classification boards: * Australian Classification Board * Canadi ...
by the
Motion Picture Association of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the Major film studios, five major film studios of the Cinema of the United States, United States, the Major film studios#Mini-majors, mini-major Amazon MGM Stud ...
, due to violent shots with
Logan Logan may refer to: Places * Mount Logan (disambiguation) Australia * Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly * Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud * Logan City, local gove ...
when Stryker's army storms the
X-Mansion X-Mansion and Xavier Institute are the common names for a mansion and research institute appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The mansion is depicted as the private estate of Charles Francis Xavier and serves as the ba ...
. A few seconds were cut to secure a PG-13 rating.


Release

The film premiered in London on April 24, 2003, and then had the widest release ever, opening on May 2, 2003, in 93 markets, on 7,316 screens overseas and in 3,741 theaters in the United States and Canada.


Reception


Box office

''X2'' opened May 2, 2003, accumulating $85.6million on its opening weekend in 3,749 theaters in the United States and Canada. Overseas, it grossed $69.27million in its first five days, including previews. The film exceeded ''
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. It is the second novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series. The plot follows Harry's second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ...
'' in terms of number of screenings. ''X2'' would hold this record until the following year, when it was taken by ''
Shrek 2 ''Shrek 2'' is a 2004 American animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig. Directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon from a screenplay by Adamson, Joe Sti ...
''. It surpassed '' Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'' for having the highest opening weekend for a
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
film. For two weeks, it stayed in the number 1 spot before being displaced by ''
The Matrix Reloaded ''The Matrix Reloaded'' is a 2003 American science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the sequel to ''The Matrix'' (1999) and the second installment in the ''Matrix'' film series. The film stars Keanu Reeves, L ...
''. ''X2'', ''The Matrix Reloaded'', ''
Finding Nemo ''Finding Nemo'' is a 2003 American animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by Andrew Stanton, co-directed by Lee Unkrich, and produced by Graham Walters, from ...
'', ''
Bruce Almighty ''Bruce Almighty'' is a 2003 American fantasy comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Steve Koren, Mark O'Keefe and Steve Oedekerk. The film stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a down-on-his-luck television reporter who complains to Go ...
'' and '' Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'' all became the first five films to cross the $200-million mark at the box office in one summer season. The film grossed $214.9million in the United States and Canada, the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2003, earning $192.8million overseas, for a worldwide total of $407.7million, the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2003. It earned $107million in its first five days when released on DVD.


Critical response

''X2'' received positive reviews, with praise aimed at the acting, action, and story. The review-aggregation website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
reports that of critics gave the film a positive review, based on reviews with an average score of . The website's consensus states: "Tightly scripted, solidly acted, and impressively ambitious, ''X2: X-Men United'' is bigger and better than its predecessor—and a benchmark for comic sequels in general."
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
calculated a
weighted average The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...
score of 68 out of 100, based on reviews from 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by
CinemaScore CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data. Background Ed Mintz, who ...
gave the film a grade A on scale of A to F.
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
was impressed by how Singer was able to handle so many characters in one film, but felt "the storyline did not live up to its potential". In addition, Ebert wrote that the film's closing was perfect for a future installment, giving ''X2'' three out of four stars.
Kenneth Turan Kenneth Turan (; born October 27, 1946) is an American retired film critic, author, and lecturer in the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California. He was a film critic for the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1991 ...
of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' wrote that it was rare for a sequel to be better than its predecessor. Turan observed that the film carried emotional themes that are present in the world today and commented that "the acting was better than usual [for a
superhero film Superhero film/movie is a film genre categorized by the presence of superhero characters, individuals with extraordinary abilities who are dedicated to fighting crime, saving the world, or helping the innocent. It is sometimes considered a sub ...
]". Peter Travers of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote that
Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian and British actor, singer, and producer. Beginning in theatre and television, Jackman landed his breakthrough role as Wolverine in the ''X-Men'' film franchise and the Marvel Cinem ...
heavily improved his performance, concluding "''X2'' is a summer firecracker. It's also a tribute to outcasts, teens,
gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...
s,
minorities The term "minority group" has different meanings, depending on the context. According to common usage, it can be defined simply as a group in society with the least number of individuals, or less than half of a population. Usually a minority g ...
, even
Dixie Chicks The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. The band consists of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar, bass guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and Emily Stra ...
." ''Empire (film magazine), Empire'' called ''X2'' the best comic book film of all time in 2006, while ''Wizard (magazine), Wizard'' named the film's ending as the 22nd greatest cliffhanger of all time. In May 2007, Rotten Tomatoes listed ''X2'' as the fifth greatest List of films based on comics, comic book film of all time. Far Out Magazine praised Cumming's turn in 2022, describing the performance as "pivotal to his work as an artist." Mick LaSalle of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' was critical of the storyline, special effects, and action scenes. Joe Morgenstern of ''The Wall Street Journal'' specifically referred to the film as "fast-paced, slow-witted". Stephen Hunter of ''The Washington Post'' wrote "Of the many comic book superhero movies, this is by far the lamest, the loudest, the longest". Richard Corliss of ''Time (magazine), Time'' argued that Singer depended too much on seriousness and that he did not have enough sensibilities to communicate to an audience.


