2024 is truly the year of the X-Men. Out of all superhero series to come out via streaming with Disney+ this is, without a doubt, the best series to emerge from Marvel Studios. Serving as a continuation for the original series from the ’90s, it knows exactly who its audience is and offers a brand-new story with darker, more mature and more in-depth themes to sell it. There is not one dull moment or episode that ruins the pacing or takes your focus away from the screen because of how intelligent the writing is. It offers many moments that pay enthusiastic respect to the original show and viewers expressing extreme joy and satisfaction by the end of it. “X-Men ’97” is truly everything that comic fans wanted out of an X-Men property after two decades. The animation not only does its best to replicate the aura of its predecessor, but also honors the style of ’90s animation with today’s animation technology and gives us some of the most stunning visuals ever seen within an animated television series. 

After so long, these iconic characters are brought to justice and stay true to their comic-counterparts. Cyclops is finally shown off as the great leader and strategist he truly is, which has created a stronger liking amongst fans. Gambit goes beyond his title as the Ragin’ Cajun and fulfills what Xavier exclaimed in the finale of the original series, making a name for himself apart from his charismatic thief archetype. Lenore Zann reprises her role as Rogue, whose arc is given even more layers with her personal pain and has an eye-catching dynamic with the new leader of the X-Men, Magneto. As the series proceeds with Magneto in charge of this band of heroes, it makes for great discussions and moments with his captivating and philosophical view on his fight for mutant freedom and equality, specifically in episode two, “Mutant Liberation Begins.” A whole episode is even dedicated to showing off Storm as a character and highlighting her arc as more than the mutant who controls weather, making for exciting sequences and phenomenal character development that the show would expand upon for more heroes and villains. Even characters who had limited screen time within the original series, such as Nightcrawler and Forge, are given a chance in the spotlight. This strays away from the predominant focus on only Wolverine and Professor X, seen particularly in Fox’s X-Men films, in exchange for the sense of the team’s capabilities as one, through mesmerizing and exciting action and hard-hitting character interactions. 

This series is not afraid to lean hard into its dramatic elements and the dialogue is extremely rich. Each episode has the perfect length and embraces the quality of its structure over the quantity of references/cameos they can fit in for the audience. Everything fans enjoyed about the original series is amplified and what we received is the pure passion and love poured into the making of this entire show. Children will be able to enjoy this just as much as adults, but as it continues, it is a love letter to those who have been longtime fans of Marvel Comics and have enjoyed the adventures that our favorite mutants have been through. It is extremely refreshing to see how well this turned out without following the six-episode 40-45 minute formula that Disney+ normally sticks to. It resulted in a great display of what happens when the creators are given the time they need in order to perfect their work of art. If offering a high-quality experience was a crime, this series would be on trial against the entire world. Viewers went in with a smirk of anticipation and came out with a smile of pure joy as they selected the next episode with this revival. 

Season two of this series cannot come any sooner, but fans are gladly waiting however long it takes for it to be released. This show combined with the success of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” has gone to show that 2024 has been a momentous year for X-Men fans. By choosing risk over regret and closing the chapter of the Fox universe, fans and critics are ecstatic to see how phenomenal the X-Men are within the ownership of Marvel Studios, under their newly established branch Marvel Studios Animation. This is a successful revival that offers something for everyone and was rightfully nominated at the Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program and nominated for the TCA Award for Outstanding New Program. Bold with its approach and never losing sight of its core values, “X-Men ’97” is beyond perfection with its fully-fledged themes and great respect for the source material. Overall, it is a love letter to the fans who adore the genre of superhero storytelling.