X-Men ’97 First Reviews: “Marvel’s Best Release in Years,” Critics Say 

X-Men ’97 is the animated sequel to X-Men: The Animated Series, which went off the air after a five-season run on Fox in 1997. The 10-episode new season, which was created by Beau DeMayo, continues the adventures of the X-Men in the classic 2D animation style of the original series. The series marks the introduction of the classic group of superhero mutants to the MCU. The first two episodes are now streaming on Disney+.

Many of the original voice cast have returned, including Cal Dodd as Wolverine, George Buza as Beast, Lenore Zann as Rogue and Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm. Joining them are Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Holly Chou as Jubilee, A.J. LoCascio as Gambit, Ray Chase as Cyclops, JP Karliak as Morph and Matthew Waterson as Magneto.

Needless to say, there’s a lot of buzz surrounding the show. Is it all nostalgia or does the series deliver the goods? Here’s what critics are saying about X-Men ’97:

How does it compare to X-Men: The Animated Series?

(Photo by Marvel Animation)

The stories of those old episodes hold up, but the show itself is difficult to watch on modern television. X-Men ‘97 has none of those problems and it’s a joy seeing these characters animated in a new, crisp series.
— Max Covill, RogerEbert.com

Despite carrying over styles, characters and actors from three decades ago, the show, in sum, represents Marvel’s best release in years. Yes, better than anything else in movies, live-action, streaming, or animation.
— David Reddish, Wealth of Geeks

It threads the needle of adaptation and rebooting very well. These first three episodes of X-Men ’97 are great, and I expect the rest of the season to continue with that greatness.
— Julian Lytle, RIOTUS

X-Men ’97 does an outstanding job of honouring X-Men: The Animated Series while still carving out a path for itself.
— Britany Murphy, Muses of Media

Taking its cues from the original series, embracing the past, but ready to forge a path into the future, Marvel Animation’s X-Men ‘97 is entertaining and dramatic and retains the vibrant spirit of the original series.
— Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist

As Marvel’s first X-Men offering since reclaiming the rights to the property five years ago, this show is a welcome indicator of the franchise’s future. It’s not just good, it’s X-quisite.
— Zaki Hasan, San Francisco Chronicle

X-Men ‘97 represents the best kind of nostalgic exercise. It pays loving tribute to the original X-Men: The Animated Series while also smoothing over some of that show’s rough edges.
— Jesse Schedeen, IGN Movies

How is the voice cast?

(Photo by Marvel Animation)

The voice performances are strong across the board, even if some cast members perhaps sound a little too old for their respective roles.
— Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com

The returning cast members haven’t lost a beat either, particularly Sealy-Smith and Dodd, who are up there with Kevin Conroy’s take on Batman as defining performers for their respective characters. Out of the new additions, Jennifer Hale stands out the most. The stalwart voice performer’s characterization of Jean Grey comes with all the warmth, lovability and determination that’s made the character so beloved, continuing to prove that she’s one of the best vocal actors in the industry.
— William Goodman, TheWrap

The voice cast in X-Men ‘97 is generally strong, featuring a mix of returning favorites and new soundalikes. Frankly, there would have been no point in bringing anyone back if Dodd weren’t available to voice Wolverine. Between him, Alison Sealy-Smith’s Storm and Zahn’s Rogue, the new series has the most important bases covered. The newcomers mostly settle into their roles nicely.
— Jesse Schedeen, IGN Movies

Does the writing and animation deliver?

(Photo by Marvel Animation)

The pace can be dizzying, but when rendered in the pleasantly throwback, neon-colored, two-dimensional style of the original, it’s also engaging. There’s no time for things to drag when the plot is this packed.
— Alison Herman, Variety

What’s ultimately crucial is that X-Men ’97 gets these characters right, and watching the heroes interact on screen (whether it’s battling Sentinels or hanging out in the X-Mansion) proves to be the biggest source of joy in the opening three episodes.
— Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com

The series is part drama, part sitcom, part action fantasy, all wrapped up in a zippy half-hour package as accessible to the casual newcomer as it is to those who’ve been waiting 27 years to find out what happens next.
— Angie Han, Hollywood Reporter

Yet new watchers coming into X-Men ‘97 blind will find the writing often provides the right amount of context around past events without falling into extensive exposition.
— William Goodman, TheWrap

X-Men ’97 is exciting, it’s action-packed, but wow does the writing breathe new life into these already complex and fascinating characters.
— Lauren Milici, Total Film

What about the action sequences?

(Photo by Marvel Animation)

The series makes the most of the fact that it’s not bound by the same kid-friendly standards as the original. The X-Men are finally allowed to cut loose and unleash their powers in ways they never could back in the ‘90s. Even Cyclops, for all that he may be a stick in the mud, personality-wise, comes across as just plain cool on the field of battle.
— Jesse Schedeen, IGN Movies

The action sequences, like the recently released clip of the team fighting the mutant-hunting Sentinels, are easily the standouts.
— William Goodman, TheWrap

The animation here is evoking the original designs, but modernizing them with flair, as everything looks more dynamic, the characters are vibrant, and the action scenes are truly jaw-dropping.
— Ross Bonaime, Collider

The action sequences are thought out so well, with interesting camera angles and movements with such fluidity as the characters move on the screen.
— Julian Lytle, RIOTUS

Are there any overarching themes?

(Photo by Marvel Animation)

When Roberto protests that he was “born this way” or a sneering bigot tells weather goddess Storm (Alison Sealy-Smith) that tolerance is only “a fad,” those moments draw power from the connections we make in our own minds to the oppression of queer people, people of color, women and so on.
— Angie Han, Hollywood Reporter

X-Men as a whole deals with the timeless question of what an oppressed minority owes its oppressor, and specific creations like the blue-furred scientist Beast (George Buza) and Cajun card-thrower Gambit (AJ LoCascio) have reputations that precede them. Shape-shifter Morph (JP Karliak) gets a slight makeover, but while DeMayo has described them as nonbinary, their gender neutrality comes off more as an extension of their longstanding superpower than a conspicuous nod to modern mores.
— Alison Herman, Variety

Much of X-Men ‘97 is about the team grappling with their respective futures. It’s a fitting theme, considering this is the start of the franchise’s tenure under Marvel Studios, and getting it wrong could spell danger for what’s to come when the characters inevitably make their live-action debut.
— William Goodman, TheWrap

But the episode doesn’t shy away from tackling some pretty big topics (something the original series was known to do), including motherhood, identity, abandonment, and the complicated feelings that come along with grief.
— Lauren Milici, Total Film

Any final thoughts?

(Photo by Marvel Animation)

Absolutely no notes. It’s perfect.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

It took nearly three decades to return to this world, but X-Men ’97 makes the wait well worth it.
— Ross Bonaime, Collider

It may not reinvent the wheel, but in a certain sense, it does lay the groundwork for what Marvel hopes will be an, ahem, x-citing future.
— Nick Schager, The Daily Beast

X-Men ‘97 marks an excellent start for the MCU mutant era.
— William Goodman, TheWrap

The series is part drama, part sitcom, part action fantasy, all wrapped up in a zippy half-hour package as accessible to the casual newcomer as it is to those who’ve been waiting 27 years to find out what happens next.
— Angie Han, Hollywood Reporter

For now, X-Men ’97 is a ‘90s-soaked delight that finally brings mutants back to our screens to usher in a marvellous new era of storytelling.
— Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com

Thumbnail image by Marvel Animation.
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