X-Men '97 and its cultural impact proved that nostalgia for the 1990s wasn't just a cheap marketing gimmick. When it's executed with lethal narrative precision, it makes for an absolute powerhouse of a revival. Season one delivered a masterclass in emotional devastation, breathing compelling life back into a legendary brand.
With summer approaching, the anticipation for the sophomore season of this resurrection on streaming is reaching a fever pitch. And the long-awaited return of Marvel's favorite band of merry mutants is finally on the horizon, as Marvel Animation officially locked in a world premiere date and location for season two of X-Men '97.
The prestigious Tribeca Film Festival will play host to the upcoming outing next month. Fest attendees secure an exclusive first look, but the rest of us around the world have to wait for this next run of episodes to storm onto Disney+ later on in the summer months. And it will be a bustling time of year for Marvel and DC content alone.
Yet, more intrigue lies behind the scenes in the form of backstage production and creative turbulence. The corporate drama is as volatile as any mutant civil war. Former head writer Beau DeMayo was notoriously fired after season 1 was finished and left complete scripts behind. Marvel soon replaced him with Matthew Chauncey.
Chauncey oversaw extensive rewrites that altered the show's trajectory and fueled massive industry speculation of friction. DeMayo recently revealed his original intent for the tenth episode was to tease the coming of the terrifying psychic entity Onslaught. After possessing Professor Xavier in the comics and bringing his students to the brink, the creature became the final boss of an epic crossover that led to a relaunch of Marvel's elite characters -- The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, The Avengers, and The Hulk.
DeMayo wanted to weave Onslaught into a setup for the "Age of Apocalypse" storyline, but his plan was scrapped. This aggressive overhaul of DeMayo's architecture left fans debating whether Marvel is playing it safe compared to where things could go. Saying that, they are pulling out more than a few stops by integrating heavy-hitter characters and factions like Havok and Polaris of X-Factor.
Leaks also strongly suggest X-Force will assemble, along with the return of Cable. The time traveler always rested in the position of leader to the latter, and seeing him execute coordinated combat with his mutant troops in animation is a dream come true for anyone who grew up ensconced in the gritty comic panels of a glorious decade.
Directly exploiting the chaotic fallout of last season's finale, this season picks up where we left the Children of the Atom -- lost and scattered on the winds of time. The fragmented storyline of X-Men '97 season 2 will track one team in the distant dystopian future where Cable resides and another that encounters En Sabah Nur/Apocalypse in Ancient Egypt.
He has a grand scheme that will unfold across time, facilitated by the temporal displacement experienced by the X-Men, as the case usually is whenever he comes to town. However, be ready for this season to get much darker than the last.
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