10 X-Men Movie Quotes That Aged Poorly

With the cinematic history of the X-Men stretching back well over two decades, it’s unsurprising that some quotes from their movie appearances have aged poorly. From the very beginning of Fox’s X-Men movie timeline, there have been marked highs and lows for the franchise. Iconic though the Marvel characters may be, and as much impact as their movies had on the superhero genre in the early ‘00s, the franchise has always been a victim of its own inconsistency.

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For all the merits of Fox’s X-Men movies, there are also many other aspects that haven’t aged particularly well. Over the course of the franchise, there have been many quotes that stand out in hindsight as particularly poor or otherwise ridiculous. For a variety of reasons, there are many examples of lines that simply haven’t fared well over time, leading to these 10 X-Men movie quotes that have aged poorly.

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10 “Because He Was One Of Us.”

Magneto, X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past continues to stand out as one of the best movies in Fox’s X-Men franchise, with many strong qualities that mark it as a solid adaptation of its beloved source material. However, that isn’t to say that the movie doesn’t have weaker points, particularly in terms of moments that make little sense or serve as unexplored plot threads. One such moment comes when Magneto is explaining why he tried to save John F. Kennedy from assassination, explaining to Charles Xavier that JFK was “one of us”.

Asserting that a former US president was a mutant with superhuman abilities was a bold choice, to say the least. However, as the idea was never further explored and ultimately amounted to a bizarre reference to an important historical figure, it seems different in hindsight. Looking back over Days of Future Past, the quote simply seems an odd and entirely pointless inclusion.

9 “Learning…”

Apocalypse, X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Of all the actors that make up X-Men: Apocalypse’s cast, Oscar Isaac is among the most respected. Unfortunately, his turn as the eponymous villain was far below his usual high standard, and instead was criticized as one of the worst missteps of the movie. Shortly after being introduced to the modern world, Apocalypse is asked what he is doing as he approaches a TV. He replies with a single word – “learning…” – which turned out to be one of the movie’s most ridiculous quotes.

The delivery of the line, combined with the context of the scene itself, makes it an especially silly moment. It’s so ridiculous that it simply becomes funnier upon each revisit, with Apocalypse’s slow and raspy explanation now seeming especially hilarious in hindsight. As such, it’s a quote that has aged poorly, if only because it seems even more unintentionally funny years later than it did upon release.

8 “That Looks Like The Creature That Ate Fred Dukes.”

Wolverine, X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

X-Men Origins: Wolverine has long been considered one of the worst X-Men movies, not least due to its handling of beloved characters such as Deadpool and Gambit. One of the film’s worst-aged quotes, however, concerns its approach to another poorly handled character, Fred Dukes – A.K.A. The Blob. Years after having worked with Dukes, Wolverine reconnects with him, only to be shocked at his weight gain, and announce: “That looks like the creature that ate Fred Dukes.”

The line is inherently mean-spirited, as it shames a character whose mutation has traditionally been directly connected to his weight. It’s not lighthearted joking between old friends, but rather it’s Logan deliberately mocking Dukes’ weight immediately after being told that his former colleague was sensitive about his appearance. In that sense, the quote simply feels like a targeted attack on Dukes, and has aged incredibly poorly as a result.

7 “Berto! Nut Up!”

Sam Guthrie, The New Mutants (2020)

2020’s The New Mutants is the most overlooked movie in Fox’s X-Men franchise, despite boasting a talented young cast of rising stars. Taking a different approach to a Marvel mutant movie and exploring a different set of characters didn’t pay off for The New Mutants, which was met with critical panning and box office failure. There’s also a point at which one male mutant tells another to “nut up”, which is a quote that instantly aged poorly.

With the phrase comes an air of toxic masculinity that the movie does nothing to dispel. The implication that masculinity and courage are directly connected in some way is a decidedly outdated notion, and seems out of place in a movie released in 2020 about a group of young people. Considering the phrase has long since left common parlance and it comes with negative connotations, it hasn’t aged well at all.

6 “Charles Always Wanted To Build Bridges.”

Magneto, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

When it comes to memorable scenes in the original X-Men trilogy, the Omega’s assault on Alcatraz ranks highly. Although X-Men: The Last Stand is not widely well-loved, the scene itself features some solid action and entertaining set pieces. It also contains a quote that seems more nonsensical as the years pass: when lifting the Golden Gate Bridge, Magneto states that “Charles always wanted to build bridges.”

