Disney+’s 2-Part Show That’s ‘X-Men Meets Heroes’ Gets Better And Better

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Disney+ is packed with amazing shows, and there’s one superhero series in particular that doesn’t get enough attention. Disney now owns so many studios – including Marvel, Fox, Pixar, and Lucasfilm – that they’ve built an incredibly vast collection of entertainment for everyone.

But a lot of great shows can fall through the cracks, and that’s what happened to a superhero series that premiered on Fox in 2017: The Gifted. As a spin-off of X-Men, it did well in terms of viewers and critical reception, but the rise of streaming services ultimately led to its cancellation.

The Gifted Is An Underrated X-Men Spin-Off

For years, 20th Century Fox owned the rights to the X-Men, starting in 1994. When Disney bought Fox, those rights returned to Marvel Studios, finally letting them include mutants and the X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even after releasing the popular original X-Men trilogy, Fox kept trying to expand the X-Men universe to benefit from the popularity of superhero movies.

So, the studio’s push for more X-Men stories gave us some interesting reboots, and while not everything landed perfectly – I’m thinking of The New Mutants – it also brought us The Gifted, which I really enjoyed. The premise is fantastic: imagine a world where the X-Men are gone, and mutants are forced to live in secret because of all the fear and prejudice directed towards them. The show centers on one family on the run with their kids, who have powers, and how they get involved with a network of underground resistance fighters.

The Gifted Gets Better As The Show Goes On

The first season of the show focuses on the challenges mutants face while hiding their powers. The second season delves into conflicts between mutants themselves. Both seasons capture the political intrigue, emotional drama, and internal divisions that are hallmarks of Marvel’s mutant stories. However, the show prioritizes compelling narratives and character development over flashy action, resulting in a remarkably well-crafted series.

The second season is a clear improvement over the first, resulting in a fantastic series that captures the compelling drama of shows like Heroes and combines it with the rich, established world of the X-Men.

The series truly shines in its character development, creating deeply emotional moments and genuine connections between the characters. Overall, it’s a fantastic show and a strong contribution to the X-Men story.

The MCU Will Expand The Mutant Story After The Multiverse Saga

Despite past efforts, the X-Men haven’t truly had their story told on film. While Bryan Singer directed the first few movies and Hugh Jackman enjoyed a compelling arc as Wolverine, and even the recent reboot added to the overall narrative, it’s now time for Marvel Studios to take on the X-Men and integrate them into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Marvel Studios has brilliantly brought superhero comics to the screen, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a truly remarkable and fun franchise. Now that they have the rights to the X-Men back from Fox, it’s a natural step for Marvel to integrate these characters. Fortunately, they’re already planning a new phase of the MCU focused on mutants, which will allow for a deep exploration of these beloved characters.

I’m so excited for everything Marvel has planned! It all starts with Avengers: Doomsday, which will finally bring back the X-Men from the Fox universe to fight alongside – or against – the Avengers and the other heroes we know and love. While we wait, I’ve been enjoying The Gifted – it gives you a good idea of what a world with mutants might actually be like.

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2026-05-10 01:49