Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97 Season 2 streams new episodes weekly on Disney+ starting July 1, 2026.
Synopsis
The second season of the American animated television series X-Men ’97 is based on the Marvel Comics superhero team X-Men. The series is a revival of X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997), continuing the story of the X-Men. In the season, the X-Men are scattered throughout time—from Ancient Egypt to the far future—and must find their way back to the 1990s to stop Apocalypse. It is produced by Marvel Studios Animation, with Beau DeMayo as head writer and Jake Castorena as supervising director.
Review
X-Men ’97 is back for a second season with a three-episode premiere, and it’s as explosive, shocking, and action-packed as you’d expect. If you haven’t seen season one, firstly, where have you been? Secondly, it’s the perfect TV show binge. It’s a respectable ten episodes, each clocking in around 30–43 minutes, so it’s watchable in a day. Plus, each episode is stacked with all the good stuff, which helps.
If you’ve had the fortune and pleasure of watching season one but need a little refresh, Aaron did an excellent recap, which you can read here. Please note there will be light spoilers for season one and two, so treat this as your warning.
Season one left the X-Men in quite a disaster. Gambit had one of the most jaw-dropping sacrifices in TV history, which then spearheaded Rogue to deliver some of the nastiest fight sequences in the show’s history, screaming, “his name was Gambit. Remember it.” The word iconic is thrown around a lot these days, but this was truly the definition of iconic. It was so emotionally driven and heartbreaking.
We last see the X-Men split into two teams. Cyclops’ blue team heads to Asteroid M, while Storm and Jean’s gold team infiltrate Bastion’s hideout in the Galápagos Islands. It resulted in an explosive, cliffhanger ending, with the team trapped at different points in time.
Episode 1: Days of Past Future
- The episode title alone is a fun nod to the movies, and it got a smile out of me. This show loves playing around with its own lore and history, and it isn’t afraid to reference itself. There’s a real Terminator energy to the time jumping and robots, in the best way.
- Both points in time are Apocalypse-heavy, capturing two pivotal moments in his reign and life. His design is genuinely creepy, which only makes him feel like a bigger threat. The first episode, especially the ancient Egypt portion, doesn’t shy away from showing him as the true villain he is, evil lore and all, with a slight Wizard of Oz vibe running through it.
- That time jump to ancient Egypt also introduces some interesting villains within his ranks, while Storm gets two properly badass moments of her own.
- They weaponise that epic theme tune to punctuate the biggest moments so well, it’s incredible.
Episode 2: A Force to be Reckoned With
- Episode 2 opens with a totally different intro featuring different characters, which was a welcome surprise.
- When I first heard it was a three-episode season premiere, I thought that sounded lengthy. But those three episodes add up to a 1 hour 30 minute runtime, and they use every bit of it to set up the season and the story properly. It takes all three to get the footing right.
- Polaris is a great character addition, bringing a fresh dynamic to the team.
- We also get to see an X-Force and X-Factor team, showcasing different characters at different points in time.
Episode 3: Rise of Apocalypse
- Here, we see Apocalypse in his past, before he became the villain we know, and it’s a genuinely fascinating shift in perspective.
- Watching two points in the character’s history side by side adds real depth to his journey, and makes the in-between period so juicy and exciting.
- We also get a fun nod to another villain, who I won’t spoil, but it’s a fun one, and a nice reward for anyone paying close attention to the wider lore.
- It’s a strong reminder that this show never treats its villains as one-note, and Apocalypse is no exception. It’s great to see his character’s journey through space and time; it adds to how evil and threatening he truly is.
As mentioned earlier, the first three episodes dropping at once feels appropriate, because the 1 hour 30 minutes we get to spend in this world feels like the set-up for what’s to follow, and as a result, it benefits from being binged, if possible. I actually enjoyed the time-jumping more than I thought I would, as it allows the large number of characters to get some much-deserved screentime.
Building on that strong foundation, X-Men ’97 launches into its second season strong, betting heavily on its lore, twisty story, and strong theming to hook you back in, which it does flawlessly. And what I love about this show is that it’s not exactly trying to appeal to newbies. Instead, it knows its audience (us nerds), and it isn’t afraid of taking on the mammoth task of delivering a series that is rich in lore, story, character, and action. It walks a fine line, knowing that we, the audience, want and expect a lot, and yet, it does it flawlessly.
Verdict
Let’s just say, the wait was worth it. X-Men ’97 returns with a season premiere that’s every bit as bold, layered, and lore-rich as you’d hope for. Apocalypse makes for a genuinely menacing threat, and the time-jumping structure within the first 3 episodes gives the story real weight without losing its sense of fun. A brilliant, confident start to the season.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
We will be covering the show every week, so make sure you come back for our review of episode 4, dropping Wednesday 8th July.
