X-Men: First Class

Young Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr bring mutants together during a threat of nuclear conflict. Their partnership introduces earlier versions of familiar figures while exploring the different experiences that inform their beliefs.

The friendship is the center of the film. Watch how Charles and Erik can share an immediate goal while understanding the world in very different ways. The younger cast gives the established conflict a sense of possibility before its direction becomes familiar.

You can begin this younger-cast story here. The original X-Men is useful background for recognizing the later versions, but it is not necessary to meet these characters.

First Class starts the younger-cast strand of the X-Men films. It was released after the original trilogy and is not part of the MCU’s numbered film phases.

The catalog lists 132 minutes. The release date above is the catalog’s date for this title; dates and runtimes may differ by territory or edition. Follow the linked film source for its own listing.

This film is not on the current reviewed Doomsday preparation list. That is separate from its value as a film or a starting point.