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
Episode 7 has dinosaurs, cults, and pacing issues…yes, really. While its pacing feels a little wonky, there is no denying that X-Men ‘97 is still an entertaining joyride. Episode 7 of X-Men ’97 lands on Disney+ during a very X-Men-heavy time in pop culture. Between everything going on in Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the X-Men have become THE topic of the moment.
Episode 7 opens with the death of Magik, glimpsed earlier in the season and now confirmed in full. And honestly? For a character who can teleport through dimensions, it feels like a slightly underwhelming send-off for someone so beloved. It is clearly teasing the arrival of Dark Child, so it is not really a death, and sure, that tease is exciting, but the moment itself lands as a little underwhelming given the weight Magik carries as a character.
In the wake of Magneto’s death, a cult of devoted followers is rising (The Acolytes), with Exodus stepping up to lead the charge. Their first move? Targeting a politician mid-announcement, a proudly anti-mutant candidate launching a presidential bid. It is very much a ripped-from-the-headlines moment, and the show does not shy away from the parallel. Subtle, it is not. Effective, it absolutely is.
The standout sequence of the episode belongs to Polaris, who gets a genuinely thrilling action beat involving a mid-air exit from a plane that felt like it was lifted straight out of a Tom Cruise blockbuster. Kinetic, visually stunning, and exactly the kind of moment that reminds you how good this show can look when it commits to a set piece. Also, shout out to Rogue. Every time she comes flying into frame and punches someone, I get a little giddy.
The X-Men, in an effort to prevent all-out war, move to intercept Exodus and his followers and rescue their prisoner, the would-be president, before things escalate beyond the point of no return. The wrinkle? A zone where their powers cease to function entirely, stripping away their greatest advantage and raising the stakes considerably. The X-Men have always been political at its core. The “societal outcast” commentary, the depiction of bigotry, the thinly veiled parallels to real-world discrimination- it is baked into the franchise’s DNA. This episode underlines that point once more with real confidence. Magneto’s death, which has spawned a legion of followers who idealise his image and act in his name, convinced they know what he would have wanted, is perhaps the sharpest and most timely piece of commentary the season has delivered so far.
Meanwhile, the Horsemen of Apocalypse continue to be assembled, slowly but deliberately. The pieces are moving into place. That said, the pacing of season two compared to season one does feel slightly off. Season two appeared to be building toward the rise of Apocalypse, and it was, thrillingly so, in its opening episodes. But the story has since taken a few detours, side quests that will undoubtedly tie together into something spectacular, but which leave individual episodes feeling a little unfocused in the interim. The destination still feels worth it. The journey, in parts, could do with tightening.
Verdict
Overall, episode seven of X-Men ’97 is a solid, politically sharp instalment that does more right than wrong. While the overall season feels a little choppy due to the hefty set-up, it’s never a dull moment. The “societal outcast” commentary, the depiction of bigotry, the thinly veiled parallels to real-world discrimination – it’s baked into the franchise’s DNA. This episode underlines that point once more with real confidence.
⭐⭐⭐
