X-Men ’97 has been one of Marvel’s most acclaimed projects in years. The animated series was pitched as a modern version of the X-Men series that ran from 1992-97, and the promo material for X-Men ’97 made it very clear that showrunner Beau De Mayo was consciously evoking the arcs and events that fans grew up watching. It was a spiritual successor.
The point of contention that some fans may have, however, is whether X-Men ’97 is a literal successor. It’s one thing to hearken back, but picking up where the story left off three decades prior is a very different undertaking.
The fine line between continuity and similarity is especially relevant for the X-Men. The mutant team has been the subject of a dozen live-action films since 2000, and the franchise has become infamous for its inability to maintain a singular, cohesive timeline. What happens in one X-Men film doesn’t usually carry over to the next. When it does, it’s almost surprising.
With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of X-Men ’97 and how it connects with its predecessor series.
X-Men ’97 starts where The Animated Series ended
Continuity is back! Not only is X-Men ’97 emulating the style and characterizations of the animated series, but it’s picking up right where the story left off. Well, more or less. The events of the first episode of X-Men ’97 confirm that the new series takes place a year after the events of the original series. There are some huge changes to the X-Men roster, since Professor Charles Xavier (sort of) died in the finale of X-Men: The Animated Series, but for the most part, the show does a good job of maintaining the old while incorporating the new.
This tricky balance was something that Brad Winderbaum, the head Head of TV, Streaming, and Animation at Marvel Studios, was very mindful of. He told The Walt Disney Company that the goal of X-Men ’97 is not to reinvent the characters, but to add new dimension to characters we already know and love:
“[It] makes it feel like new, even though it’s old. It’s fun to have superhero stories told in a time before the Internet, before cellphones. It’s just a different rulebook that the players have to abide by.”
The legacy of Charles Xavier is something the rest of the X-Men have to grapple with throughout, which is a clever way of allowing fans to grapple with the legacy of the original series. Both are difficult to match in terms of quality, but this underdog element is what made the mutant team so easy to root for. “This is our opportunity with our new team to carry that torch,” Winderbaum added.
Is X-Men ’97 connected to the MCU?
The ties between X-Men ’97 and X-Men: The Animated Series are well established for anyone who sees an episode. What’s less clear, however, is whether the former has any connection to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. Mutants have been introduced into the MCU courtesy of Miss Marvel, but it remains to be seen how the franchise plans on incorporating everybody’s favorite outcasts.
Brad Winderbaum clarified the MCU connection during a profile with Variety. He shot down the rumor that X-Men ’97 takes place in the main MCU timeline, but in an alternative timeline, which tracks given the franchise’s recent fascination with multiverses. “There is a universe of cartoons that we know,” Winderbaum noted. “Because of Loki and every other multiverse story, we know that if your brain wants to go there, you know there’s always potential for connections.” Fans may get to see these connections eventually, as X-Men ’97 has been renewed for two additional seasons.
X-Men ’97 is currently streaming on Disney Plus.