Ten years ago, X-Men: Days of Future Past premiered, and despite the complexity of the X-Men series, it successfully navigates timelines and backstories with impressive clarity. The decade since its release has given fans ample time to pick apart the plot, questioning a few of the film’s choices. However, the movie holds up remarkably well, priming itself for plot holes but ultimately making none of them matter.
By the time Days of Future Past came around, the X-Men continuity had already been challenging to track. The original trilogy concluded with X-Men: The Last Stand, introducing an end-credits scene showing Charles Xavier awakening in a hospital room despite Jean Grey’s death. This plot twist was not entirely unprecedented, as Charles’ consciousness was transferred into the body of his comatose twin brother. However, the X-Men Origins: Wolverine prequel failed to establish a cohesive timeline, introducing backstories that were later ignored.
X-Men Days of Future Past (Image via Getty)
X-Men: First Class attempted to reboot the series with a new cast of characters, including Charles and Hank McCoy, played by James McAvoy and Nicholas Hoult respectively. The film established a narrative that was distinct from the original trilogy, creating a soft reboot under the guise of prequels. The next film in the series, X-Men: Days of Future Past, brought together different timelines, making it a defining film in the franchise.
The film’s plot centered on traveling to the past to alter the future, which opened the door to a slew of plot holes. However, the film managed to overcome these plot holes by creating a narrative that is grounded in the emotional lives of its characters. The film’s central plot revolves around Dr. Bolivar Trask’s Sentinel program, which has caused a devastating war in the distant future. The surviving Mutants devise a plan to send Logan’s consciousness back in time to his younger self.
Logan’s mission is to prevent Mystique from committing the assassination and thus alter the course of history. The film’s biggest challenges come from its own internal logic. If Mystique was a well-known public figure, why was none of this addressed in the original trilogy? Why send Logan back to 1973, a time when he and Charles were at odds? These questions are answered through the film’s emotional narrative, which prioritizes character development over plot logic.
The film’s biggest strength lies in its ability to take these challenges and work them into its favor, creating a narrative that is both emotionally resonant and plot-driven. In the end, Days of Future Past is a film that defies logic but thrives due to its emotional resonance. The film’s plot holes are forgiven because of the emotional stakes of its characters. The film’s ability to rewrite the timeline and create illogical decisions is what makes it the best in the franchise, trumping all other X-Men movies.
