Draft:X-Men '97 season 1

The first season of the American animated television series X-Men '97 is based on the Marvel Comics superhero team X-Men. The series is a revival of X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997), continuing the story of the X-Men following the loss of their leader, Professor X. In the season, the X-Men face the threat of a new Sentinel program created by Mister Sinister and Bastion. It was produced by Marvel Studios, via its Marvel Animation label, with Beau DeMayo as head writer and Jake Castorena as supervising director.

Ray Chase, Jennifer Hale, Alison Sealy-Smith, Cal Dodd, J. P. Karliak, Lenore Zann, George Buza, A. J. LoCascio, Holly Chou, Isaac Robinson-Smith, Matthew Waterson, Ross Marquand, and Adrian Hough star as members of the X-Men. Sealy-Smith, Dodd, Zann, Buza, and Hough reprised their roles from the original series. The revival was announced in November 2021, with DeMayo and Castorena attached. DeMayo wanted to continue the original series' soap opera-style relationship drama and update its social commentary to match contemporary society. The season adapts several comic book storylines, including 2001's "E Is for Extinction" by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely as part of developing the X-Men for a post-9/11 audience. Voice recording and animation work began by the official announcement, with the animation being provided by Studio Mir and Tiger Animation.

The season premiered on the streaming service Disney+ on March 20, 2024, with its first two episodes. The other eight episodes were released weekly until May 15. A second season was confirmed in July 2022.

