X2: X-Men United is a 2003 action film and is the second part of the trilogy based on the X-Men comic books; following X-Men (2000), and preceding X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). It was directed by Bryan Singer, and starred an ensemble cast including Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Rebecca Romijn, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Kelly Hu and Alan Cumming. It first released in the United States on May 2, 2003.