5 Animated X-Men We Love & 5 Who Need to Evolve in X-Men ’97

If there’s one piece of super hero media perfect for the close of Fandom Rewind 2022, it’s X-Men: The Animated Series. This X-Men show serves up ’90s nostalgia with a side of psionic blasts, exploding cards, and so many dramatic screams. With Marvel Studios announcing the series will be continued in fall 2023 with X-Men ’97, we’ve gotta wonder what will be changed and what will stay the same.

We know the new series will pick up where the last episode of X-Men: TAS left off. Professor X has been whisked away to Shi’ar space and the team is on its way to the next evolution — with Magneto in charge. Based on Marvel’s Comic-Con presentations, we know the main team lineup will include Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine, Jubilee, Cyclops, Storm, Jean Grey, and Beast. These mutants will be joined by Sunspot, Morph, Cable, Bishop, Forge, and Nightcrawler. Additionally, the villains will be Valerie Cooper, Sebastian Shaw, Mister Sinister, Emma Frost, and Callisto.

However, even with these new additions and confirmations, there’s a lot yet to be confirmed. Will we see any other mutants show up? Which storylines will be covered? And will any of it tie into the live-action MCU? Let’s take a closer look at which mutants need an upgrade and which ones should stay true to their ’90s selves!

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Keep: Gambit/Rogue

Gambit and Rogue go together like sweet and tea. The ’90s animated series helped establish their personalities in the pop culture canon and ever since, their complicated romance has sizzled on screens. Both characters have the potential, as well, to bring in some interesting storylines. Rogue is tied to the Avengers via Carol Danvers. And though Gambit’s history with the Thieves Guild has already been explored, the darker corners of his past remain untouched — like when he worked for Mister Sinister and helped with the Mutant Massacre. Of course, this secret was only discovered after he and Rogue had grown closer and they shared a kiss. Love sure does hurt, don’t it sugah?

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Upgrade: Iceman

Certain well-known mutants, like Iceman and Nightcrawler, were only featured in one or two episodes. Iceman has the potential to bring in new audiences because of his current story arc as a recently out gay man as well as his connections to X-Factor. In the original series, he dated Polaris until she joined X-Factor and left him for Havok. Now that Valerie Cooper is in the mix, we might be seeing more of X-Factor in the future as well as other government-sanctioned mutant campaigns — we all know Sentinels are never truly gone.

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Keep: Mister Sinister

Mister Sinister enjoyed a slow, teasing reveal during the original series. From the way he often kept to the shadows, pulling the strings from afar, to his eerie layered voice, Sinister was a standout villain on X-Men: TAS. What started as a spine-tingling voiceover during the last few moments of the season 1 finale grew into an ongoing villainous presence. With Morph’s updated look and nonbinary identity, Mister Sinister could return to manipulate them or others in his ongoing quest for the perfect set of mutant genes.

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Upgrade: Magneto

Magneto was an impressive villain for the X-Men in the original series, as he should be. We also got glimpses of the motives behind his extremism, like the Asteroid M arc. Of course, Magneto also fell victim to the dubious machinations of Apocalypse. This time around, as hinted by his new suit, he’ll be stepping in to replace Xavier as a mentor to the team. Plus, his suit reveals he might also face scrutiny like he did during Trial of Magneto.

We know from the New Mutants comics that Magneto is a capable leader of the X-Men — and in times of war, his guidance is at its most useful. Hopefully, Magneto’s new characterization leans into his rich past and passion for saving mutantkind. His influence could either make or break the children of the atom.

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Keep: Wolverine

Snarling, gruff attitude. Smoldering cigar. Calling everyone “bub.” There are many key qualities when characterizing Wolverine, and the original ’90s X-Men series nails it. The Wolverine-centric episode are also chances to bring in characters outside the typical X-Men roster, especially because of Logan’s long history. In the original series, Wolverine introduced Captain America, Lady Deathstrike, Omega Red, Alpha Flight — the list goes on. Maybe with Wolverine’s help, Deadpool will even get more than a cameo in X-Men ’97.

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Upgrade: Psylocke

Psylocke has always been a fan favorite and her complex storyline resonates with many readers. Plus, her powers and skills are extremely badass. She wasn’t featured much in the original show, only four episodes, so perhaps X-Men ’97 can bring her into the fold, especially since she’s a prominent member of the ’90s X-Men team and pesky Apocalypse is (for now) out of the way.

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Keep: Jubilee

Jubilee rose in popularity thanks to the ’90s animated series. She brought a youthful spark (sometimes literally) to the team as the youngest mutant around. Her wisecracking remarks and teenage attitude were a welcome break from the often very serious adults. Jubilee will return, though her voice actor, Alyson Court, will be voicing another character. If Jubilee has matured a bit between the original series and X-Men ’97, could Court perhaps be voicing another young mutant for the team … like the long-missed Kitty Pryde?

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Upgrade: Jean

While Jean Grey and Scott Summers yelling each other’s name is now iconic among Marvel memesters, if you think about it … these two can do so much better than just whining, especially Jean. When Jean was consumed by the Phoenix Force and became Dark Phoenix, she was formidable. She had the entire universe terrified — and we all loved it. Post-Phoenix, hopefully we’ll see a Jean who understands her powers better and doesn’t faint all the time like she’s got a telepathic migraine.

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Keep: Storm

In released images that show the mutants in their updated designs, Storm has a partial mohawk look. Could we be getting a Storm in her rebellious phase? Also, since we’ve already seen her battle with Callisto for leadership of the Morlocks, what’s next for these two together? Perhaps a deeper partnership could form between the X-Men and the Morlocks. Speaking of partnerships, Forge will be in X-Men ’97. It’s possible we could see Storm lose her powers at the hands of Forge and then take command of the X-Men, like she did in the comics.

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Upgrade: Emma

Similar to Magneto, Emma Frost is a super-villain whose character arc is beloved by fans. Over time, she transforms from telepathic ice queen to protective and dedicated teacher. Beneath her cold exterior, there’s the urge to teach the next generation of mutants and ensure they have the tools to thrive rather than just survive. Emma is all about protecting mutant children. While she’s extremely fun as the diamond-skinned villain, fans also want to see her softer side.

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Who do you hope to see in X-Men ’97 and which storylines are you looking forward to? Are you leaning toward an influx of X-Force, Generation X, and/or New Mutants alongside our classic lineup?

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