This review was made possible by advance screeners of Episodes 1-3 of X-Men ‘97. X-Men ‘97 premieres on Disney+ on March 20, 2024. New episodes are released every Wednesday.
Nostalgia. Many of us have it. We yearn for the comforts of our youth, whether that’s bouncing on a trampoline at your best friend’s house, playing Mario Kart on an old CRT TV, or watching Saturday morning cartoons… such as X-Men: The Animated Series. But in a society ruled by capitalism, nostalgia is one hell of a drug, often used to keep us chasing that high by watching the latest reboots or playing the latest remakes, only to come out feeling empty. Because in the end, our favorite things of the past are all too often relegated to “content” nowadays – a lifeless husk of what it once was, with flashing colors and famous line-reads, but bereft of a soul.
How does X-Men ‘97 fare the pandemic of nostalgia-brain? The year ‘97 is in the title after all, as the series has loudly proclaimed itself as a direct continuation of one of the most beloved animated series of all time. Well, I am beyond thrilled to say that it not only perfectly preserves the soul of X-Men: The Animated Series, but it artistically innovates on it and builds big, bold story beats off of it – delivering the epitome of what a legacy sequel series should be.
Previously, on ‘X-Men’
X-Men ‘97 kicks things off right where the original series left off… with Professor Charles Xavier dead. No, that’s not a spoiler, just some unfortunate setup to understand where we’re at. The team is left to carry on Professor X’s dream of coexistence between mutants and humans – with Cyclops at the helm, of course. That is, until Magneto comes along. The infamous X-Men foe has been written into Xavier’s will, and he inherits the X-mansion, the X-Men, and the very dream they fight for. That’s the bird’s eye view of the story, but with X-Men its never that straightforward.
Just as with X-Men: The Animated Series, you can expect unique, somewhat self-contained adventures in each episode, with overarching drama chaining things together. The political conflicts that are always bound to return deal with the usual suspects and the plight of anti-mutant hate, but it’s written with such thorough consideration that it not only disarms in-universe arguments of ignorance, but real world ones as well. And seriously, there are some lines that are heavy because of how closely they mirror ongoing abhorrent injustices in our world.
It’s not all politics though – there’s plenty of fantastical mutant mayhem to be unleashed. But no matter what the episodes focus on, one thing remains a constant through all of it… the melodrama. The writers of X-Men ‘97 simply understand the soapy nature of the mutants’ personal vendettas, drama, and romance to an incredible degree. Of course, that comes from the original series, but before that, it all really originated in Chris Claremont’s monumental ‘Uncanny X-Men’ run. Ultimately, ‘97 just exudes the very spirit of Claremont’s work, bringing comics to life on screen effortlessly and perfectly. The team dynamics, interpersonal relationships, political allegory championing the marginalized, and even iconic story arcs – it’s all just there! It’s Claremont to the core, and honestly… just the very heart of Marvel.
To Me, My X-Men
It’s important to touch on the stellar voice work of this series, because all of the original actors defined these characters for many. These voices are so iconic that comic book fans far and wide (myself included) imagine them while reading X-Men issues. Luckily, the majority of the original cast is back, some in the same roles, but some cast in new ones. Storm (Alison Sealy-Smith) and Beast (George Buza) sound like not a day has passed since the original series’ finale – and Storm’s booming voice warns that she’s still a goddess to be reckoned with. With Rogue (Lenore Zann) and Wolverine (Cal Dodd), you can tell the actors have aged a bit (which is normal!) but they still deliver perfectly characteristic performances.
As far as newcomers to the voice cast go, AJ LaCascio and Isaac Robinson-Smith are great soundalikes for Gambit and Bishop, respectively. Jubilee receives a lovely vocal refresh, now being played by an Asian actress, Holly Chou. Morph has had a glow-up, now a blank, non-binary person, and voiced fantastically by JP Karliak. But the absolute cream of the crop here is Cyclops (Ray Chase) and Jean Grey (Jennifer Hale). The two of them have utterly phenomenal, dynamic voicework, and Jean especially feels like she has even more personality than in the original series. And last but not least, we mustn’t forget Matthew Waterson’s sexy (yes, you read that right) take on Magneto. Altogether, the entire cast just fits. They are the X-Men.
A Beast for the Eyes
What felt like the big question going into the X-Men ‘97 – “Is the animation going to be comparable to the original series?” – can now be put at ease… but not without some surprise. ‘97 indeed returns to hand-drawn animation, and it is gorgeous. But in a twist, it’s actually been paired with small amounts of 3D animation. While most of the time you could differentiate the two if you really tried, they blend together seamlessly in magical ways, especially enhancing action scenes. That’s really where the visuals shine most; the fights are beyond anything possible in X-Men: The Animated Series. Powers flash brightly, consuming the whole screen, and they’re paired together in exciting new combos that create set-pieces that just don’t (or can’t) happen in live-action series. Animation is really being use to its fullest extent here to keep things fresh and genuinely gripping every time a fight breaks out.
Now, what really ties the whole experience together in a perfect package is the music. It’s in my head, it’s almost definitely in your head while reading this – no one can get enough of that iconic theme song! It’s back and better than ever, not just in the intro, but during the action as well. But what really caught me off guard were the other pieces of score by the Newton Brothers. It enhances everything from little dramatic interchanges, and to Storm’s grand entrance into battle. It’s just totally unexpected, as the original series was really repetitive with its themes, but it’s a very welcome addition.
‘X-Men ’97’ – Final Thoughts
X-Men ‘97 is quite possibly the best effort ever put to the small screen by Marvel. While its foundation seems simply nostalgia-fueled on the surface, its roots run much, much deeper, delivering the very essence of Claremont-era comic book greatness. The stunning animation, thrilling battles, and gripping writing make it a truly engaging experience, and all build on one another to create a series that feels like the best representation of what Marvel Comics is at its core.
X-Men ‘97 releases on Disney+ on March 20, 2024. Check out the trailer below.
The Review
X-Men '97
‘X-Men ‘97’ is quite possibly the best effort ever put to the small screen by Marvel, delivering the very essence of Claremont-era comic book greatness. Stunning animation, thrilling battles, and gripping writing make it a truly engaging experience, and all build on one another to create a series that feels like the best representation of what Marvel Comics is at its core.
