X-Men (2000)

X-Men (Bryan Singer, 2001) was the first of Marvel's superhero blockbusters. Bryan Singer's film still offers many surprises and is a wonder of storytelling and creativity. Also amazing is the great ensemble of actors and actresses. This post focuses on these film stars who played the X-Men in the original film and were portrayed in a remarkable postcard series by the British publisher Memory Card. The design of the cards is like that of many magazines at the time, and they contain a lot of interesting information.


British postcard by Memory Card, no. 665. Photo: Hugh Jackman as Logan "Wolverine" in X-Men (Bryan Singer, 2000).


British postcard by Memory Card, no. 666. Photo: Hugh Jackman as Logan "Wolverine" in X-Men (Bryan Singer, 2000).

Hugh Jackman (1968) is a ruggedly handsome Australian actor, singer, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, and producer. Jackman is best known as Wolverine in the X-Men film series. His other films include The Prestige (2006), the epic historical romantic drama Australia (2008), and the film version of Les Misérables (2012), which earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor and a Golden Globe. On Broadway, Jackman won a Tony Award for his role in 'The Boy from Oz'.


British postcard by Memory Card, no. 667. Photo: Ray Park as Toad in X-Men (Bryan Singer, 2000).

Ray Park (1974) is a Scottish actor, author, and martial artist. Park was the man behind the ominous, almost demonic red and black makeup of the nefarious Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Solo: A Star Wars Story. He also appeared as Toad in X-Men (2001), Snake-Eyes in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) and G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013), and Edgar in the TV series Heroes (2009-2010).

A world where a small proportion of people are mutants

X-Men (Bryan Singer, 2000) was written by David Hayter from a story by Bryan Singer and Tom DeSanto. The film is based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name.

The film depicts a world where a small proportion of people are mutants, whose possession of superhuman powers makes them distrusted by normal humans. It focuses on mutants Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Rogue (Anna Paquin) as they are brought into a conflict between two groups that have radically different approaches to bringing about the acceptance of mutant-kind: Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart)'s X-Men, and the Brotherhood of Mutants, led by Magneto (Ian McKellen).

The development of X-Men began in 1984 with Orion Pictures. The film rights were bought by 20th Century Fox in 1994, and various scripts and film treatments were commissioned. Bryan Singer signed to direct in 1996. X-Men marked the Hollywood debut for Hugh Jackman, a last-second choice for Wolverine, cast three weeks into filming. Filming took place from 22 September 1999 to 3 March 2000, primarily in Toronto.

X-Men premiered on 12 July 2000 and was released in the United States two days later. It was a box office success, grossing over $296.3 million worldwide, and received positive reviews from critics, citing its performances, story, and thematic depth. The film's success led to a series of sequels, prequels, reboots, and spin-offs, with the overall success of the series spawning a reemergence of superhero films.


American postcard by Memory Card, no. 668. Photo: Patrick Stewart as Professor X in X-Men (Bryan Singer, 2000).

The career of English actor Patrick Stewart (1940) has included roles on stage, television, and film in a career spanning almost six decades. The unknown Shakespearean actor suddenly became famous as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the American TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) and its successor films. Another well-known role was Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men series of superhero movies.


British postcard by Memory Card, no. 669. Photo: Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as Mystique in X-Men (Bryan Singer, 2000).

Rebecca Romijn (1972) or Rebecca Romijn-Stamos is an actress and former supermodel. She is best-known as 'Mystique' in the X-Men franchise.


British postcard by Memory Card, no. 670. Photo: Tyler Mane as Sabretooth in X-Men (Bryan Singer, 2000).

Tyler Mane (1966) is a Canadian actor and a former professional wrestler. He is known for the films X-Men (2000), Troy (2004), and Halloween II (2009).


British postcard by Memory Card, no. 671. Photo: James Marsden as Cyclops in X-Men (Bryan Singer, 2000).

American actor James Marsden (1973) gained prominence with his portrayal of Scott Summers / Cyclops in the X-Men film series (2000–2014). He also starred in such box office hits as Superman Returns (2006), Hairspray (2007), and 27 Dresses (2008).

