Legacy: 1960s

The 1960s Legacy era covers X-Men: First Class (2011), which establishes the origin of Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) in the context of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Set in 1962, it traces the friendship and philosophical divergence of the two men who would define mutant history — Xavier's integrationist optimism against Magneto's separatist survivalism — and shows the exact moment their paths split irreparably.

X-Men: First Class is essential background for understanding Days of Future Past and the broader X-Men Legacy era, and it functions as a standalone origin film regardless of prior X-Men knowledge. Both Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) are confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday with their original actors, giving this era renewed relevance in the current Multiverse Saga. Watching First Class before Doomsday provides important character context for two figures whose history spans sixty years of Marvel storytelling.