Accolades

The film won the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film. In addition,
Bryan Singer Bryan Jay Singer (born September 17, 1965) is an American filmmaker. He is the founder of Bad Hat Harry Productions and has produced almost all of the films he has directed, as well as multiple television series. After graduating from the Univ ...
(Saturn Award for Best Director, Direction), Dan Harris and
Michael Dougherty Michael Patrick Dougherty (born October 28, 1974) is an American writer, director, animator, and producer known for his work in a variety of genre films, both big and small. Beginning his career as an animator and illustrator, Dougherty’s a ...
(Saturn Award for Best Writing, Writing), and
John Ottman John Ottman (born July 6, 1964) is an American film composer, director, and editor. He is best known for collaborating with director Bryan Singer, composing and/or editing many of his films, including '' Public Access'' (1993), ''The Usual Suspec ...
(Saturn Award for Best Music, Music) all received nominations. It also received nominations for its costumes, makeup, special effects and DVD release, amounting to a total of eight nominations. The Political Film Society honored ''X2'' in the categories of Political Film Society Award for Human Rights, Human Rights and Political Film Society Award for Peace, Peace, while the film was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form).


Music

The Film score, film's score was composed by
John Ottman John Ottman (born July 6, 1964) is an American film composer, director, and editor. He is best known for collaborating with director Bryan Singer, composing and/or editing many of his films, including '' Public Access'' (1993), ''The Usual Suspec ...
, a regular collaborator with film director
Bryan Singer Bryan Jay Singer (born September 17, 1965) is an American filmmaker. He is the founder of Bad Hat Harry Productions and has produced almost all of the films he has directed, as well as multiple television series. After graduating from the Univ ...
. The soundtrack album ''X2: Original Motion Picture Score'' was released on April 29, 2003. Ottman used a sample of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's ''Requiem (Mozart), Requiem'' as the basis for the music in scenes featuring Nightcrawler. As well as the music on the album, tracks by Conjure One and 'N Sync also featured in the film. On July 19, 2012, La-La Land Records and Fox Music issued an expanded version of Ottman's score, including the specially recorded version of Alfred Newman (composer), Alfred Newman's 20th Century Fox Fanfare, 20th Century Fox fanfare incorporating Ottman's film theme.


Home media

''X2'' was released on DVD in widescreen and fullscreen formats as well as VHS on November 25, 2003, by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The two-disc DVD includes over three hours of special features.X2 DVD Release Date
DVDs ReleaseDates, Retrieved August 29, 2015.
''X2'' was also released on Blu-ray and additionally as a Blu-ray, DVD and digital-copy combination in 2011 with special features. The film is included in the 4K resolution, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray set ''X-Men (film series)#Home media, X-Men: 3-Film Collection'', which was released on September 25, 2018.


Sequel

After the success of the second film in the franchise, a sequel titled '' X-Men: The Last Stand'' was released in 2006.


Video games

A video game titled ''X2: Wolverine's Revenge'' was released in April 2003, for PlayStation 2, GameCube, Microsoft Windows, Xbox and Game Boy Advance. The game was a promotional tie-in for the film. Patrick Stewart reprises his role as Professor X, while Hugh Jackman's likeness was featured on the cover as Wolverine. Another game, titled ''X-Men: The Official Game'', was released in May 2006, for PlayStation 2, GameCube, Microsoft Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. The game bridges the time period between ''X2'' and ''X-Men: The Last Stand'' and uses several voice actors from the film franchise.


References


External links


Official website
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