"All creation is forged through destruction, the end bringing forth the beginning, the beginning returning to the end.”
BACKGROUND:
X-Men ‘97 debuted in March 2024 to high expectations. Marvel Studios was reviving one of the quintessential ‘90s cartoons (X-Men: The Animated Series), one that raised and shaped an entire generation of young Marvel fans, including our own Robby Earle. Would the new series, ostensibly a direct continuation of the original, rise to the occasion or crash and burn? Ultimately, it did neither, instead blowing past all expectations to become one of Marvel’s highest-rated projects ever, with a 99% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Episodes like “Remember It” and the three-part finale “Tolerance is Extinction” became instant classics.
The first season was not without its controversies- after it debuted, Marvel very publicly parted ways with series creator Beau DeMayo amid various allegations of inappropriate conduct. DeMayo and the rest of the creative team were already deep into working on season 2, so his influence is still felt (he co-wrote two of the four episodes I saw). Several other familiar faces return behind the camera. Emmett Yonemura and Chase Conley, who directed 9 of the 10 episodes in season 1, direct all four episodes provided. Anthony Sellitti and JB Ballard return as writers, along with newcomers Brian Ford Sullivan (Arrow) and Mariah Wilson.
The entire voice cast also returns from season 1, along with new addition Michael Johnston (star of the box-office sensation Obsession) as Nathan Summers. Season 2 premieres on Disney+ on July 1st.
OPENING THOUGHTS:
After DeMayo’s dismissal, fans immediately began to speculate about how integral DeMayo was to the show’s success (DeMayo wrote or co-wrote 7 of the 10 first-season episodes) and whether that success could be replicated under different stewardship. If the four episodes I saw were any indication, X-Men ‘97 is going to be just fine.
Season 1 ends with the X-Men scattered. Those aboard Asteroid M were pulled through time without explanation, with one group (Magneto, Professor X, Rogue, Beast, and Nightcrawler) sent back to Ancient Egypt, and the other (Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, Jean Gray, and Morph) sent forward to the 40th century. Left on Earth in 1997 are Bishop, Forge, Cable, Jubilee, and Sunspot. All four episodes deal with the fallout of that finale, and it feels like no time has passed, even though it has been more than two years since the finale aired.
The animation remains sharp (especially the action scenes), the voice actors are at the top of their game, and the writing (for the most part) is on par with the best of season 1.
SUPERLATIVES:
The scope of the first four episodes of season 2 is epic. Bishop and Forge are tasked with locating the X-Men lost in time, while those remaining in 1997 set out on a globe-trotting adventure to track down someone connected to Apocalypse. There are a handful of episodes in the first season (“Motendo”, “Lifedeath”) that reminded me of the original series (disconnected story-of-the-week type episodes), but ultimately felt out of place and disconnected from the larger narrative arc X-Men ‘97 was telling throughout the first season. These four episodes tell a singular, cohesive story and each episode feels like an integral piece of the puzzle. Each episode focuses on just one time period and group of heroes, and that choice serves the story well. Each time period is visually distinct, and the score (the Newton Brothers are back) changes to reflect where in time the story is taking place.
The voice cast is solid across the board (dating all the way back to the ‘90s series), but a few people deserve to be singled out. The voices of Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Lenore Zann as Rogue, and Ray Chase as Cyclops have become synonymous with their characters. They are the definitive voices I hear in my head when I read those characters on the page. Another highlight is Holly Chou as Jubilee, who is given a spotlight in one of the episodes. Chou rises to the occasion and the episode is much better than “Motendo” in season 1.
When the first season debuted, I don’t think the audience was prepared for how dark the series would become at times, nor how emotional some moments would be. Prepare yourselves- those moments are here again in season 2, and I found them just as effective. There are surprises as well that will tantalize MCU fans, plus several new mutants that will have long-time comics readers doing the “Leo pointing” meme at their screens.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT:
My biggest issue with the first four episodes is the dialogue is sometimes pretty cheesy. Multiple characters drive home the point that the X-Men need to “get back to the 1990s,” or they are most vulnerable “in the 90s,” and it is the most like an old-school Saturday morning cartoon that the show gets.
There are also several characters without much to do in these early episodes- Beast, Wolverine, Rogue, Nightcrawler, Morph, and Storm (to name a few) are present, but mostly sidelined. The story focuses primarily on the Summers family in the future and the Charles/Magneto relationship in the past. Presumably, the other characters will get their chance to shine in the back half of the season.
THE FINAL WORD:
X-Men ‘97 returns with a bang, a solid four-pack of episodes that effectively deal with the consequences of the first season finale. If the final five episodes can continue the momentum of these first four (and there is a tantalizing tease about what is next), Marvel will have another bona fide hit on their hands.
8/10
-Greg
