X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

X-Men Origins: Wolverine was directed by Gavin Hood and again stars Jackman as Wolverine. It is a prequel focusing on the character and his time with Team X, before and shortly after his skeleton was bonded with the indestructible metal adamantium. The film reveals Victor Creed/Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber) to be his half brother. David Benioff began writing the film in October 2004, and unlike the other films it was shot in Australia and New Zealand. The film also introduces Gambit (Taylor Kitsch) and Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) to the franchise.
It's the fourth installment in the X-Men series, it was released worldwide on May 1, 2009. The film is directed by Gavin Hood and stars Hugh Jackman as the title character, along with Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Will.i.am, Lynn Collins, Taylor Kitsch, Daniel Henney, and Ryan Reynolds. The film acts as a prequel to the X-Men film series, focusing on the violent past of the mutant Wolverine and his relationship with his half-brother Victor Creed. The plot also details Wolverine's early encounters with Major William Stryker, his time with Team X, and the bonding of Wolverine's skeleton with the indestructible metal adamantium during the Weapon X program.
The film was mostly shot in Australia and New Zealand, with Canada also serving as a location. Production and post-production was troubled, with conflicts arising between director Hood and Fox's executives, and an unfinished workprint being leaked in the internet one month before the film's debut. Reviews for X-Men Origins: Wolverine were mixed, with critics considering the film and its screenplay uninspired, but praising Hugh Jackman's performance. It opened at the top of the box office, and has grossed $179 million in the United States and Canada and over $373 million worldwide.

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

X-Men: The Last Stand (also known colloquially as X-Men 3 or X3) is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. Director Brett Ratner took over when Bryan Singer dropped out to direct Superman Returns. The Last Stand revolves around a "mutant cure" that causes serious repercussions among mutants and humans, and on the mysterious resurrection of Jean Grey. The film is loosely based on two X-Men comic book story arcs: writer Chris Claremont's and artist John Byrne's "The Dark Phoenix Saga" and writer Joss Whedon's and artist John Cassaday's six-issue "Gifted" arc.
Following Singer's departure, the director's position was offered to Darren Aronofsky, Alex Proyas, Joss Whedon and Zack Snyder. Matthew Vaughn, who cast Kelsey Grammer as Beast and Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut, dropped out during pre-production and was replaced by Ratner. Filming started in August 2005, budgeted at $210 million, the most expensive film at the time of its release. X-Men: The Last Stand received mixed reviews from critics and fans, but grossed approximately $459 million worldwide, the seventh-highest grossing film of 2006.

Bryan Singer wanted to shoot the third film back-to-back with a fourth. On July 16, 2004, he left to direct Superman Returns, having only completed a third of a treatment focusing on Phoenix, and introducing Emma Frost, a role intended for Sigourney Weaver. In addition, Singer also wanted to showcase more characterizations of Rogue, Iceman and Pyro. Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn were hired the following month, and a studio executive read Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men story "Gifted", featuring a mutant cure, suggested it be the primary story. Matthew Vaughn came on board as director in February 2005, but left due to the rushed production schedule. Brett Ratner took over in June, and filming began on August 2, 2005.
A pharmaceutical company has developed an antidote to the mutant gene, provoking controversy in the mutant community. Magneto declares war on the humans and retrieves his own weapon: the telekinetic and telepathic Phoenix, who is the resurrected former X-Man, Jean Grey. After Phoenix kills Cyclops and Xavier, a final battle between the X-Men and the Brotherhood ensues, and Wolverine must accept that in order to save Jean from her second personality, he will have to kill her.