Summary
Marvel’s triumphantX-Men ‘97has demonstrated perfectly how the MCU’sX-Menmovie should handle its villains.X-Men ‘97season 1revived the beloved 1990sX-Men: The Animated Series, and received widespread acclaim. One especially effective aspect was the way it managed its villains - a lesson that Marvel would be wise to remember for its live-actionMCUX-Menmovie.
The MCU’sX-Menmovie has been planned since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, concludingFox’sX-Mentimelineand regaining movie rights to the characters. Since then, mutants have begun appearing in the MCU, most notably Beast inThe Marvels. As Marvel begins planning how to introduce the mighty mutant heroes, it should consider how 2024’s immensely successfulX-Men ‘97addressed classicX-Menvillains.
X-Men ‘97 Season 2: Characters, Story & Everything We Know
X-Men ‘97 Season 1 is now available on Disney Plus, and here is everything we know about Season 2’s characters, story details, and more.
X-Men 97 Offered An Important Villain Lesson For The MCU
This pervasive nature was extremely effective and greatly contributed to the show’s popularity.
Bastion proved to be an incredible villain inX-Men ‘97, proving thataudiences don’t necessarily need villains they are familiar withfor them to succeed. Bastion was revealed in the latter half ofX-Men ‘97as the villainous mastermind behind the entire season. Bringing Bastion to life for the first time on film or TV, this pervasive nature was extremely effective and greatly contributed to the show’s popularity.
Bastion’s success inX-Men ‘97demonstrates that Marvel should choose an unexplored villain from the X-Men pantheon for its live-action movie. While it would be tempting to attempt to repeat the success of previousX-Menmovie villains like Magneto, or the Sentinels,using a fresh foe would be much more captivating and would push the narrativesinto lesser-explored areas. Certainly, certain characters who dominated the franchise should be used more sparingly.
10 Things The MCU’s X-Men Reboot Needs To Learn From X-Men ’97
Marvel Animation’s X-Men ‘97 season 1 concluded in May 2024, and has taught Marvel Studios many lessons about how to handle the live-action X-Men.
The MCU’s X-Men Reboot Needs More Than Magneto As The Villain Again
The MCU’sX-Menreboot offers a golden opportunity to diversify its roster of antagonists, moving beyond the perennial focus on Magneto. Magneto, portrayed masterfully by Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender, has been the cornerstone villain in both the originalX-Mentrilogy and the prequel movies. However,his repeated centrality risks overshadowing the multitude of adversariesavailable in theX-Menuniverse.
Magneto’s ideological clash with Professor Xavier in the original trilogy provided a compelling narrative, leaving little room for other villains to shine. Even in the prequels, where the backdrop of historical events and Magneto’s complex motivations were explored, heremained integral to each major plot.The MCU timelineshould explore the depth of the X-Men’s rogues’ gallery to refresh the franchise.
Villains like Mister Sinister, with his obsession with genetic manipulation, or The Shadow King, with his psychic powers and ties to the astral plane, are ideal choices who could pose a formidable threat. These characters canintroduce fresh conflicts and elevate the narrative beyond the mutant-versus-human paradigm. By focusing on a broader range of villains, the MCU can offer new challenges for the X-Men, exploring different aspects of their abilities and philosophies, and ensuring that Magneto’s presence inX-Men, when included, remains powerful and not overused, much in the same wayX-Men ‘97managed this feat.
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.
