X-Men: 15 Deleted Scenes Every Fan Needs To See

Back in 2000, no one could have guessed how popular the X-Men movies were going to become. Somehow, seven X-Men and Wolverine movies have been released in only 15 years, with another three X-themed instalments due out next year alone. With this seemingly unstoppable and increasingly profitable production line churning out movies, the X-Men franchise has firmly established itself as a money-making juggernaut. But it's not only ticket sales that have accumulated; the movie series has also racked up a staggering quantity of deleted and alternative scenes. Of course, there are all kinds of reasons why a scene gets cut or changed: the main one being that the scene in question turned out to be nowhere near as good as the director hoped it would be. Fortunately, good taste has saved audiences from several bone-headed ideas (one that springs to mind is Ian McKellen sporting an astonishingly unflattering Che Guevara-type beard as he emerges from hiding in The Last Stand). But even when a scene is beautifully written and acted, and the crew has gone to the trouble and expense of adding special effects, stunts, and music, it can still get chopped because it messes with the film's pacing. Whatever the reason behind the decision, the most wonderful of cinematic moments can wind up next to the direst of movie bilge on the metaphorical cutting room floor. Looking at these axed sequences can reveal valuable and fascinating insights into the movie-making process. Not only that, coming face to face with the most dreadful of the deleted scenes can help fans appreciate just how bad the movies could easily have been. Here are 15 of the most awesome and the most awful scenes that didn't make it to the final cut. Because all of the X-movies have their supporters, there's at least one delight-filled treat or shudder-inducing entry for each of the seven movies. All of them are, for better or for worse, scenes that every fan needs to see.