Cast and characters
The mutant field leader of the X-Men whose eyes emit powerful beams of concussive energy. Cyclops is prepared to lead the X-Men after the loss of Charles Xavier, before Magneto takes that role. Chase replaces Cyclops's original voice actor Norm Spencer, who died in 2020. Chase had not seen the original series when he auditioned, and was provided clips and references for the character's voice to base his performance on. After being cast, he watched the original series and listened to interviews of Spencer. A powerful telepathic and telekinetic mutant who is married to Cyclops, and was once the host of the cosmic entity Phoenix Force. Her relationship with Cyclops is complicated by Wolverine's feelings for her. Hale, who previously voiced the character in the television series Wolverine and the X-Men, replaces original series voice actor Catherine Disher, and based her performance on Disher's voice. Hale also voices Madelyne Pryor / Goblin Queen, a mutant clone of Jean created by Mister Sinister. Madelyne gives birth to Cyclops's son, Nathan, which further complicates his relationship with Jean. Hale used a slightly different tone when voicing Madelyne to separate her from Jean. A powerful mutant who can control the weather and is described as a "goddess". Sealy-Smith reprises her role from the original series, and also voices the Adversary, a demon that feeds on negative emotions. A hotheaded mutant with a regenerative healing factor, heightened senses, retractable claws, and an adamantium-laced skeleton. Dodd reprises his role from the original series. A mutant metamorph who can change their voice and appearance to that of any person. Morph's base design is updated from the original series to be "pale, hairless, and blankly-featured" similar to the version of the character seen in the "Age of Apocalypse" comic book storyline and the Exiles comic book. Morph identifies as non-binary, but the series does not explicitly use that term as it was not common in the 1990s. Characters that Morph shape-shifts into in the season include Xavier, Jean Grey, Angel, Blob, Lady Deathstryke, Colossus, Psylocke, Sabretooth, Spiral, Illyana Rasputina / Magik / Darkchylde, Quicksilver, Juggernaut, Hulk, Mister Sinister, Sauron, and Mister Fantastic. Karliak replaces Morph's original voice actor Ron Rubin. He also voices William Stryker, an anti-mutant Christian minister, and the superhero Hulk. A mutant who absorbs the memories, powers, and energy of those she touches. The series reveals that Rogue had a secret romantic relationship with Magneto when she was younger, causing friction in her current relationship with Gambit. Zann reprises her role from the original series. A blue-furred mutant genius with superhuman strength and agility. Buza reprises his role from the original series. A mutant and former thief who can charge objects with explosive kinetic energy, including his signature playing cards. Gambit's actions in the early episodes—including wearing a crop top and taking his shirt off, and his relationship with Rogue—were intended to endear the audience to him before his death at the end of the fifth episode. LoCascio replaces Gambit's original voice actor Chris Potter. The youngest member of the X-Men who can create firework-like explosions. Chou replaces Jubilee's original voice actor Alyson Court, who previously said she would not reprise the role and would prefer that an Asian-American actor take it. Court instead voices Abscissa, an older version of Jubilee from the "Motendo" video game world. A mutant from a dystopian future with the ability to absorb kinetic energy and redirect it into concussive blasts. Robinson-Smith replaces Bishop's original voice actor Philip Akin. Robinson-Smith also voices T'Chaka / Black Panther, the king of Wakanda. The character's appearance creates an apparent continuity error with the animated series Fantastic Four (1994–1996) in which he dies. A powerful mutant who controls magnetism. Magneto is given control of the X-Men in the last will and testament of Charles Xavier. Waterson replaces Magneto's original voice actor David Hemblen, who died in 2020. The founder of the X-Men who was taken to space to be healed by the Shi'ar Empire following an assassination attempt. Marquand replaces Xavier's original voice actor Cedric Smith. Coincidentally, both actors previously provided the voice for Marvel villain Red Skull in different projects. Marquand also voices Doctor Doom, the leader of Latveria who is a member of "Operation: Zero Tolerance" (OZT); and Apocalypse, one of the first mutants who is thousands of years old and an enemy of the X-Men, replacing John Colicos and James Blendick who voiced the character in the original series. A Catholic, blue mutant with teleporting abilities and prehensile hands and feet. Hough reprises his role from the original series in X-Men '97, which includes the character's playfulness from the comics. Hough also voices Strong Guy, a mutant who can channel kinetic energy into physical strength.
 * Ray Chase as Scott Summers / Cyclops:
 * Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey:
 * Alison Sealy-Smith as Ororo Munroe / Storm:
 * Cal Dodd as Logan / Wolverine:
 * J. P. Karliak as Morph:
 * Lenore Zann as Rogue:
 * George Buza as Dr. Henry "Hank" McCoy / Beast:
 * A. J. LoCascio as Remy LeBeau / Gambit:
 * Holly Chou as Jubilation Lee / Jubilee:
 * Isaac Robinson-Smith as Lucas Bishop:
 * Matthew Waterson as Erik "Magnus" Lehnsherr / Magneto:
 * Ross Marquand as Professor Charles Xavier:
 * Adrian Hough as Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler:

Recurring guests in the season include Gui Agustini as Roberto da Costa / Sunspot, a young mutant rescued by the X-Men who can channel solar energy; Catherine Disher—who voiced Jean Grey in the original series—as Dr. Valerie Cooper, a United Nations official; Gavin Hammon as Sentinel creator Dr. Bolivar Trask, replacing original voice actor Brett Halsey, as well as Shi'ar chancellor Lord Araki; Eric Bauza as the Master Mold supercomputer and mutant-hunting Sentinels, replacing original voice actor David Fox; Donna Jay Fulks as news reporter Trish Tilby, as well as the mutants Tommy and Amelia Voght;  Christopher Britton as Dr. Nathaniel Essex / Mister Sinister, a scientist from Victorian era-London who has enhanced himself using mutant DNA, reprising his role from the original series;  Gil Birmingham as Forge, a mutant who can invent advanced technology, replacing original voice actor Marc Strange; Christine Uhebe as Roberto's mother Nina da Costa; Chris Potter—who voiced Gambit in the original series—as Nathan Summers / Cable, the son of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor who was taken to the future as an infant after being infected with a techno-organic virus; Theo James as the anti-mutant human-machine hybrid Bastion, whose father was infected by Nimrod following the events of the original series episode "One Man's Worth";  and Ron Rubin—who voiced Morph in the original series—as U.S. president Robert Kelly, replacing original voice actor Len Carlson.

