X-Men (2000) andSpider-Man (2002) launched blockbuster franchises that earned billions of dollars in box-office revenue worldwide. Other Lee creations to receive the Hollywood treatment wereDaredevil (2003),Hulk (2003), andIron Man (2008). Lee was often

X-Men (2000) from Twentieth Century-Fox and director Sam Raimi’s blockbusterSpider-Man (2002) from Sony Pictures were highly successful, as were their sequels, such as the Marc Webb-directedAmazing Spider-Man (2012). Other movies featuring Marvel Comics stars have includedDaredevil (2003),Hulk (2003),Elektra (2005),Fantastic…

…mutant in the first live-actionX-Men (2000). Jackman reprised the role in the sequelsX2 (2003),X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), andX-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) and starred as the lead character inX-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009),The Wolverine (2013), andLogan

…team and its members includeX-Men (2000),X2 (2003),X-Men: The Last Stand (2006),X-Men: First Class (2011),X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014),X-Men: Apocalypse (2016),Dark Phoenix (2019), andThe New Mutants (2020).

…cast in action roles inX-Men (2000) and its sequels (2003, 2006, 2014),Swordfish (2001), andDie Another Day (2002), an installment in the James Bond spy series. The thrillerGothika (2003) and the Batman spin-offCatwoman

…making his Hollywood debut inX-Men (2000), in which his portrayal of the tortured antihero Wolverine established him as a bankable action star. He demonstrated his range with a pair of romantic comedies,Someone like You (2001) andKate & Leopold (2001), before once again unsheathing Wolverine’s trademark razor claws…

…other movie credits included the X-Men series (2000, 2003, 2006, 2014), in which he was cast as supervillain Magneto, andThe Da Vinci Code (2006). McKellen’s subtlety and exactitude as an actor were showcased in the character studyMr. Holmes (2015), about the attempts of a nonagenarian Sherlock Holmes

…Rogue in the superhero movieX-Men, and she reprised the role inX-Men 2 (2003),X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), andX-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). Her other films included Gus Van Sant’sFinding Forrester (2000), the dark satireBuffalo Soldiers (2001),

…to the American blockbuster filmX-Men, playing paraplegic genius Professor Charles Xavier. The professor—like Picard, a peace-loving and intelligent man—similarly helped to ground a fantastical franchise. Stewart reprised the role in several successful sequels (2003, 2006, and 2014) and in such related films asLogan (2017) andDoctor Strange in…