Trivia

Hugh Jackman worked with the same trainer who trained Angelina Jolie for the title role in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

On Yuriko's computer, the following files are listed: Guthrie (2) (Paige (Husk), and Samuel (Cannonball)); Harada, Keniucho (Silver Samurai); Kane, Garrison (Weapon X); LeBeau, Remy (Gambit); Lensherr, Eric (sic) (Magneto); Maddicks, Artie; Madrox, Jamie (Multiple Man); Xi'an Coy Mahn(Karma);Maximoff (2) (Wanda (Scarlet Witch), and Pietro (Quicksilver)); McTaggart, Kevin (Proteus); Moonstar, Danielle (Moonstar); Munroe, Ororo (Storm); McCoy, Hank (Beast); Callasantos, Maria (Feral); Cassidy (2) (Sean (Banshee), and Tom (Black Tom); Cheney, Lila; Creed, Victor (Sabretooth); DaCosta, Roberto (Sunspot); Dane, Lorna (Polaris); Drake, Bobby (Iceman); Dukes, Fred (Blob); Espinosa, Angelo (Skin), and; Gibney, kyle (Wild Child). On another screen there were a series of folders on the computer's desktop. These folders listed some well-known individuals or places from the X-Men universe, including: Omega Red (Russian mutant super soldier), Muir Island (Scottish mutant research facility), Project Wideawake (Codename for Sentinel project), Franklin Richards (son of Fantastic Four's Reed Richards and Sue Storm; born a mutant), and Cerebro (mutant tracking device created by Professor Xavier and Magneto). Closer inspection reveals that Stryker is keeping files on Pyro, Sabra, Dr Ceclia Reyes, Synch, Penance, Nightcrawler, his own Mystique and Lady Deathstrike, Copycat, Deadpool, Cyclops, Dazzler, the von Struckers, Jamie Braddock, David North, Sunfire, Boom Boom, Mimic, Dr Nathaniel Essex, Toad, Wolfsbane, Strong Guy, Kitty Pryde, Sauron, Forge... Curiously, there seem to be no files for Jean Grey or Wolverine, among others. There are also files on Alpha, Beta and Gamma Flights, Weapon X, Project Wide Awake (sic), Dept H, the Brotherhood, Graymalkin, Zero Tolerance, Massachussets Academy, Blackbird, the Danger Room, Legacy, Morlocks, Xavier's School, Omega Red, Cerebro, the Salem Centre, Franklin Richards, Kevin McTaggart, and Trask.

Professor Xavier's wheelchair from the first movie was bought by a lawyer (who also works for the same law firm as Patrick Stewart's attorney). When production began, the studio realized they had no chair anymore, so the lawyer rented it back to the studio - as Stewart said in an interview - "for a significant sum".

Hugh Jackman was given a nutritionist to get in shape for his role as Wolverine and gained 20 pounds.

The fight between Wolverine and Yuriko took three weeks to film.

When Wolverine is in the kitchen in Bobby Drake's parents' house, and he is surprised by the cat, he lets it lick his claws - seemingly a very cute moment. But if you listen closely when he hears someone come in and retracts his claws, you hear the sound effect of Wolverine's claws extending (if you listen closely, you can tell the difference, as the retracting sound is the same as the extending sound, but played in reverse), and then the cat crying out. This was an unintentional moment of comedy which was going to but cut but the last minute decision was made to leave it in.

Most of the actors from the scene in the museum where Professor X freezes everyone were actually mimes, who are used to not moving. Likewise, mimes were used for the final scene in the Oval Office.

Unlike the first film where Rebecca Romijn wore contact lenses, this time Mystique's eyes are rendered digitally.

Frozen tea was put on the end of Wolverine's claws for the cat at Iceman's home to lick off.

They had to shoot Professor X's pristine Cerebro set first before distressing it to show Stryker's cut-price version.

Another huge set was the turbine hall of an old dam which housed a museum. Unfortunately the museum was painted in bright, lurid colors, so the production design team had to dress it up to make it look old and dank (something which horrified the museum administration until they realized that it was just temporary).

Health and safety restrictions meant that helicopter blades were not allowed to be moving when the actors - in this case, Rebecca Romijn and Ian McKellen - were sitting inside the helicopter. The moving blades had to be added in digitally afterwards.

In an effort to keep the ending a secret up until the movie came out, the novelization and the movie comic both have different endings.

An early draft of the script had Magneto saving Professor X from Dark Cerebro and escaping with the other X-Men, similar to what happened in the comic graphic novel that the film is based on. According to director Bryan Singer this was changed late in production not only to remain true to Magneto's ruthless character, but also to give the other characters - namely Nightcrawler and Storm - something more to do in the film's climax.

Shortly before the opening assassination attempt on the US president, a number of portraits of past assassinated presidents are featured in the background: Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and William McKinley.

The mansion used for the school also appears as Lex Luthor's home in Smallville.

Wolverine's dog tag number is 458-25-243.

When Jean and Storm are in the church looking for Nightcrawler, Jean is wearing a jacket with a phoenix on the back. This is a nod to the fans of the comic book where Jean becomes Phoenix.

