Summary
X-Men ‘97is one of Marvel’s best projects, causing me to worry somewhat about the MCU’s impending reboot on the big screen. When I first watchedX-Men ‘97’s two-episode premiere, I was taken aback at the sheer quality of the show’s writing. It became clear to me that the continuation ofX-Men: The Animated Seriesis one of thebest Marvel TV showsever made, an opinion that I only continued to place stock in after masterpieces likeX-Men ‘97episode 5 and the three-part season finale.
Not only didX-Men ‘97reignite my excitement forupcoming Marvel TV shows, but it did the same with X-Men as a whole, fixing a lot of the problems I had with 20th Century Fox’sX-Menmovie timeline. Even afterX-Men ‘97ended, the excitement did not stop there. Shortly after the season 1 finale, it was announced that Michael Lesslie had been hired to pen the script for Marvel Studios’ MCUX-Menmovie. While I am still optimistic about the X-Men entering the mainline MCU,X-Men ‘97’s many exceptional qualities have caused me to have some worries.
Marvel’s X-Men Movie: Everything We Know
Anticipation is high for the MCU’s X-Men movie reboot, but details are still scarce about when the movie will be released and what it will be about.
X-Men ‘97 Makes A Great Case For The X-Men Working Best On TV
Movies Can Work, But X-Men ‘97’s Serialized Format Proves TV Strengths
The first worry about the MCUX-Menmovie thatX-Men ‘97instilled in me was the overall advantages a TV show offers. No matter what medium they appear in, the X-Men will always have an ensemble cast filled with tens of characters that combine to tell great stories. Although some of the bestX-Menmovies, likeX-Men: First ClassandX-Men: Days of Future Past,have proven to work in portraying the mutants,I cannot deny thatX-Men ‘97made me begin to think the titular team would work best on TV going forward.
I cannot help but think that some of the more niche roles inX-Men ‘97simply would not be explored on film.
The number of heroic characters and evil villains featured inX-Men ‘97was staggering, and I cannot help but think that some of the more niche roles inX-Men ‘97simply would not be explored on film. One example that brought me to this conclusion wasX-Men ‘97episode 4, specifically the first half, titled “Motendo.” The episode followed Jubilee and Sunspot as they came face-to-face with Mojo,a villain fromX-Men: The Animated Serieswho returned to conquer the world of video games.
While I was too young to see Mojo in all his glory inX-Men: TAS, I appreciated how quirky, meta, and outright fun the lesser-known character proved to be. It is not lost on me that a much smaller villain like Mojo would never make the cut as the primary antagonist of anX-Menfeature film. Knowing this reality, I am equally aware that the character arcs of Sunspot and Jubilee would also be reduced as a result, which only supports how well the X-Men work on TV.
So many of these smaller characters have their deserved moments in the spotlight throughoutX-Men ‘97.The longer format of TV allows this, with many of the characters getting well-rounded character arcs that are only set to continue inX-Men ‘97season 2’s story. Unfortunately, these smaller arcs and more niche characters would have to wait years on end to be seen on the big screen, only further supporting my view afterX-Men ‘97that the team may simply work better in a serialized format.
X-Men season 2 is expected to be released soon, with a third season already in development.
X-Men ‘97’s MCU Disconnect Works In Its Favor
The Lack Of MCU Pressure On X-Men ‘97’s Story Is A Welcome Change
Another aspect ofX-Men ‘97that causes me to worry about the MCUX-Menfilm is the former’s lack of connections to the wider MCU. The show takes place in its own section of the MCU multiverse, the same one I unfortunately never got to see inX-Men: The Animated Serieswhen it originally aired. As such,X-Men ‘97has no pressure to align with the MCU’s extensive lore, world-building, or timeline. Rather than construct a story within the MCU’s pre-established world,X-Men ‘97had the much-welcomed freedom to tell a story that impacts an entirely separate universe.
MCU movies do not feel like massive events in a wider universe anymore…
Many would agree when I claim that MCU properties of late, specifically those of the Multiverse Saga, have shown an increased unwillingness to let major events impact the wider universe. From the Celestial sticking out of the ocean inEternalsto the more self-contained nature of stories likeShang-Chi, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,andAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,MCU movies do not feel like massive events in a wider universe anymore. Conversely, when watchingX-Men ‘97, I was shocked to find that almost every single episode - be it the best or the worst - had world-altering consequences.