Actors who voice multiple characters in the season include Todd Haberkorn, who voices former government agent Henry Peter Gyrich who attempted to assassinate Xavier, replacing Gyrich's original voice actor Barry Flatman; and Ronan the Accuser, a high-ranking member of the Kree Empire. David Errigo Jr. voices Leech, a young Morlock who can nullify other mutants' powers, replacing original voice actor John Stocker; Mojo, an interdimensional media mogul from the Mojoverse who uses the X-Men to fuel his power, replacing original voice actor Peter Wildman; Sean Cassidy / Banshee, an Irish mutant with a sonic scream who serves on the council of Genosha, replacing original actor Jeremy Ratchford; and Gladiator, the Strontian leader of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard. Courtenay Taylor voices Callisto, the leader of the Morlocks, replacing original voice actor Susan Roman; and Illyana Rasputina / Magik / Darkchylde, a mutant sorcerer, replacing original voice actor Tara Strong. Martha Marion voices Emma Frost, a former member of the Inner Circle Club who serves on the council of Genosha, replacing original voice actor Tracey Moore; and Dr. Moira MacTaggert, a Scottish geneticist who serves on the council of Genosha, replacing original voice actor Lally Cadeau.

Other guest stars include Lawrence Bayne—who voiced Cable in the original series—as Carl Denti / X-Cutioner, leader of the anti-mutant group Friends of Humanity; Kimberly Woods as Bishop's younger sister Shard, replacing original voice actor Kay Tremblay; Abby Trott as Spiral, Mojo's personal assistant, replacing original voice actor Cynthia Belliveau;  Travis Willingham as Sebastian Shaw, a former member of the Inner Circle Club who serves on the council of Genosha, replacing original voice actor David Bryant; Morla Gorrondonna as Lilandra Neramani, the empress of the Shi'ar Empire, replacing original voice actor Camilla Scott; Cari Kabinoff as Lilandra's sister Deathbird; Jeff Bennett as Ford, the da Costa family's butler; Kari Wahlgren as Bastion's mother Rose; Anjali Bhimani as Bastion's assistant Daria; Rama Vallury as Baron Zemo, a member of OZT; Gates McFadden as Rachel Summers / Mother Askani, leader of a clan in a desolate future; and Adetokumboh M'Cormack as En Sabah Nur, a younger version of Apocalypse living in Ancient Egypt. Additionally, Josh Keaton and Michael Patrick McGill reprise their respective roles as Steve Rogers / Captain America and Thunderbolt Ross from the series What If...? (2021–present); Bayne voiced Captain America in the original series.

In addition to Callisto, Leech, and Tommy, the Morlocks Ape and Erg are seen. Characters that appear in Genosha include Glob Herman, Pixie, Nature Girl, Gentle, Multiple Man, Exodus, Dazzler, Boom Boom, Squidboy, Marrow, Blob, Forearm, Angel Salvatore, Mimic, Psylocke, Cipher, Frenzy, and members of the Savage Land Mutates. Other characters that make non-speaking appearances in the season include Cyclops's brother Vulcan who is a member of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard; Alpha Flight members Northstar, Puck, and Aurora; Japanese mutant Silver Samurai; the Russian superhero team Winter Guard which includes the mutants Omega Red and Darkstar alongside Crimson Dynamo; Iron Man from the 1990s series of the same name; the magic-wielding superhero Doctor Strange; New York heroes Daredevil, Cloak, and Dagger; and the characters Peter Parker / Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, and Flash Thompson from the animated series Spider-Man (1994–1998), revealing that Spider-Man has found Watson following the events of that series' finale. Magneto sees a vision of his children Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch, Pietro Maximoff / Quicksilver, and Lorna Dane / Polaris, while alternate versions of Polaris and Rachel Summers are seen in the future that Cable is trying to prevent.

