X-Men ‘97 official trailer reaction
‘X-Men ‘97’ is the reboot of the hugely popular ‘X-Men: The Animated Series’ that ran for five seasons from 1992 until 1997. It’s something that fans have been looking forward to ever since Marvel Studios announced it all the way back in 2021. It will pick up from where the series left off with the apparent death of Charles Xavier. It’s a shocking thing for fresh audiences like myself, but gives a chance for a new take on the X-Men audiences haven’t seen before.
The trailer starts with what only can be described as a throwback to the way cartoons used to be promoted, with a TV advert and a time slot that could be affected by local listings. It’s a hugely effective way to start putting audiences back into the mindset of a viewer in the 1990s, made only more so if they were someone who was. It also played the moment of Charles’ death, catching up with newer viewers.
After this, audiences see a devastated city racked with lawlessness, a sign that the X-Men have abandoned their duties as protectors of the world. A cheeky reference to Spider-Man floats by, though the voiceover from Cyclops has a more serious tone. He wants the X-Men to keep to their duties and implores them to honour Professor X.
In this universe (which is separate from the multiverse in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), regular Joes hate mutants, a core part of any X-Men story. The trailer moves fast, never staying on one shot for too long. But that does hint that the series itself will be fast-paced, and action-heavy.
Core members of the X-Men are present, Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, and so on. Some of the voice cast from ‘The Animated Series’ will be reprising their roles, which will help ease the continuity. The villains of the show aren’t clear yet, nor is the overall plot of the ten episodes the first season will have.
There is a brief and funny conversation between Wolverine and Cyclops, with Cyclops encouraging them to work as a team, but Wolverine tells him to shut up in a classic moment. An awesome shot of Gambit powering up Wolverine helps to close out the trailer, teasing a tantalizing team-up. There’s also the reveal that Cyclops will become the new leader of the X-Men, and him accepting that role will likely be his arc throughout the show.
Finally, Magneto is seen to have Professor X’s will, which apparently means he owns everything Charles did. This is no doubt going to cause a huge amount of conflict between the X-Men, especially because Magneto isn’t always a good guy. It’s a great idea and hints at the theme of legacy.
The trailer reveals that the show will release its first episode on Wednesday, March 20, and is less than a month away. This means the show will be released at the same time as the ‘Star Wars’ show ‘Star Wars: The Bad Batch,’ a franchise overlap that’s only happened a few times before.