Every X-Men ‘97 Episode Ranked Worst To Best
While it is safe to say that some X-Men ‘97 episodes rank better than others, one thing is for certain: the whole series was a Marvel masterclass.
This, unfortunately, means that the MCUX-Menmovie would have to follow suit. Rather than tell a story likeX-Men ‘97did, one that has consequences on hundreds of major Marvel characters around, the MCUX-Menmovie would likely follow the same formula as the less-effective Phase 4 and 5 movies.X-Men ‘97’s many Marvel cameos proved how consequential the show’s story was to the entire universe, which only furthers my worries about an MCUX-Menmovie not doing the same.
The MCU Has Struggled To Deliver On Cliffhangers & Setups
The Multiverse Saga Has Left Many Characters Hanging
One argument I always raised to argue why the MCU was the best modern franchise in Hollywood was its interconnected nature. I could watch an installment of the franchise that had a concise story with a clear set-up for the future, and whatever lingering plot threads, character arcs, or major cliffhangers were left would be answered only a year later, two at most. This is a strength that I, among many others, believe the MCU has lacked in the Multiverse Saga, with several cliffhangers and future movie set-ups being left in limbo for far too long.
10 MCU Cliffhangers In Danger Of Staying Unresolved After Marvel’s New Release Promise
Disney’s plan to slow down Marvel Cinematic Universe releases risks leaving numerous cliffhangers from the franchise completely unresolved.
Since the Multiverse Saga began withBlack Widowin 2021, no movie has received a sequel despite 10 films being released. Even movies that received overt sequel set-ups such asEternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,andDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesslook no closer to resolving the various cliffhangers they teased me with almost three years later. This forces me to beg the question: will theX-Menfranchise emulate this frustrating pattern?
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Thor: Love and Thunder
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
The Marvels
June 01, 2025
Based on how the Multiverse Saga is going, and thelist of upcoming Marvel moviesthat has been released, it does not seem as though Marvel Studios will rectify this big issue I have. The X-Men should be a major part of any universe and thus should have movies released every few years. I have my doubts that Marvel Studios would be able to deliver this after the Multiverse Saga’s problems;X-Men ‘97has a first season on Disney+, a second nearing completion, and a third already entering development, proving that Marvel TV is avoiding the release issues that plague Marvel Studios of late.
The Fox X-Men movies have their story and character issues, but even they were released regularly with no longer than a three-year gap across a 20-year period.
X-Men ‘97’s Action Is Hard To Replicate In Live-Action
X-Men ‘97’s Animation Made For Some Franchise-Firsts Regarding Mutant Action Sequences
One aspect I praised week-to-week when watchingX-Men ‘97was its animation. From the character and background designs to the fluid movements and emotive facial expressions,X-Men ‘97’s animation ranks among some of the best I have seen in recent years. What stood out above all else, however, was how well the action sequences were animated. What worried me most about the MCUX-Menmovie when watchingX-Men ‘97’s fantastic action scenes was how the latter would be incredibly difficult to replicate in the former.
There is no denying thatX-Men ‘97has raised the bar from an action standpoint…
The way each mutant’s power is realized inX-Men ‘97was striking to behold, from Cyclops’ concussive blasts to Nightcrawler’s iconic teleportation. The latter was depicted inX-Men ‘97episode 8 in a way that left me astounded, with the animation allowing me to be pulled into Nightcrawler’s world of teleportation alongside Wolverine. These moments, along with many others, exhibited the powers of the team with such style thatI began to wonder if they could be topped in live-action. Of course, not every movie needs to surpass what has come before.
If the MCU’sX-Menmovies have strong writing, good characters, and the hard-hitting political commentary that comes with the territory, I’ll be happy. That said, there is no denying thatX-Men ‘97has raised the bar from an action standpoint, meaning I will constantly - if only even subconsciously - be on the lookout for the MCU’s live-action films to eclipse such a bar. This is only the latest in a long line of worriesX-Men ‘97caused me to have about the MCU’sX-Menmovie, no matter how excited I am to see the mutant characters return to the big screen once more.
X-Men ‘97
Cast
X-Men ‘97 is the direct continuation of the popular 1990s animated series X-Men: The Animated Series. Taking up where the third season left off, Marvel’s revival brings back famous mutants such as Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Gambit, Cyclops, Beast, Magneto, and Nightcrawler, who fight villains like Mr. Sinister, the Sentinels, and the Hellfire Club.
