Fans waited quite a long time for Marvel Studios to bring Daredevil back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and have been spoiled as a result. Not only did Charlie Cox reprise his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home as well as She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law, but Vincent D'Onofrio also appeared in both Hawkeye and Echo as Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin.
Since many fans of the MCU are currently preoccupied with watching season two of Daredevil in addition to anticipating upcoming 2026 releases like The Punisher: One Last Kill and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, they might miss another peak MCU series returning to Disney+ this summer. In fact, it's a show that took some serious fan campaigning to bring back after over 25 years, much longer than it took to get Charlie Cox back on screen as Matt Murdock.
We're, of course, referring to the animated Disney+ series X-Men '97, a continuation of the iconic 90s series that aired its first season in 2024. Though it might not attract as many casual audiences as typical MCU projects, X-Men '97 is surprisingly the best comic book-to-screen adaptation seen in the franchise, or maybe ever, and the animated show is returning to Disney+ this summer.
X-Men '97 Is The Marvel Universe At Its Best
X-Men '97 picks up right where the series left off back in 1997, with the titular team of mutants navigating the absence of Professor Charles Xavier and the new leadership of their former enemy, Magneto. A majority of the first season adapts the comic book storyline "E for Extinction," in which the X-Men must defend the mutant nation of Genosha from an army of Sentinels led by Master Mold, a supercomputer.
However, some of the season's highlights include episodes like "Remember It," which sees Gambit sacrifice himself to stop Master Mold, and the three-part finale "Tolerance is Extinction," which features an iconic comic book moment in which Magneto telekinetically rips Wolverine's adamantium skeleton from his own body. Of course, the series isn't all fan-service, as ScreenRant highlighted in the review for X-Men '97 season 1:
"[Marvel Animation] has created a living homage to the original that actually improves on it without straying too far from it. X-Men '97 knows that its central audience has grown up in the time it's been away, and instead of making a conscious play for a new generation, the show has grown up too."
Whereas other Disney+ shows like What If...? and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man feel like family-friendly reinterpretations of familiar MCU characters, X-Men '97 sets a high bar for whatever Marvel's new official X-Men movie ends up being. It's a show that genuinely feels like you're reading a classic X-Men comic, and not something that's been watered down for a wider audience.
Though the Disney+ series takes a few creative liberties, you'd be hard-pressed to find any Marvel Cinematic Universe show or movie that adapts its source material so faithfully. Not only that, but many episodes of X-Men '97 are better depictions of the team than even the best X-Men movies made by 20th Century Fox or Marvel Studios.
How X-Men '97 Avoids The Mistakes Of The MCU
There have been a lot of ups and downs for the Marvel Cinematic Universe in recent years. While there are films like Thunderbolts* and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 that have resonated with franchise fans and casual viewers alike, there have also been others like Captain America: Brave New World and Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania that show just how much superhero fatigue is weighing on Marvel Studios. Oftentimes, tuning into a new MCU movie or show can feel like homework, requiring you to be invested in too many characters, storylines, and overarching narratives rather than a singular story that stands on its own.
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Every Upcoming Marvel TV Show: Confirmed & In Development
The Marvel Cinematic Universe keeps expanding on TV, and it has some exciting projects coming in 2026 and beyond, some confirmed and others not yet.
However, X-Men '97, whilst being an official release by Marvel Studios produced by Kevin Feige, doesn't exist in the same continuity as those other live-action properties. The only reference points the series needs to match in terms of tone and aesthetic are X-Men: The Animated Series and the comic books. Furthermore, audiences don't even need familiarity with the original series to enjoy the action-packed drama of X-Men '97, which does a terrific job catching new viewers up on previous events.
The appeal surrounding Marvel's approach is especially evident when you look at recent MCU projects that don't take place on Earth-616, like The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is the only movie to get its characters right by establishing them in their own universe before having them crossover with other familiar characters in Doomsday. By focusing more on bringing the moments that fans love from the comics to life rather than fitting into an existing universe and proving to audiences that the X-Men coexist with other Marvel icons, X-Men '97 feels like it's setting an example that the rest of the MCU should be following.
X-Men '97 Season 2 Will Be Nothing Like The First Season
If the ending of X-Men '97 season 1 promises anything, it's that they've only just scratched the surface of bringing the mutants' most famous stories to the small screen. The final moments of episode 10 see the X-Men scattered throughout time, with Cyclops and Jean sent to the future while Xavier, Magneto, and other mutants are sent to the distant past, encountering En Sabah Nur, a.k.a. the iconic X-Men antagonist known as Apocalypse. If the plan for season 2 of X-Men '97 is to adapt the "Age of Apocalypse" storyline from the comics, then our expectations greatly exceed any previous X-Men: The Animated Series story arc in terms of scale.
Marvel · Mutant Profile Which X-Men Character Are You? “Mutation: it is the key to our evolution.”
🐺 Wolverine The Loner
🧠 Professor X The Visionary
🧲 Magneto The Survivor
ACTIVATE CEREBRO →
01
Humans discover your mutant abilities. What do you do?
