X2

***X2*** (often promoted as ***X2: X-Men United***,[1][2] or internationally as ***X-Men 2***[3][4]) is a 2003 American superhero film, based on the X-Men superhero team appearing in Marvel Comics, distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is the sequel to 2000's *X-Men* and the second installment in the *X-Men* film series. The film was directed by Bryan Singer, written by Michael Dougherty, Dan Harris, and David Hayter, and features an ensemble cast including Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Bruce Davison, and Anna Paquin. The plot, inspired by the graphic novel *God Loves, Man Kills*, pits the X-Men and their enemies, the Brotherhood, against the genocidal Colonel William Stryker (Brian Cox). He leads an assault onProfessor Xavier's school to build his own version of Xavier's mutant-tracking computer Cerebro, in order to destroy every mutant on Earth.

Development on *X2* began shortly after *X-Men* (2000). David Hayter and Zak Penn wrote separate scripts, combining what they felt to be the best elements of both scripts into one screenplay. Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris were eventually hired to rewrite the work, and changed the characterizations of Beast, Angel, and Lady Deathstrike. Sentinels and theDanger Room were set to appear before being deleted because of budget concerns. Filming began in June 2002 and ended that November. Most of the filming took place at Vancouver Film Studios, the largest North American production facility outside of Los Angeles. Production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas adapted similar designs by John Myhre from the previous film.

*X2* was released in the United States on May 2, 2003. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, who mostly praised the storyline and acting of the film. The film received eight nominations at the Saturn Awards and grossed approximately $407 million worldwide.

## Plot

At the White House, brainwashed teleporting mutant Nightcrawler tries to assassinate the President of the United States but fails and escapes, leaving a note demanding "mutant freedom now." At Alkali Lake, X-Men memberWolverine finds nothing left of the military base from the previous movie. He returns to Professor Xavier's school for mutants, while fellow X-Men Stormand Jean Grey find Nightcrawler with the help of Xavier and the mutant-tracking machine Cerebro.

Xavier and Cyclops visit Magneto in his prison cell, inquiring about the assassination attempt. Xavier discovers that a covert government operative, William Stryker, has been extracting information from a brainwashed Magneto using an injectable drug. Stryker and his assistant Yuriko Oyama capture Cyclops and Xavier and raid Xavier's school. Wolverine kills many of Stryker's men, while Colossus, Rogue, Iceman, Pyro, and most of the students escape through hidden tunnels. Wolverine confronts Stryker, who fails to shed light on Wolverine's past. Iceman helps Wolverine escape, but Stryker's soldiers succeed in sedating six students and breaking into Cerebro.

Impersonating Senator Robert Kelly and Yuriko, the shape-shifting Mystique gains information about Magneto's prison and aids his escape, and learns plans of another Cerebro. Wolverine, Rogue, Iceman, and Pyro visit Iceman's parents inBoston. Responding to a 9-1-1 call from Bobby's brother Ronny, the Boston Police Department arrives just as the group is leaving. Pyro uses his fire-projection power to fend off the police, and Rogue stops him when he starts attacking savagely.

The X-Jet arrives to pick them up, and is targeted by two Air Force fighter jets. They are hit by a missile, but Magneto saves their jet from crashing. The X-Men team up with Magneto and Mystique to stop Stryker. At their camp, Magneto informs them that Stryker orchestrated the attack on the president to provide rationale to raid Xavier's school in order to steal Cerebro's parts; he plans to connect Xavier to a second Cerebro rebuilt at a secret base. Jean reads Nightcrawler's mind and determines that Stryker's base is inside the dam at Alkali Lake.

Through his son, Jason, Stryker gains control over Xavier, who is brainwashed to use the second Cerebro to find and kill all mutants. Mystique infiltrates Stryker's base by impersonating Wolverine. Storm and Nightcrawler search for the students. Jean, Magneto, and Mystique are attacked by a brainwashed Cyclops while trying to rescue Xavier, and cause damage to the generators that keep the dam from collapsing in the process. The force of Jean's telekinetic blast clashing with Cyclops' optic blast awakens him from his brainwashing, but also cracks the dam. Wolverine finds Stryker in anadamantium smelting room, where he recovers some of his memory. Wolverine fights and kills Yuriko, then finds Stryker on a landing pad, where Stryker bargains for his life by offering to reveal Wolverine's past. Wolverine refuses, and instead binds Stryker in chains.

