We live in an unusual era. It’s a time when everything from the past remains present.
Movies, TV shows, and toys from yesteryear are still around. They are not exactly the same, they’ve been reworked and repackaged, but they still exist in the world.
And of course, for fans this is generally a great thing. To have childhood heroes still appearing on screen or on toy shelves is a gift not to be taken lightly – previous generations never had it this good.
But seeing our heroes kept alive can be a double-edged sword. Too much of a good thing sometimes comes with disappointment and pitfalls, especially if not handled correctly.
Nostalgia is a powerful tool, and sometimes it can be used against us to pump out any old trash for a quick buck. Beloved characters can often be dropped into films simply for wafer-thin fan service, or old shows can be revived with little thought about why they are back other than to make bank.
Reviving classic IPs can rapidly go from “great idea” to “hollow experience” in the blink of an eye. And the reason for this is because there is no effort being put into the revival and there’s little regard for the original.
One revival which has completely bucked this trend is X-Men ‘97. The Disney+ cartoon show – a continuation of 1992’s X-Men: The Animated Series – has definitely not dropped the ball when it comes to bringing back a much-loved classic.
And here’s how…
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Respecting the past
First up, one of the best things about X-Men ‘97 is that it respects the past. And this can be seen in various ways across the series, from the resurrection of plot lines and story beats, to the returning voice cast and the revival of characters.
The show is keen to pick up from where its predecessor left off. This means bringing back all the core elements that worked so well the first time around, rather than dropping them in favour of an abundance of flashy new stuff.
And arguably one of the best demonstrations of X-Men ‘97’s desire to respect the past comes via the retention of the original theme tune. The theme to X-Men: The Animated Series was an absolute banger, everyone in the world knows this (you know it, I know it), and it would have been a crime against humanity if it had been discarded.
By keeping the theme music, not only is it a superb, direct link to the past, it also gets each episode off to great start. Long-term fans hear the music, are geared up for a new adventure, and are reminded of some of the best times they had with the X-Men from years gone by.
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Character is key
Retaining elements of the past is important, as it highlights a commitment from the showrunners to maintain what came before. Too many ‘creatives’ think something needs fixing when it simply isn’t broken, and this is a mistake.
But bringing things back from the past, just for the fun of them being there isn’t a smart move either, because that’s how shows run out of steam. X-Men ‘97 understands this, so when it comes to the return of old characters, the show has spent time tweaking, upgrading, and/or levelling up the X-Men to keep things surprising moving forward.
Take a character like Storm, who was given some interesting material during the original show, but never felt quite as powerful as she was reportedly supposed to be. However, in X-Men ‘97 her power set is considerably stronger, and she is given Omega Level status.
Jubilee is also elevated far beyond the annoying kid she was in X-Men: The Animated Series. Since the beginning of X-Men ‘97 she has gone on a journey of growth, which had seen her take on Mojo, rescue incarcerated mutants, and join X-Force.
Jean Grey, Rogue, and Morph have also been given some great material to work with in X-Men ‘97, as did Gambit during the heartbreaking season one episode, ‘Remember It’. Gambit became the MVP as he sacrificed himself to take down the Sentinels, and for many viewers it was the stand-out moment of the first season.
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Caging Wolverine
Wolverine is an extremely popular mutant. He was popular in the ‘70s, he was popular in the ‘80s, and he was freakin’ huge in the 1990s.
As such, throughout the course of X-Men: The Animated Series, Wolverine became a significant focus. He was everywhere in the show, popped up in all the key storylines, and even got a bunch of episodes solely about him (‘Repo Man’, ‘Weapon X, Lies & Videotape’, ‘Old Soldiers’, etc).
After X-Men: The Animated Series concluded, Wolverine continued to remain popular. He became a key focus of multiple live-action movies, and even headlined the cartoon, Wolverine and the X-Men.
So, after all these decades, and all the stories, Wolverine really didn’t need to be the centre of attention for the revival. X-Men ‘97 completely understood this, sheathed his claws a little, and allowed his teammates to shine instead.
But this doesn’t mean Wolverine has had no screen time. He’s still there, getting great action scenes, taking part in storylines, and having the Adamantium ripped from his skeleton!
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Developing the legacy
With most of the X-Men taking a big step forward in X-Men ’97, this means many of the mutants have received new storylines, some of which have been built on the foundations of what came before. The introduction of Madelyne Pryor came about thanks to all of Mister Sinister’s genetic meddling in X-Men: The Animated Series, while the reason X-Factor slotted into the show so well is because the team previously appeared on screen in the ’90s.
With the initial building blocks in place, X-Men ’97 has been able to move forward in new, exciting, fan-pleasing ways, while at the same time also expanding outward. The show hasn’t just brought back X-Factor or Emma Frost, there has been room for X-Force, as well as the kids from Generation X, and so much more.
X-Men ’97 isn’t a rehash, it’s a new chapter in the X-Men legacy. In terms of in-show continuity, it picks up from where X-Men: The Animated Series left off, but in terms of the real world it is introducing characters and adapting stories which took place after the original show ended to ensure the X-Men’s history continues to be presented on screen.
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The finer details
And finally, the reason X-Men ’97 is such a great revival is because of the finer details. It takes the time to reference plot points and conversations which took place decades ago, and to include costumes, in-jokes, and hidden nods to the comics that only super-fans would get.
You only need to look to the opening credits to see how much effort goes into the finer details. Each week those credits change to reflect the upcoming story, past events, and even the team rotation – things that no other cartoon revival would do!
X-Men ’97 isn’t just another cartoon, and it’s not just another revival. It’s the best cartoon revival and a fantastic example of how to bring things back and bring them back well.
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