ADisappear. Go off the grid before anyone can come after me — I don’t owe them an explanation BReach out calmly and try to have a dialogue — fear comes from misunderstanding, and I can help bridge that gap CMake a show of strength — they need to understand that mutants will not be hunted or controlled, ever
NEXT →
02
Anti-mutant protesters surround a school full of young mutants. What’s your first move?
AGet between the kids and the mob. If anyone raises a hand, they answer to me BAddress the crowd telepathically or publicly — show them the children are just scared kids, not threats CEvacuate the children to safety, then make the protesters deeply regret their choices
NEXT →
03
A team of mutants needs a leader for a dangerous mission. What role do you naturally fall into?
AI work alone, but I’ll take point — someone’s gotta make sure nobody gets killed BI coordinate the team, play to each person’s strengths, and keep morale steady CI lead from the front — my vision, my plan, my responsibility if it fails
NEXT →
04
A powerful mutant threatens innocent humans. How do you respond?
APut them down fast — talk later. Innocent people don’t have time for a debate BTry to reach them mentally — understand why they’re doing this and find a peaceful resolution COffer them a place at my side — their power is wasted on chaos when it could serve a greater cause
NEXT →
05
A human politician offers to champion mutant rights — but has a shady past. What do you do?
AGive them a chance — people can change, and this alliance could mean real progress for coexistence BI don’t trust politicians. Watch them closely, and the second they betray us, I’ll be right there CUse them — let them think they’re in charge while I control the narrative from behind the scenes
NEXT →
06
What’s your biggest flaw?
AI push people away — I’d rather be alone than risk losing someone I care about BI’m too idealistic — I keep believing in people even when the evidence says I shouldn’t CMy anger — once I commit to a path, I’ll burn everything down before I admit I was wrong
NEXT →
07
Sentinels are hunting mutants in your city. What’s your move?
AHunt the hunters — tear them apart before they find anyone else BCoordinate an underground network to hide and protect every mutant in the area CSeize control of the Sentinels — turn the weapons of oppression into instruments of liberation
NEXT →
08
What do you believe about coexistence between humans and mutants?
ACoexistence is a fantasy. Humans will always fear what they can’t control — mutants must secure their own future BI don’t care about the big picture — I protect the people I care about, and everyone else can sort themselves out CIt’s possible and worth fighting for — the dream of a world where humans and mutants live in peace is everything
REVEAL MY MUTANT IDENTITY →
Cerebro Scan Complete Your X-Men Identity
🐺
Wolverine (Logan)
“I’m the best there is at what I do. But what I do best isn’t very nice.” You’re the fierce loner who acts first and philosophises later — but beneath that adamantium-plated exterior beats a heart that cares far more than you’d ever admit. You’ve been burned enough times to distrust the world, so you keep people at arm’s length, yet you’d throw yourself into any fight to protect the ones who slip past your defences. You don’t need a cause or a manifesto — you just need someone worth fighting for. Like Logan, your greatest strength isn’t your claws or your healing factor; it’s the stubborn refusal to let the people you love face danger alone.
Fierce Protective Resilient Untamed
🧠
Professor X (Charles Xavier)
“Just because someone stumbles and loses their path, doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.” You’re the visionary who sees the best in everyone — even when the world gives you every reason not to. Your greatest power isn’t telepathy; it’s an unshakeable belief that understanding and compassion can bridge any divide. You lead not through force but through hope, building bridges where others build walls. Some call you naive, but you know that real strength lies in extending a hand to your enemy. Like Charles Xavier, you carry the weight of a dream that most consider impossible, and you refuse to let it die.
Visionary Empathetic Diplomatic Hopeful
🧲
Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr)
“Peace was never an option.” You’re the survivor who learned the hardest lesson life has to offer: the world will not protect you, so you must protect yourself. Your conviction is unbreakable and your patience is terrifying — you’ll wait years to set the right plan in motion. You don’t hate humanity; you simply refuse to let your people be victims ever again. Every action you take, no matter how ruthless, is driven by a profound love for those who share your struggle. Like Erik Lehnsherr, you are both revolutionary and tragic — a leader forged in pain who will bend the world before it bends you.
Resolute Strategic Ruthless Unyielding
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Even though, thus far, X-Men '97 has succeeded in part due to its lack of involvement with the Marvel Cinematic Universe at large, the "Age of Apocalypse" comics notably play a major role in the 2015 "Secret Wars" storyline. With Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars on the horizon, X-Men '97 may just be an appetizer to the biggest event films the MCU has produced to date. The first season already proved that there are true stakes to this series with the death of Gambit and the severe wounding of Wolverine.
Will both of these beloved X-Men become Apocalypse's Horsemen? Will Cable assemble X-Force to rescue his time-displaced brethren? Will Cyclops and Jean Grey meet their distant future counterparts? All is yet to be revealed until a proper release date for X-Men '97 is confirmed, but until then, we'll be patiently waiting and enjoying Daredevil: Born Again season 2 in the meantime.
Release Date March 20, 2024
Directors Jake Castorena
Writers Beau DeMayo
English (US) ·