Storm and Nightcrawler find the students, while Magneto and Mystique kill the rest of Stryker's men, and Magneto stops Jason and Xavier before from using Cerebro to kill mutants. Disguised as Stryker, Mystique uses Jason to convince Xavier to kill every human instead; she and Magneto, along with new initiate Pyro, use Stryker's helicopter to escape Alkali Lake, after chaining Stryker to concrete rubble. Nightcrawler teleports Storm inside Cerebro, where she creates a snowstorm to break Jason's concentration and free Xavier from his control.

The X-Men flee the base as water engulfs it, and discover that Magneto, Mystique, and Pyro have escaped on the helicopter. Iceman and Rogue arrive with the X-Jet and get everyone on board. The dam bursts, flooding the landscape and killing Stryker. A malfunction aboard the X-Jet prevents it from taking off; Jean sacrifices herself by using a telekinetic wall to shield the flood. She activates the X-Jet's primary engines before releasing the torrent of water down on herself, which presumably kills her.

The X-Men give the President Strykere's files, and Xavier warns him that humans and mutants must work together to build peace. Back at the school, Xavier, Cyclops, and Wolverine remember Jean, and Wolverine tells Cyclops that Jean chose Cyclops over him. As the film ends, a Phoenix-like shape forms beneath Alkali Lake.

## Cast

* Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier / Professor X

A powerful telepathic mutant who uses a wheelchair as he cannot walk. He founded a School for "gifted youngsters"; Xavier is a pacifist who believes humans and mutants can live together in harmony. He uses the Cerebro device, built by Magneto and himself, to track and locate mutants across the world. Xavier is regarded as an expert on genetic mutation.
* Hugh Jackman as Logan / Wolverine

A mutant who has no memory of his life before he was grafted with an indestructible adamantium skeleton. A gruff loner, Wolverine is also a father-figure to Rogue and feels love toward Jean. He wields three blades that come out of each of his fists, has keen animal-like senses and the ability to heal rapidly, and is a ruthless and aggressive fighter.
* Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto

Once Xavier's ally, Magneto now believes mutants are superior to humans. Magneto wields the ability to manipulate metal magnetically, as well as the ability to create magnetic fields. He wears a helmet that renders him immune to Xavier's and all telepathic-based abilities. Imprisoned after his scheme in the first film, he is drugged by William Stryker for information on Cerebro, before making his escape and forming an alliance with the X-Men to stop Stryker. He has demonstrated sophisticated knowledge in matters of genetic manipulation and engineering.
* Halle Berry as Ororo Munroe / Storm

A mutant and teacher at Xavier's school who can control the weather. Storm befriends Nightcrawler.
* Famke Janssen as Dr. Jean Grey

A teacher at Xavier's school and the X-Mansion's doctor, Jean has begun to experience vast and at times uncontrollable growth in her telepathic and telekinetic abilities since Magneto's machine was destroyed in the first film. She is Cyclops' fiancée.
* James Marsden as Scott Summers / Cyclops

The field leader of the X-Men, and a teacher at Xavier's Institute, he shoots uncontrollable beams of concussive force from his eyes and wears a visor to control them. Cyclops is taken prisoner by Stryker. He is engaged to Jean.
* Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as Raven Darkhölme / Mystique

Magneto's henchwoman, she is a shapeshifter. Mystique is blue, naked and covered in scales, and she acts as a spy. She injects a prison guard with metal, with which Magneto makes his escape, and also sexually tempts Wolverine. Romijn's full-body makeup previously took nine hours to apply; however, the make-up department was able to bring it down to six hours for *X2*.[5]
* Brian Cox as Col. William Stryker

A human military scientist who plans a worldwide genocide of mutants using Xavier and Cerebro. Stryker has experimented on mutants in the past, including Wolverine, and uses a serum to control them. Brad Loree plays a younger William Stryker in flashback scenes. Singer opted to cast Cox in the role as he was a fan of his performance as Hannibal Lecter in *Manhunter*.[6]
* Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler

