‘X-Men ‘97’ Is Still In A League Of Its Own With Season 2

In a world where superhero shows and movies are usually wracked by an utter lack of sincerity, the first season of X-Men ‘97 was a genuine breath of fresh air when it was released back in 2024. Despite how easy it would have been to make simple nostalgia bait for 90s kids and X-Men fans, the show instead decided to give us one of the best and boldest comic book adaptations of all time in just 10 episodes.

Though I’ve always been fond of the X-Men, ‘97 season 1 was what truly revitalised my love for them. The brilliance of that season inspired me to pick up many of the classic X-books, and I’m continuing to read them on and off to this day – which is exactly why I’m so happy to confirm that this show still has the sauce, even as the first 3 episodes of season 2 dramatically alter the kind of story being told.

After a climactic battle with Magneto, the X-Men have been mysteriously flung across time into the distant past and far future where they encounter the same immortal foe – Apocalypse (Ross Marquand). As Apocalypse plans to attack the 1990s, Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith) and Forge (Gil Birmingham) launch a plan to save the scattered X-Men from across time before it’s too late, while Cable (Chris Potter) puts together his own team of mutants in a truly fantastic second episode.

Despite the distinctly more sci-fi shenanigans, I’m glad to report that X-Men ‘97’s storytelling remains absolutely top-notch. It manages to continue perfectly blending the high-stakes action and personal melodrama that make the X-Men so particularly interesting compared to other superhero teams, both by building upon character arcs and introducing new moral conundrums for our heroes to grapple with.

X-Men ’97 continues to perfect balance melodrama with high stakes

For example: in the future, Cyclops/Scott Summers and Jean Grey finally have the chance to show their son Nathan love, after having to send him there to heal a virus Mister Sinister gave him in the first season. The thing is, Nathan is destined to become Cable and return to the 1990s. If Scott and Jean reveal to Nathan that they are his parents, will that prevent him from becoming Cable?

Such a dilemma is treated with a refreshing amount of seriousness by the show, given the usual self-inflicted undermining that many Marvel properties engage in. Yet that seriousness doesn’t prevent the show from partaking in cool moments for its characters, breathtakingly animated fights or fan service for comic fans that is genuinely quite respectful to the storied history of the X-Men as comic characters.

It also has to be said that much of the voice acting in this show remains absolutely top-notch. With its mix of new blood and returning Animated Series veterans, it’s quite possibly the best the X-Men as a team has ever sounded. It makes the characters ooze cool effortlessly, especially given the tremendously written dialogue that accentuates personal struggle in the face of potentially world-ending threats. Cyclops and Jean Grey have genuinely never sounded better than in the hands of Ray Chase and Jennifer Hale, and I’m continually impressed by Matthew Waterson’s tremendous turn as Magneto.

So, although the stakes may not be as existential for mutantkind specifically in this season, X-Men ‘97 continues to prove itself as an X-traordinary adaptation dedicated to refining the balance between superhero action and human melodrama. Expectations for this show’s return were sky-high, and so far it seems to be delivering the goods once more in a big way. If you’re not on the X-Men ‘97 train yet, there’s never been a better time to jump aboard.

The first three episodes of X-Men ‘97 season two are streaming now on Disney+, with episodes releasing weekly on Wednesdays.