The fact that Magneto says the line immediately after destroying one of the world’s most famous bridges is fairly ridiculous. As he’s moving the bridge to allow the mutants to access Alcatraz, he could be described as recycling the bridge at best, but he’s certainly not building it. What’s more, the delivery of the line at such an awe-inspiring moment only hurts The Last Stand, and simply makes it seem much a less serious narrative than it otherwise seems to imply.

5 “What Do They Call You? Wheels?”

Wolverine, X-Men (2000)

Fox’s first X-Men movie was released in 2000, which means that social consciousness looked very different at the time. Though certain topics are considered off-limits for lighthearted comedy today, such jokes were acceptable at the time. A prime example comes when Wolverine first meets Professor Xavier, and responds to the X-Men’s code names by asking “what do they call you? Wheels?” before scoffing in derision at the wheelchair-using telepath.

Though the line itself is more an examination of the ridiculousness of some superhero names, the delivery makes it seem decidedly more malicious. There’s very little sensitivity in the quote, which instead makes it seem an unnecessary attack on wheelchair users. Were the scene put into a more recent movie, it would seemingly have been handled very differently, demonstrating how poorly it has aged since it was originally released.

4 “At Least We Can All Agree, The Third One Is The Worst.”

Jean Grey, X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

X-Men: Apocalypse, for all its ‘80s charm, has a wealth of issues. Chief among them is its script, which is wildly inconsistent and decidedly uninspired. As well as Apocalypse’s “learning…”, there’s a brief exchange about Star Wars between young X-Men after exiting a movie theater, which sees Jean Grey utter the words: “at least we can all agree, the third one is the worst”.

The line is a fairly transparent nod to the poor reception of the third X-Men movie, The Last Stand. However, as X-Men: Apocalypse served as the third – and worst – movie of the prequel trilogy, the knowing line seems to be an all too self-aware acknowledgment of its own issues. What’s more, the quote aged even worse after the release of the sequel, Dark Phoenix, which received even worse reviews, negating the quote by making the fourth movie even worse than the third.

3 “What Would You Prefer, Yellow Spandex?”

Cyclops, X-Men (2000)

2000’s X-Men was a landmark title in superhero cinema, marking the genre’s rise to box office glory. Its adaptation of the comic book characters wasn’t entirely faithful, however, especially when it came to their costumes. The cast of 2000’s X-Men were all clad in black leather uniforms in the movie, rather than the more colorful garb they traditionally donned in the comics and The Animated Series. After Logan comments on the uniform, Cyclops replies: “What would you prefer, yellow spandex?”, referencing Wolverine’s traditional costume.

24 years after X-Men‘s release, Hugh Jackman reprized the role as part of Deadpool & Wolverine’s cast, finally donning a more comic-accurate costume. The response to Wolverine’s yellow suit was overwhelmingly positive, and though it wasn’t spandex, it was far more faithful to the comics than X-Men’s black leather. As it turned out that audiences did indeed prefer comic accuracy over simple uniformity, the quote hasn’t aged well.

2 “I’m The Juggernaut, B***h!”

Juggernaut, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Fox’s initial trilogy of X-Men movies saw a great many mutants brought to life in live-action, albeit with mixed results. Though some were better received than others, there are a select few who stand out as especially poor. Vinnie Jones’ Juggernaut ranks highly among them, as the execution of the character left much to be desired. His most well-known quote – “I’m the Juggernaut, b***h!” – has since come to embody the movie’s poor handling of the character.

The fact that the line has become infamous in the years since The Last Stand’s release is a good indicator of how bad a quote it is. Thanks to Jones’ hammy acting, The Last Stand’s waste of an important X-Men character, and the ridiculous context the scene establishes for the line being uttered, it’s essentially synonymous with the movie’s failings. As a result, the Juggernaut’s most famous movie quote has aged even more poorly than the film itself.

1 “Do You Know What Happens To A Toad When It’s Struck By Lightning?”

Storm, X-Men (2000)

For all the many things the first X-Men movie did right, it also got a number of things wrong. Its handling of the character of Storm was divisive, particularly as she wasn’t written to be a particularly strong or interesting character in her first appearance. One line, spoken by Halle Berry during the film’s final act, appears to have become the legacy of her time in the role of Storm. While fighting Toad, Storm asks: “Do you know what happens to a toad when it’s struck by lightning?” in an unintentionally hilarious and now infamous exchange.

The answer – “the same thing that happens to everything else” – only makes the quote seem even worse. Over the years that followed, the line has come to be considered as one of the worst quotes in superhero movie history. As a result, it’s probably the worst-aged quote across all of Fox’s X-Men movies.

