X-Men '97 (Season 2)
Directed by Matthew Chauncey · Ray Chase, Jennifer Hale, Cal Dodd
TV Series, Animated Action · 2026-07-01
“The best superhero show on television returns gorgeous and gripping, and only slightly less angry at the world than it used to be.”
The acclaimed revival of the nineties classic is back, and Season 2 arrives looking like a million bucks. Picking up its centuries-spanning, time-hopping story with Apocalypse at the center, it delivers top-tier animation, rich voice work and the kind of emotional weight the superhero genre keeps forgetting it can have. Critics reached for phrases like the superhero genre at its best, and on the craft, they are not wrong.
It opened at a shiny 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes from a small early sample, with an 88 on Metacritic, which is the review-aggregate equivalent of the first day of a diet: real, and destined to settle lower as more reviews land. Enjoy the perfect score while it lasts, because it never lasts.
The one genuine knock, and it is a telling one, is that Season 2 is less politically pointed than the first. The original revival cut deep because it spoke to the present moment through mutant allegory. A plot that hops across centuries chasing En Sabah Nur leaves less room to say something about now, and trades some of that righteous fury for spectacle. Still magnificent. Just a little less dangerous.
- 01
Gorgeous, top-tier animation that honors and upgrades the nineties look.
- 02
Strong voice performances and genuine emotional depth across the ensemble.
- 03
A richer, more layered Apocalypse arc driving the season.
- 04
A confident continuation of one of the best-reviewed shows on television.
- 01
Less political bite than Season 1, trading allegory for spectacle.
- 02
A centuries-spanning plot that leaves little room to speak to the present.
- 03
An opening-day 100 percent score that is almost certain to slip.
- 04
Living up to a first season that set an almost impossible bar.
Anyone who loved the revival or the original series, and viewers who want superhero storytelling with real animation craft and emotional stakes.
Newcomers with no X-Men grounding who will drown in the lore, and fans who came specifically for Season 1's sharp political edge.
You sold a triumphant return and largely delivered one, then let a tiny-sample 100 percent become the headline. That number is a sugar high, and everyone who reads Rotten Tomatoes knows the crash is coming.
Your website, CV, or whatever you made. I'll roast that too.
A full teardown from €2,99. No mercy.