Development
X-Men '97, a revival and continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997), was announced by Marvel Studios Animation in November 2021. Beau DeMayo was set as head writer and executive producer, with Jake Castorena as supervising director and Charley Feldman as supervising producer. The Animated Series producer and director Larry Houston and showrunners Eric and Julia Lewald were consulting on the revival. Castorena, Chase Conley, and Emi Yonemura directed episodes of the first season. Marvel Studios' Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, and Victoria Alonso also served as executive producers.

Writing
By April 2022, the Lewalds had seen premises for all 10 episodes and several completed scripts as well as the series' bible, which confirms that—as with the original series and the comic books—the revival's central ethos is the X-Men are allegories for people who face prejudice and discrimination. Eric Lewald described X-Men '97 as an extension of the original series that Marvel Studios had made their own, while Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, VP of animation at Marvel Studios, said the original series "embraced action, soap opera and serious topics", and the revival did the same. DeMayo wanted to honor the original series while bringing it into the modern world, hoping to retain its earnestness, emotional sincerity, and focus on found family while updating the social commentary to reflect contemporary society. The new series explores whether Charles Xavier's dream of mutant/human co-existence and his focus on empathy are relevant to modern audiences, with DeMayo feeling that issues of social acceptance had become more complicated since the 1990s.

The season begins a year after the loss of Xavier during the original series' finale. Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Wolverine, Rogue, Beast, Gambit, and Jubilee return as members of the X-Men, now led by their former adversary Magneto. Joining the team in the season are Bishop, a time-traveling ally of the X-Men; Morph, who rejoins after their death and resurrection in the original series; and Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler. Winderbaum said fans remembered these three characters as being more important in the original series than they actually were, and the creatives wanted to make-up for that by elevating them in the revival. The X-Men question their future after Xavier's loss and a subsequent increase in sympathy towards mutants. Cyclops and Storm want to continue Xavier's dream but others, such as Jean Grey, want to build new lives. Magneto is moved by the growing mutant sympathy and wants to follow in Xavier's footsteps as the team's leader. The main antagonists for the season are the returning Mister Sinister and the Sentinels, along with new villain Bastion.

DeMayo said the original series' melodrama and exploration of character relationships was key to its success and set it apart from other animated series at the time, which Marvel executives felt was a compelling approach to the material. X-Men '97 also retains the campiness of the original series in its writing, such as Storm announcing her attacks and Rogue using "syrupy" Southern metaphors and analogies. DeMayo found it particularly difficult to write for Rogue, who developed in ways that he did not initially plan for throughout the season; and for Jubilee, who was introduced as a representative for younger audiences in the 1990s and needed to remain relevant for younger audiences in the modern day. DeMayo was more comfortable writing for Beast, whose scientific terms are similar to the writer's work on the series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022–present).

As with the original series, various comic book storylines were adapted for the season. The Animated Series was primarily influenced by Chris Claremont's run on the comics from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, and X-Men '97 continues to adapt stories from that era as well as elements from later in the 1990s and into Grant Morrison's early 2000s run. "The Trial of Magneto" from Uncanny X-Men #200 (1985), by Claremont and John Romita Jr., is adapted in the second episode. The third episode is a condensed version of the comic book crossover event "Inferno" (1989). The "Lifedeath" storyline from Uncanny X-Men #186 (1984), by Claremont and Barry Windsor-Smith, is adapted in the fourth and sixth episodes; the fourth episode contains two mini-episodes, the first part of "Lifedeath" and also "Motendo" which is an homage to the 1992 X-Men arcade game.