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X-Men is the first film in the long-running superhero franchise centering on the iconic Marvel team. Wolverine and Professor X take center stage as they and the other X-Men attempt to stop Erik Lehnsherr (aka Magneto) after he has a violent response to the proposed Mutant Registration Act. Hugh Jackman stars as Wolverine, alongside Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, and Anna Paquin.
X2: X-Men United 2

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X2: X-Men United is the follow-up film to Fox’s 2000 X-Men starring Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, and Patrick Stewart. The film features the introduction of Colonel William Stryker (Brian Cox) as he kidnaps Charles Xavier, which leads the X-Men to team up with Magneto. Most of the cast from the original film returned for the sequel, along with the introduction of Alan Cumming’s Nightcrawler.
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X-Men: The Last Stand is the third and final installment in Bryan Singer’s original X-Men trilogy. It adapts Marvel’s famous “Dark Phoenix” storyline, with Famke Janssen’s Jean Grey embracing her supernatural power to unleash chaos on mutantkind. Fox’s 2006 superhero movie brings back franchise mainstays such as Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, and Ian McKellen’s Magneto, and it introduces major mutant characters such as Kelsey Grammer’s Beast, Ben Foster’s Angel, and Vinnie Jones’ Juggernaut.
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After Bryan Singer’s X-Men trilogy, Hugh Jackman returns as the titular clawed mutant in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The 2009 superhero movie explores Logan’s origins with a look back at Weapon X, the experiment that covered his skeleton with adamantium. It marks Ryan Reynolds’ first appearance as Wade Wilson a.k.a. Deadpool, and it precedes James Mangold’s The Wolverine and Logan, which retroactively make Origins the first installment in a solo trilogy for Jackman’s iconic Marvel hero.
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Based on the 1982 comic event “Wolverine,” The Wolverine takes place after X-Men: The Last Stand and follows Logan on a journey to Japan at the behest of a former acquaintance. Living in isolation after the world-changing events in the prior movie and haunted by the death of the woman he loved, Logan is found and asked to travel to Japan to meet with a man named Ichiro, who he had saved during World War II. At the end of his life, Ichiro offers Logan a chance to free himself of his healing abilities to finally die by taking them for himself. However, Logan soon learns that Ichiro’s intentions for immortality are far less honorable than he had expected, leading him to struggle to face off with a former ally.
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Logan sees the titular hero, AKA Wolverine, in his twilight years as his healing factor has begun to fail him, and he has begun to age more rapidly. Set several years in the future, Logan finds himself caring for an ailing Professor Xavier, whose mind has begun to succumb to dementia, making him an incredibly dangerous mutant that can cause widespread destruction accidentally. But when the preoccupied Logan is asked to meet with a woman that requests he transports a young girl to a mutant haven known as Eden, he learns that she may have his DNA and that the fate of mutant-kind may rest in her hands.
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X-Men: First Class charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga in the 1960s. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers. Before they were archenemies, they were close friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to prevent nuclear Armageddon. In the process, a rift between them opened, beginning the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.
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Based on the epic Marvel comic event and following up after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand and The Wolverine, X-Men: Days of Future Past is an action superhero film that sees Logan sent back into the past to attempt to avert a cataclysmic disaster. In the future, the last surviving members of the human and mutant races are facing the end of days as the Sentinel menace has nearly wiped everything out of existence. Out of options and out of time, Professor Charles Xavier and Eric Lehnsherr (aka Magneto) agree to send Logan back into the past to prevent the assassination of a man that leads to the end of the world.
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The third installment of the X-Men prequel films, and the ninth film in the overall X-Men movie franchise, X-Men: Apocalypse once again sees Professor Xavier and Magneto on opposite sides of a catastrophic conflict. Having been raised from the dead, the ancient mutant Apocalypse wishes to wipe out all of humanity, and recruits four mutants including Magneto to help him in his quest, leading Xavier and his young team of X-Men to try and stop them. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender reprise their roles as Professor Xavier and Magneto, with a larger ensemble cast that includes Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Olivia Munn, and Oscar Isaac.
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In this continuation of the rebooted X-Men movie series, Jean Grey begins to develop incredible powers that corrupt and turn her into a Dark Phoenix. Now, the X-Men will have to decide if the life of a team member is worth more than all the people living in the world.
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This X-Men spinoff marked the final installment before the franchise’s moved to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.