X-Men ’97 Season 2 Finally Delivers a Great Apocalypse Story for the MCU Age (Review)

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Beau De Mayo successfully brought back the classic X-Men: The Animated Series two years ago with X-Men ’97, capturing the original’s charm while also making smart updates. He wasn’t afraid to evolve the show, adding more mature themes and staying true to the comics’ focus on social issues. Though a loving tribute created by a fan, it offered enough new material to justify its return. The long-awaited second season is coming soon, and I’ve had a chance to preview the first four episodes.

A major question surrounding X-Men ‘97 Season 2 was how it would handle changes in creative leadership after Beau De Mayo stepped down as showrunner. While he’s still credited on some episodes, he’s previously expressed concerns about his original vision being altered. The season starts right where the first one left off, scattering the X-Men across three different eras: 3000 AD, 1997, and a distant future. This introduces two versions of Apocalypse (voiced by Ross Marquand), while Bishop and Forge remain in the ‘90s to coordinate a rescue mission. Thankfully, unlike the 2016 X-Men: Apocalypse movie, this season gives the villain a compelling storyline.

Score: 4 out of 5

PROS CONS
Great story and action sequences Some characters are sidelined
Apocalypse is an excellent villain (again) The flow of the episodes didn’t entirely work
The same commitment to lore and the fans as Season 1

X-Men ’97 Mostly Continues the Good Work of the First Season

Usually, we get to see a whole season before reviewing it, but this time we only had the first four episodes before the July 1st Disney+ release. That limitation actually makes sense given what happens in those episodes. They deal with the fallout from the end of the first X-Men ’97 season, explaining why and how the mutants are scattered through time, and finally bringing Cyclops, Jean, and their son Nate together. There’s a lot of exciting action, including a fantastic fight against Apocalypse that’s as good as anything from season one, and the show hasn’t changed its appealing animation style. It won’t appeal to everyone, but I personally love it – it really captures that nostalgic feeling. The voice acting is still excellent, too.

Season 2 immediately jumps into the action, and centering the story around Apocalypse is a smart move. The previous season gave us a strong villain in Bastion, alongside a fantastic Magneto, and this time the creators have delivered a truly menacing antagonist, avoiding the often-seen moral ambiguities of characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Apocalypse’s backstory adds some depth, he’s not portrayed as a sympathetic figure, and the story effectively builds a sense of growing unease. The stakes feel high, and the emotional impact aims to be as powerful as the loss of Gambit.

Beyond the action, the show delves into complex themes. While a catastrophic future seems certain, half of the X-Men travel to the past hoping to stop Apocalypse before he gains immense power, creating a crisis that affects everyone – especially the original mutant. We also see Cyclops and Jean Grey grappling with their feelings for their son and a fate that keeps them apart. The second episode continues exploring the intense prejudice sparked by the Sentinel attacks in the previous season. It’s clear this isn’t a simple children’s cartoon anymore, if it ever truly was.

What Didn’t Quite Work in X-Men ’97 Season 2

It’s hard to be completely objective, but the absence of Gambit is definitely felt in X-Men ’97, and his departure actually leads to significant changes in the story during the first four episodes of Season 2. This shift is also due to the decision to divide the X-Men into smaller teams, which drastically alters how they interact with each other. Personally, I miss the dramatic personal relationships that made the first season so captivating. That might improve once the plot moves beyond the central conflict with Apocalypse, but so far, it’s been toned down. While not necessarily a bad thing, this feels more like a straightforward sci-fi action series. However, the focus on Cyclops, Jean, and their future son Nate is an interesting storyline – even if it occasionally gets overly dramatic.

The show divides its episodes into distinct time periods – one focusing on the future, another on the 1990s, and a two-part story set far in the future. However, the order these episodes air in doesn’t quite make sense, which disrupts the story’s flow. This makes the storyline introduced in the 1990s episode feel forced, which is unfortunate because that episode has strong characters and is well-written on its own. It just feels a bit out of place when it happens.

My main criticisms revolve around the balance between characters, though I hesitate to be too critical since future episodes might address these issues. Several key characters from Season 1 aren’t featured as prominently, which feels necessary for the story but is still disappointing. Morph has very little screen time early on, and Wolverine doesn’t get enough focus – although there are hints of a strong storyline coming up for him. It could just be my opinion, but Magneto sometimes seems like a completely different person compared to his portrayal in Season 1; his development happens quickly, which is a bit sudden. The characters are also noticeably more troubled than they were previously, which makes sense given the extraordinary circumstances they’re facing.

Okay, I’m really enjoying the first batch of episodes for X-Men ’97 Season 2! It’s great to have the show back, and even with some new people running things, they’re still clearly dedicated to the comics. They’re adapting some huge storylines, and it’s awesome to see so many characters – even some familiar faces from the original X-Men: The Animated Series who weren’t in Season 1. Bringing Apocalypse back as the main bad guy? Definitely a good call. And episode 4 hints that this season will be just as layered and complex as the first one, with multiple stories weaving together. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

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2026-06-13 23:12