Central to DeMayo's pitch for the revival was the idea that the original series was made in a "simple [time] of right and wrong, where questions about identity and social justice had relatively clear cut answers", but the people who grew-up watching the original had since experienced 9/11, a rise in populist movements, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other traumatic events. DeMayo particularly highlighted the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting which had personally impacted him as a gay man who had partied at that club. He wanted the X-Men to go through a similarly traumatic event and face "the realities of an adult and unsafe world" just like the audience of the original series had, which led to the attack on the mutant nation of Genosha in the fifth episode. This is based on the "E Is for Extinction" storyline from New X-Men #115 (2001) by Morrison and Frank Quitely, though the attack is not perpetrated by Cassandra Nova as in that comic. Following the fifth episode, the X-Men have to decide how they will change in response to the attack and whether social healing or social justice is needed. The reveal that Bastion is responsible for the Genosha attack leads to the season's three-part finale, which includes elements from the crossover event "Operation: Zero Tolerance" (1997). The final episodes see the X-Men split into two teams, Blue and Gold, as was done in the 1990s comics. Magneto ripping the adamantium metal from Wolverine's skeleton at the end of the ninth episode was adapted from the crossover event "Fatal Attractions" (1993).

Casting and voice recording
With the revival's announcement, several voice actors were revealed to be returning from the original series: Cal Dodd (Logan / Wolverine), Lenore Zann (Rogue), George Buza (Henry "Hank" McCoy / Beast), Catherine Disher (Jean Grey), Chris Potter (Remy LeBeau / Gambit), Alison Sealy-Smith (Ororo Munroe / Storm), Adrian Hough (Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler), Christopher Britton (Nathaniel Essex / Mister Sinister), and Alyson Court (Jubilation Lee / Jubilee). Lawrence Bayne (Nathan Summers / Cable) and Ron Rubin (Morph) also returned. Dodd, Zann, Buza, Sealy-Smith, Hough, and Britton all reprised their roles from the original series, while the others voice new roles: Disher voices Dr. Valerie Cooper, Potter voices Nathan Summers / Cable, Court voices Abscissa, Bayne voices Carl Denti / X-Cutioner, and Rubin voices President Robert Edward Kelly.

Ray Chase takes on the role of Scott Summers / Cyclops following the death of original voice actor Norm Spencer; Jennifer Hale replaces Disher as the voice of Jean Grey; Holly Chou replaces Court as Jubilation Lee / Jubilee, with Court previously stating that she would not return to the role and hoped an Asian-American actor would voice the character instead;  A. J. LoCascio replaces Potter as Remy LeBeau / Gambit; Matthew Waterson voices Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto, following the death of David Hemblen; Gui Agustini voices Roberto da Costa / Sunspot; J. P. Karliak replaces Rubin as Morph; Isaac Robinson-Smith voices Lucan Bishop, replacing Philip Akin; Ross Marquand voices Professor Charles Xavier, replacing Cedric Smith; Gil Birmingham voices Forge following the death of Marc Strange; and Eric Bauza voices the Sentinels after the death of David Fox.

Meredith Layne was the casting and voice director for the series, responsible for casting actors and directing the voice recording sessions. New cast members were hired for instances where the original voice actor was not available or their voice was no longer appropriate for the character, and were intended to match the original performances. Recasting was also done to have more authentic representation (as with Court and Jubilee), because of specific vocal intonations (as with Cable to better highlight the "weird" father-son relationship with Cyclops), or for symbolic reasons (as with Disher now voicing Valerie Cooper). Regarding Disher's new role, DeMayo explained that Cooper delivers the series' thesis and he wanted Disher to be the one to present that since he felt "she was such the heart of the original series" and her original role as Jean Grey was "the epitome of empathy". Voice recording for the season began by November 2021, primarily taking place remotely over Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chase and Hale recorded scenes for the third episode together in-person because of how much dialogue they share in that episode, but they said this was a rare occasion for the series.

In February 2024, DeMayo said Theo James, who DeMayo worked with on the film The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf (2021), had been cast in a "fan favorite" role, later revealed to be Bastion. Reprising their roles from the series What If...? (2021–present) are Josh Keaton as Steve Rogers / Captain America and Michael Patrick McGill as Thunderbolt Ross.

