Why X-Men '97 Season Two Is Winning Critics' Hearts

Remember the crackle of Saturday morning cartoons and the way a theme song could send a rush of nostalgia through your bones? X-Men '97 doesn't just lean on that memory — it rewires it. Season two arrives like a pop-culture time machine, scattering the team across eras from ancient Egypt to a far-off future, then daring them to claw their way back to the 1990s before Apocalypse can rise again.

The setup is cheeky and ambitious. Stakes? Massive. Tone? Equal parts spectacle and soul. And critics have taken notice: the season currently sits at a flawless 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from 26 reviews and holds a 90/100 on Metacritic based on six critiques. Those numbers tell a story, but the why is more interesting.

RogerEbert.com’s Kaya Shuniata hands the show top marks, arguing that season two is a "more complex and matured" version of the revival — a show that broadens its emotional range while keeping the kinetic joy of its 90s ancestor. Short sentence. Big claim. It lands.

Slashfilm praises the series for preserving the glossy entertainment and dramatic heft that made the first season feel like one of Marvel’s standout animation projects. IGN echoes that sentiment, describing the show as equal parts love letter to a beloved era and fertile ground for character-driven drama that appeals to both longtime fans and newcomers.

Not every review is unreserved praise. Collider and Empire both give the season solid scores in the 80s and note a recurring caveat: with an ensemble this large, some fan favorites — Wolverine, Storm, Rogue — barely register in the early episodes. It’s a common risk in sprawling revivals: you get glorious breadth, but sometimes at the cost of individual screen time.

X-Men '97 season two is a triumphant, emotionally textured return that remembers why we loved these characters in the first place. The series balances nostalgia with narrative daring, threading heart into its action beats and giving familiar faces new angles without collapsing into fan service.

So where does that leave viewers? With a season that dares to be big and messy in the best way. It asks us to care, to remember, and to be surprised. Have you watched the new episodes yet? The debate is already underway.