It can't be overstated how important the 1992 "X-men" animated series was to the current state of superhero media. Without it, we wouldn't have the modern "X-men" films, and probably no Marvel Cinematic Universe. There have been several other "X-men" animated series made since, but nothing quite like the original. And that's what makes "X-men '97" so special. The Disney+ series picks up right where the 1992 series left off, using the same visual style and ripped-from-the-comics storylines, but with a massive boost in production quality. If you watch any of the episodes of the old series today, they're very dated with clunky animation. "X-men '97," however, somehow captures what it felt like to watch the show thirty years ago, when it was a Saturday morning highlight, and introduced so many of us to Wolverine, Rogue, Professor Xavier, and all the rest.
It's strange to see an animated superhero series that doesn't seem interested in attracting the current generation of young viewers, as much as reconnecting to the old one. "X-men '97" immediately plunges us into a world where human/mutant relations are in crisis, with hate groups and genocidal plots around every corner. Nearly all the primary characters are adults, and full of passionate feelings, so melodrama abounds. I counted two different love triangles set up in the first two episodes, along with a pregnancy, clones, tragic deaths, surprise family connections, and much more. The mutant soap opera was always a major component of the series, and I'm so glad that the revival not only kept it going, but really leaned into it. The show is also closer to the original "X-men" comics than any other adaptation, and cheerfully includes time travel, aliens, and interdimensional beings without much explanation. The storytelling is straightforward enough that newcomers will be able to follow what's going on, but it's not interested in getting the uninformed up to speed. And while it's mostly safe for kids, the violence and intensity has definitely been kicked up a few notches.
This feels like a passion project for the creators, who clearly all adored the 1992 series. Marvel Studios seems to have tracked down every surviving member of the original voice cast to appear in the show somewhere, even if their roles were recast. Some key characters return with their original voice actors - Wolverine (Cal Dodd), Rogue (Lenore Zann), Storm (Alison Sealy-Smith), and Beast (George Buza). Those with new actors include Cyclops (Ray Chase), Jean Grey (Jennifer Hale), Morph (J.P. Karliak), Gambit (A.J. LoCasio), Jubilee (Holly Chou), Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith), Nightcrawler (Adrian Hough), Magneto (Matthew Waterson), Cable (Chris Potter), and of course Professor Xavier (Ross Marquand).
There are a few minor adjustments to some of the characterizations - Jubilee's been allowed to mature a bit and gets a love interest in closeted mutant Roberto DaCosta (Gui Agustini), for instance. However it's a relief to find that "X-men '97" is very committed to letting these versions of the X-men be as over-the-top, out of date, and of their own comic book milieu as they ever were. We've got Storm summoning the elements like she's reciting Shakespeare, and Rogue calling everybody "Sugar," and Gambit sporting a hot pink crop top (the '90s, remember?), and Beast still getting the best one-liners. But more importantly, the stories are unapologetically allegories for ongoing social strife, with blunt discussion of the competing interests and worldviews behind the violent clashes.
And oh boy, are there violent clashes. The animation team pulls off some miracles, from recreating the iconic opening sequence to making some very silly concepts (mostly involving the villains) look absolutely magnificent. The attention to detail and greater intensity of the violence (mostly against Sentinel robots) really help to set this apart. As we've seen time and again, animation is the best medium for superhero stories because you can do things in animation that you can't in live action. One thing the "X-men" movies were never able to get right was the sheer visceral thrill of the fight scenes - seeing Rogue toss around Sentinels three times her size, or Wolverine's berserker rages causing massive scale destruction.
Because we're going to be seeing a live action "X-men" revival from Marvel Studios soon, there are several ties to the current MCU in "X-men '97" including cameos and connections to other projects. These are kept very minor and discreet, and I love that the superheroes who do appear, like Captain America and Daredevil, appear with their original comic book character designs. It helps to emphasize that the animated "X-men" is very much its own universe, and one I'm happy to have found my way back to at last.
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