X-Men ’97 is Marvel’s best argument for an X-Men animated feature

The best thing about the X-Men is the deep, almost hilariously intense lore of Marvel’s merry mutants.

In the comic books, Dark Phoenix (inhabiting the body of Jean Grey) ate an entire sun and doomed a race of aliens that look like broccoli. Magneto terraformed Mars, in large part to stunt on humans. Professor X can walk now and maybe isn’t as good a guy as we thought (he seems very into the idea of child soldiers). Storm is a goddess and a little bit of a witch. Iceman is gay. Jubilee detonates matter on a subatomic level. Cyclops’s eyes might not be lasers at all but rather portals into a place called the “punch dimension” that emit red blasts of concussive force.

Unfortunately, when it comes to live-action adaptations of X-Men, writers haven’t been able to tap into all these delightfully tangential tidbits. You can only fit so much into a two-hour film release every few years. Lead actors demand the spotlight, and superhero movies aren’t really structured for soapy ensembles. The best adaptations understand what makes the X-Men so fun. Surprisingly, the animated cartoons deliver — in particular, the original animated show from the ’90s is legendary.

Disney ’s X-Men 97, which debuted last month, is a delightful, dedicated continuation of the original. The new show has been a critical success and, according to Disney, one of its most-watched shows. Positive conversation surrounding the show has lead to rumors that Marvel, in a rut of late, will be turning to a live-action X-Men adaptation sooner rather than later.

But Marvel might be taking all the wrong lessons from this bolt of success.

Equal parts soap, comedy, and save-the-day antics, ’97 works because it’s a charming rendition whose existence asserts a convincing argument: The X-Men don’t need a live-action movie if an animated series is this good.

What makes X-Men 97 so good?

X-Men 97’s most valuable quality is its elegant accessibility. The original animated series, which ran from........

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