One of the most recognisable and successful franchises of Marvel Comics

The X-Men were created by artist/co-writer Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee. The characters first appeared in the comic book The X-Men #1 (September 1963) and soon formed one of the most recognisable and successful franchises of Marvel Comics, appearing in numerous books, television shows, films, and video games.

Most of the X-Men are mutants, a subspecies of humans who are born with superhuman abilities activated by the "X-Gene". The X-Men fight for peace and equality between normal humans and mutants in a world where anti-mutant bigotry is fierce and widespread. They are led by Charles Xavier, also known as Professor X, a powerful mutant telepath who can control and read minds.

Their archenemy is Magneto, a powerful mutant with the ability to manipulate and control magnetic fields who leads the Brotherhood of Mutants. Both have opposing views and philosophies regarding the relationship between mutants and humans. While the former works towards peace and understanding between mutants and humans, the latter views humans as a threat and he believes in taking an aggressive approach against them, though he has found himself working alongside the X-Men from time to time.

Professor X is the founder of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters at a location commonly called the X-Mansion, which recruits mutants from around the world to teach them how to use their powers and coexist with humanity. Located in Salem Center in Westchester County, New York, the X-Mansion is the home and training site of the X-Men. The founding five members of the X-Men who appear in The X-Men #1 (September 1963) are Angel-Archangel, Beast, Cyclops, Iceman, and Jean Grey (as Marvel Girl); Professor X and Magneto also made their first appearances in The X-Men #1.

Later on, new members were introduced such as Havok, Polaris, Mimic and Changeling joined though only the former two managed to become a regular recurring staple of the team lineup. Eventually, the X-Men roster expanded to include a wide variety of members from numerous origins, including Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat, Psylocke, Forge, Longshot, and Bishop. Since then, dozens of mutants from various countries and diverse backgrounds, and even a number of non-mutants, have held membership as X-Men.


British postcard by Memory Card, no. 672. Photo: Ian McKellen as Magneto in X-Men (Bryan Singer, 2000).
The career of English actor Ian McKellen (1939) spans genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and Science Fiction. He became a stalwart of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre of Great Britain. He achieved worldwide fame for his film roles, including the titular King in Richard III (1995), James Whale in Gods and Monsters (1998), Magneto in the X-Men films, and Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. For his work, McKellen received six Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award, five Primetime Emmy Awards, four BAFTAs, and many other awards. He has been openly gay since 1988 and continues to be a champion for the LGBT movement.


British postcard by Memory Card, no. 673. Photo: Famke Janssen as Jean Grey in X-Men (Bryan Singer, 2000).

Famke Janssen ( 1964) is a Dutch actress, director, screenwriter, and former fashion model. She played Xenia Onatopp in GoldenEye (1995), Jean Grey / Phoenix in the X-Men film series (2000–2014), Ava Moore on Nip/Tuck, and Lenore Mills in the Taken film trilogy (2008–2014). In 2008, she was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for Integrity by the United Nations. She made her directorial debut with Bringing Up Bobby in 2011.


British postcard by Memory Card, no. 674. Photo: Halle Berry as Storm in X-Men (Bryan Singer, 2000).

Halle Berry (1966) is an acclaimed actress and former beauty queen. She became the first African American actress to win the Oscar for best actress following her performance in Monster's Ball (2001). She has also starred in Swordfish (2001), Die Another Day (2002), and the X-Men film franchise.


British postcard by Memory Card, no. 675. Photo: Anna Paquin as Rogue in X-Men (Bryan Singer, 2000).

New Zealand-Canadian actress Anna Paquin (1982) played the role of Flora McGrath in Jane Campion's The Piano (1993), despite having had little acting experience. For her performance, she garnered critical acclaim and received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress at the age of 11. As a successful child actress, she appeared in Fly Away Home (1996), The Member of the Wedding (1997), A Walk on the Moon (1999), and Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous (2000). As an adult, she played mutant superheroine Rogue in the X-Men franchise (2000–2014) and played Sookie Stackhouse in the vampire television series True Blood (2008–2014). For her performance in the series, Paquin won the Golden Globe in 2009. More recently. she appeared in Martin Scorsese's epic The Irishman (2019).

Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.