Two of the voice actors from X-Men: Evolution appear in the movie. David Kaye who voices Professor Xavier appears as a TV announcer. Chiara Zanni who voices Jubilee/Jubilation Lee appears as a white house tour guide.

Most of the exterior shots of the Xavier mansion were recycled from the first movie because there was no budget for them.

According to director Bryan Singer, this is the first film to feature a woman piloting an American military aircraft, but it isn't.

When Wolverine visits the adamantium processing chamber of Stryker's Alkali Base, there is a wall covered with x-rays detailing the adamantium bonding process. On the far right is an x-ray of what appears to be a left wing. The DVD acknowledges this as a hint to a winged character named Angel. In the comic books, Angel's wings are replaced with metal ones and he becomes Archangel.

Entered into The Guinness Book of World Records as "The Widest Film Release" having opened on May 2, 2003 on 3,741 screens on the same day.

In the final classroom scene, Professor Xavier talks about a book called "The Once and Future King" by T.H. White. This is the same book Magneto was reading in prison before Stryker's interrogation.

Beast and Gambit were considered as new characters but they ultimately went with Nightcrawler because he was the most outsider-like of the choices.

The Oval Office set used in this film was later used in several episodes of the sci-fi TV-series Stargate SG-1

Magneto's line "When will these people learn how to fly?" is a reference to the fact that some of the characters (Jean Grey and also Rogue, who gets the ability from permanently absorbing Ms. Marvel's powers in the comics) have the ability to fly in the comics but haven't yet in the films. The only characters with the power of flight in the comics that have shown this ability in the movies are Magneto and Storm (although Storm was manipulating wind currents to levitate herself, and Magneto was only able to levitate by standing on metal - presumably he wears shoes with metal sole-plates to do this in other occasions).

The music played in the opening scene when Nightcrawler attacks the White House is "Dies Irae" from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requeim. (Alan Cumming, who plays Nightcrawler, shares the same birthday as Mozart.)

The illusion-casting powers that Mutant 143 (played by Michael Reid MacKay) possesses, is a homage to a classic X-Men villain from the comics named Jason Wyngarde/Mastermind.

Neil Patrick Harris auditioned for the role of Nightcrawler, but lost out to Alan Cumming who speaks fluent German.

The radio in the X-jet that Storm tunes is a Garmin 530, an actual communication/navigation radio commonly found in light aircraft.

The sunglasses worn by Cyclops are Oakley Pennys, although they look very similar to the glasses he wore in the original X-men they are in fact a different model (with Oakley Juliets appearing in the first film), both were modified with blinders around the lens. Oakley were also responsible for manufacturing the visor which Cyclops wears and in some shots Oakleys logo (a horizontally stretched "O") can be seen on the parts of the visor that cover Cyclops' ears.

Bryan Singer cast Brian Cox as Stryker based on his performance in Manhunter.

One of three X-Men films where Stan Lee, creator of the original comics, doesn't appear. The other two are X-Men Origins: Wolverine and X-Men: First Class.

In the scene where Rogue is sucked out of the jet, the stunt was performed by Anna Paquin herself and not a stunt double.

Kurt Wagner is also the name of the composer of tunes like "Life's little tragedy" and "The daily growl". The character Kurt Wagner contains several references to the composers songs lyrics.

The film contains several references to Nightcrawler being a devout Catholic. In the comics, he actually studied to become a priest at one point, while remaining an active member of the X-Men.

The German phrases that Nightcrawler shouts to Storm and Jean in the Boston church are "Gehen Sie raus! Ich bin ein Büttel des Teufels! Ich bin die Ausgeburt des Bösen!" They translate to "Get out! I am a minion of the devil! I am the spawn of evil!"

Director Bryan Singer credits the X-Men graphic novel "God Loves, Man Kills" (released in 1982) as an influence for the script. As in the film, the novel concerns William Stryker (a religious leader instead of a military one) building a replica of Cerebro and kidnapping Professor Xavier so he can use it to kill all mutants. The X-Men are forced to ally themselves with Magneto to stop him.

This was production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas's first film.

Composer John Ottman, Bryan Singer's friend and the film's co-editor, was hired to replace Michael Kamen who worked on the previous film.

In the film, William Stryker is an army colonel who perceives mutants as a threat. In the comics, he is a Christian fundamentalist televangelist who uses religion and his sacred belief of all mutants being satanic to rally anti-Mutant bigotry. He even set up his own hate group in the comics called "The Purifiers" to eliminate mutants in a holy crusade.

The adamantium that pours out of Lady Deathstrike's face is CGI and that's a highly detailed mannequin of her that falls down into the bottom of the tank.

According to Bryan Singer, he conceived the idea of Jean Grey's death mid-way through production. During the filming of the museum scene, he privately met with Famke Janssen to discuss the concept of Jean dying at the end of this film, with the allusion to her return as Phoenix (as in the comic book mythology) in the next sequel. Janssen enthusiastically agreed.

At the end of the film as the camera is gliding over the water, a large, bird shaped shadow can be seen. This is most likely a reference to Jean Grey being resurrected as the Phoenix.