Posted in: Disney+, Marvel, Review, streaming, TV | Tagged: disney, Marvel Animation, Review, x-men, X-Men '97

X-Men '97: Uncanny Hit Supercharges Animated Series' Legacy (Review)

X-Men '97 expands the magic of the original X-Men: The Animated Series in many ways - from its casting to its nuanced long-term storytelling.

X-Men: The Animated Series represented peak Fox Saturday morning cartoon programming tackling some of the comics' biggest stories during its original run from 1992-1997. Its popularity helped expand into another equally popular Spider-Man: The Animated Series in 1994, which helped solidify a golden age of animation for Marvel. Since X-Men: TAS's original end in 1997, there have been several other animated remakes, a successful live-action film franchise, and now, a legacy sequel in X-Men '97 that continues the adventures.

The bulk of the legacy cast plays their original roles with Lenore Zann, Cal Dodd, George Buza, Alison Sealy-Smith, and Christopher Britton in Rogue, Wolverine, Beast, Storm, and Mr. Sinister, respectively. Others like Chris Potter, Alyson Court, and Catherine Disher, who played the original Gambit, Jubilee, and Jean Grey, are playing different roles with A.J. LoCascio, Holly Chou, and Jennifer Hale now playing them in X-Men '97. The only legacy cast member not returning is Cedric Smith, with Ross Marquand taking over the role of Professor Charles Xavier and new faces to the franchise Ray Chase and Matthew Waterson taking over the roles of Cyclops and Magneto for the late Norm Spencer, David Hemblen, and George Merner.

X-Men '97: A Joy for Old and New Fans Alike

Also different in this continuation are the new core additions of Morph (JP Karliak) – who was in the original premiere episodes of TAS but rejoined late in TAS' run – and Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith). Ron Rubin and Philip Akin played the roles in TAS. While series openings have sadly become an afterthought all too often, X-Men '97 embraces the original TAS opening with a lot of pizazz incorporating the mutants intros accordingly as plot dictates, and the ending with good and evil mutants in the end with Xavier and Magneto at the end is still the same.

Introduced as the gateway character in X-Men '97, like Court's Jubilee character was in TAS is Roberto DaCosta/Sunspot, voiced by Gui Agustini. Coincidentally, he's paired with Chou's Jubilee. Looking at the first three episodes, it might be a bit overwhelming at first, given how much story is being put out at once, but fans of TAS and comics will almost instantly pick up on all the Easter eggs. Morph is one of the most entertaining surprises – especially the character's charismatic charm. Kind of makes you go, "Hmmm," on all that squandered potential they could have done in TAS, but no time like the present, right?

Seeing Cyclops and Wolverine lock horns again was a dynamic I missed seeing, given the lingering triangle and affection for Jean. Dodd didn't miss a beat, and Chase certainly provided a performance that would make Spencer proud. Another performance of note is Waterson's Magneto. Anyone who's following the character's arc at the end of TAS knows that he's on a long path of redemption, and X-Men '97 certainly wouldn't make that easy given his contemptuous history with his former best friend Xavier and his group. He's on a new mission to honor his late rival's legacy even when their causes more often were at odds with one another.

The ensemble is loaded, nothing is wasted, and no one gets lost in the shuffle. Sure, some of the characters from the original cast don't sound the same, but it would be hard to sound the exact same as you did after nearly three decades. Whatever happened with creator Beau DeMayo, his vision perfectly recreated the '90s magic from the enhanced animation right down to the updated music by The Newton Brothers that faithfully honored the legacy of Shuki Levy, Ron Wasserman, Haim Saban, and Larry Seymour. If you knew nothing of TAS, it's on par with a lot of top-tier animated shows. There is a lot to unpack from this opening salvo – and much more still to come this season. But as far as maintaining the heart & spirit of the original animated series, X-Men '97 is off to an "uncanny" and "astonishing" start. If you followed TAS, the films, and the comics, you're in for a real treat. X-Men '97 streams on March 20th on Disney+.

Marvel Studios' X-Men '97 streams on March 20th on Disney+.

X-Men '97: Episodes 1-3

---

Review by Tom Chang

---

9/10

X-Men '97 builds on and enhances the legacy of Fox's X-Men: The Animated Series by expanding on existing stories while laying the groundwork for new stories to come. How the animated series presents its characters and narrrative is welcoming to both long-running fans and those new to the series. Everyone in the cast - from returning to the newest additions - had their moments in the sun, offering us takes on characters that were both familiar and refreshing.

Credits

---

Creator

Beau DeMayo

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!