Animation and design
Animation was provided by Studio Mir and Tiger Animation. The 2D animation style of the original series was retained, but "slightly modernized" to improve the quality and reflect advances in animation since the 1990s; Castorena described the series as "fresh, but familiar". Winderbaum said there was a "code of ethics" they followed to align with the restrictions of the 1990s animation, but they occasionally broke this for dramatic effect. Work on the season's animatics began by November 2021, and full animation began by April 2023. The season was in post-production by that July.

DeMayo said the costumes chosen for each character indicated which comic book storylines were being adapted by the series. Lead character designer Amelia Vidal retained the design concepts from the original series along with the style and aesthetics of the X-Men comic books of the 1970s to the 1990s. Nightcrawler's design is based on his appearance during John Byrne and Dave Cockrum's 1970s comic book runs. In the final episodes of the season, the X-Men don costumes based on their original comic book designs and those of the failed 1989 animation pilot X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men. DeMayo said this was always planned as part of the series' exploration of nostalgia. The original series' animators could not move Mister Sinister around much because of his complex design, which includes tendrils coming from his back; this was not an issue for the new series, but the animators chose to restrict the character's movements to align with the original series. To show emotion with Cyclops, whose eyes and eyebrows are covered by his visor, animators adjusted how the glints and reflections appeared on his visor. Castorena said other mutants' powers were also used in unique ways to convey their emotions, and his goal was to use mutant powers in ways that had not been seen before such as having Gambit charge Wolverine's claws with kinetic energy. Morph's shape-shifting powers allow for cameo appearances of other mutants.

A background in the fifth episode features the Watcher in a blink-and-you-miss-it Easter egg for fans. The Watcher was included because that character observes important moments throughout the multiverse, including the massacre in Genosha. Castorena said this was not necessarily the same version of the Watcher that appears in What If...? since a different version of the character also appeared in the original series.

Music
John Andrew Grush and Taylor Newton Stewart—known professionally as the Newton Brothers—were announced to be the composers for X-Men '97 in July 2022. On revisiting the original series, the composers realized that the music did not match with their childhood memories and many of the original synthesizer sounds would now sound dated to modern audiences. They chose to modernize the score with an orchestra, choir, and some modern synthesizers. After discussing the score's tone with DeMayo, they decided to begin closer to the original series and modernize the music more with each episode. They began by experimenting with ideas separately and then came together to write musical suites for each main character, defining sounds and instruments which could be their "calling cards". For instance, Storm's music uses woodwind instruments, choir, and chanting to reflect the wind aspect of her powers, while a waterphone and other metallic sounds were used for Magneto. To ensure the music did not become too modern, the composers took influence from 1990s musicians such as Michael Jackson, The Prodigy, Radiohead, and Depeche Mode. Jackson's "Thriller" particularly inspired the third episode, which "got the Gothic treatment" and includes an organ. The song "Happy Nation" by Ace of Base, which was released days after X-Men: The Animated Series premiered in 1992, is used prominently in the series in relation to the nation of Genosha and the Sentinel attack on it.

Marketing
The series was discussed during Marvel Studios Animation's panel at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, where animatics were shown. Completed animation from the season was shown a year later at the 2023 San Diego Comic-Con, where Hasbro's Marvel Legends figures for the series were also revealed. In December 2023, Marvel Comics announced a four-issue comic book prequel series, also titled X-Men '97, written by Steve Foxe and with art by Salva Espin. The comic was made in collaboration with the series' producers. Foxe said the comic was an "original tale that feeds right into" the new series. The first issue was released in March 2024. Foxe and Espin previously worked on X-Men '92, a comic book continuation of the original series. Select X-Men comic books released in March 2024 feature variant covers based on Hasbro's Marvel Legends figures for the series.