A kindly German mutant with a strong Catholic faith, yet ironically he has the appearance of a blue demon. Nightcrawler was used by Stryker in an assassination attempt on the President of the United States and gives help to the X-Men. He is capable of teleporting himself (and others) instantly from one location to another. On his body are many scarification marks, one for every sin. Cumming had always been Singer's choice for the role, but at first he was not available due to scheduling conflicts.[7] At some point, Ethan Embry had been reported to be in contention for the role.[8] Ultimately, the film remained in development long enough for Cumming to accept the part.[7] Singer also felt comfortable in casting him since he speaks German fluently.[9] The drawings of Adam Kubert were used as inspiration for Nightcrawler's makeup design,[10] which took four hours to apply.[11] For the scene where Nightcrawler has his shirt off, Cumming went through nine hours of makeup.[7] To best pose as Nightcrawler, Cumming studied comic books and illustrations of the character.[11]
* Bruce Davison as Sen. Robert Kelly

An anti-mutant politician that supports a Mutant Registration Act and wishes to ban mutant children from schools. Although his character was killed in the first film, Davison reprised the role for scenes where Mystique uses his persona to infiltrate the government.
* Shawn Ashmore as Bobby Drake / Iceman

Rogue's boyfriend, he can freeze objects and create ice. His family is unaware that he is a mutant and simply believes he is at a boarding school. After returning home, Bobby reveals to them what he actually is, much to his brother's derision.
* Aaron Stanford as John Allerdyce / Pyro

A friend of Bobby and Rogue, Pyro has anti-social tendencies because he is very angry at humans for how they treat the mutant community. He has the ability to control (although not create) fire. He later joins Magneto and Mystique. The filmmakers cast Stanford in the role after they were impressed with his performance in *Tadpole*.[12]
* Kelly Hu as Yuriko Oyama / Lady Deathstrike

A mutant that has a healing ability like Wolverine's, and is controlled by Stryker. She wields long adamantium fingernails. Only her first name is mentioned in dialogue.
* Anna Paquin as Marie / Rogue

A girl who can absorb any person's memories and abilities by touching them. As she cannot control this absorbing ability, Rogue can easily kill anyone and thus is unable to be close to people. Her love interest is Bobby Drake/Iceman.
Also, Katie Stuart appeared as Kitty Pryde, a girl who can walk through walls, Kea Wong as Jubilee, Bryce Hodgson asArtie, a boy with a blue tongue, Shauna Kain as Siryn, who is able to emit loud screams that alert the students to Stryker's attack and Michael Reid McKay as Jason Stryker / Mutant 143, William Stryker's son who has the ability to cast illusions. Also in the final scene with Xavier, a girl is seen dressed in a Native American style jacket, as well as a blond haired boy dressed in blue, played by Layke Anderson. These were confirmed to be Danielle Moonstar and Douglas Ramsey.[12]Daniel Cudmore appeared as Piotr Rasputin / Colossus. Cudmore was set to use a Russian accent, but Singer dropped the idea of accents despite characters of different nationalities.[13]

Jubilee, Psylocke and Multiple Man were to have cameos in the scene where Stryker and his troops storm the X-Mansion.Beast, Gambit and Marrow were to have appearances during a sequence with Cereb. Gambit's cameo was actually shot, but the footage was not used in the final cut. Beast's scene was to show him in his human form as Dr. Hank McCoy, while his skin morphed into blue fur, and Marrow was to be seen lying on a ground in New York City.[12] Hank McCoy appears on a television during the scene where Mystique drugs Magneto's prison guard. Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris, the film's writers, cameo in scenes of Wolverine's Weapon X flashbacks as surgeons.[14] Bryan Singer, the film's director, cameos as a security guard in a scene where Professor X and Cyclops go to see Magneto. Shaquille O'Neal wanted a role in the film but was ignored by the filmmakers.[15]

One scene depicts Mystique going through files on Stryker's computer. Singer purposely included various names of characters and hints of storylines from *X-Men* lore on several computer screens. Singer "[found] great difficulty in adapting all this stuff into a two and a half hour long movie.