A trailer for the season was released on February 15, 2024, when the premiere date was announced. Charles Pulliam-Moore at The Verge and Joshua Rivera at Polygon both praised the trailer's nostalgia for the original series and specifically focused on the use of the original series' main theme. Ben Travis, writing for Empire, also noted the nostalgia and music as well as the "narrative weight" suggested by the trailer's character details. James Whitbrook at Gizmodo felt something was off about the trailer and identified that the animation "flits between looking oddly flat and stilted and some elements that almost look 3D", along with the combination of new and returning voice actors. However, he liked the series' aesthetic and some of the story ideas suggested by the trailer, and hoped that the elements which made him uneasy would work better when actually watching the series. The trailer reportedly set an internal Disney record as the biggest trailer launch for a Disney+ animated series, surpassing the trailers for What If...? and the service's Star Wars animated series.

Arcade1Up announced a home arcade cabinet, themed around X-Men '97, later in February. It features eight Marvel/Capcom video games: X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men: Children of the Atom (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes in War of the Gems (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1998), and Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000). The titles for each episode of the season were announced on a poster done in the style of a 1990s issue of TV Guide. The first three episodes debuted at the series' world premiere in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on March 13. By the end of the month, viewership for all five seasons of the original series had increased on Disney+ by 522 percent since the release of the trailer in February.

Release
The first two episodes premiered on the streaming service Disney+ on March 20, 2024. The other eight episodes were released weekly until May 15. The season was originally scheduled for release in late 2023.

Viewership
According to Whip Media, who track viewership data for the 25 million worldwide users of their TV Time app, X-Men '97 was the most anticipated new series of March 2024. Disney announced that the first episode had 4 million views worldwide in the five days following its release, marking the second-biggest first-season premiere for a full-length animated series on the service since the first season of What If...? in 2021. According to the streaming aggregator JustWatch, X-Men '97 was the fifth most watched television series across all platforms in the United States during the week of March 18–24, 2024. Whip Media reported that the show was the 2nd most streamed television series in the United States during the week of April 14, the week of April 21, and the week of April 28, 2024.

Critical response
X-Men '97 received critical acclaim. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that critics called the series "Marvel's best release in years", praising "its nostalgic 2D animation style, smart writing, and captivating action sequences". 98% of 63 reviews are positive on the website, with an average rating of 8.8/10. The website's critics consensus states, "Pulling off the x-traordinary feat of staying true to its beloved predecessor while charting a path forward for the franchise, X-Men '97 is simply x-cellent." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 82 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

Hayden Mears of TVLine complimented the show for combining the "vintage" feel with modernity in an "unassuming way". Francis Agustin of the BBC believed that the series was a shift away from the heavily interconnected Marvel Cinematic Universe. Alex Abad-Santos of Vox said "[e]verything about '97 reflects an affection and thoughtfulness, not just for the Saturday morning cartoon but for the X-Men, too", praising the show for its understanding of the source material. Brian Lowry of CNN News commented on the series' more adult tone and noted how it managed to remain faithful to the original series in spite of it. Simon Gallagher from Screen Rant said "27 years after The Animated Series ended, X-Men '97 takes the original further, adding freshness without betraying anything that made us love it" and praising the show for its story, chosen plots and improved animation style.

Accolades
The series is nominated for Breakthrough Drama Series at the 2024 Gotham TV Awards, attributed to Beau DeMayo, Victoria Alonso, Louis D'Esposito, Kevin Feige, and Brad Winderbaum.

Documentary special
In February 2021, the documentary series Marvel Studios: Assembled was announced. The specials go behind the scenes of the Marvel Studios films and television series with cast members and additional creatives. The special of this series, "The Making of X-Men '97", features cast members from the original series and X-Men '97 who reveal their behind-the-scenes stories, and it explores the origins of the original series. It is scheduled to be released on Disney+ on May 22, 2024.