X-Men '97's Rotten Tomatoes Score Is A Huge Win For Marvel (But Not The MCU)
With plenty of fan anticipation and overwhelmingly positive first reactions behind it, the animated series "X-Men '97" has arrived on the Disney+ streaming service. The program carries on the legacy of the beloved "X-Men: The Animated Series," which ran from 1992 to 1997, bringing with it plenty of action, drama, familiar faces, and, naturally, several new characters. According to those on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, all of these elements and more come together to create something truly special. "X-Men '97" boasts quite astonishing critic and audience scores right out of the gate.
At the time of publication, "X-Men '97" is at a 100% Certified Fresh critic score with 31 reviews and a 94% fresh audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This is incredibly impressive for any project and a huge boost for the overall Marvel brand, but, unfortunately, it doesn't mean much specifically for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "X-Men '97" isn't considered a part of the MCU, so it can't be considered responsible for rectifying the franchise's abysmal 2023, which saw such efforts as "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" and "Secret Invasion" flounder with critics on the site.
In addition to "X-Men '97" helping out Marvel's standing with critics, it also made adaptation history on Rotten Tomatoes.
X-Men '97 is the highest-rated X-Men adaptation on Rotten Tomatoes to date
Throughout the years, the X-Men and their supporting characters have been adapted to screens big and small. From the original animated series to 20th Century Fox's often frustrating "X-Men" movies, numerous creatives have had a shot at redefining Marvel's mutant icons. All in all, "X-Men" adaptations have proven to be a mixed bag with moviegoers, TV watchers, and critics alike, with some rising through the ranks to become near-universal favorites while others sank to the depths of superhero adaptation infamy.
In the eyes of Rotten Tomatoes critics, "X-Men '97" is the pinnacle of adaptations. Its perfect critic score is the highest of any "X-Men"-centric effort, clearing the next closest project — the 2014 film "X-Men: Days of Future Past" — by a whole 10%. The lowest-scoring X-Men production to date is "Dark Phoenix" from 2019 with a disappointing 22% rotten critic score. As for the predecessor to "X-Men '97," "X-Men: The Animated Series," it just falls short of its sequel series with an 83% fresh critic score.
With more seasons of "X-Men '97" on the way, it'll be interesting to see how the series continues to fare on Rotten Tomatoes. Hopefully, it will find prosperity on the site in the coming years, as would the currently critically shaky MCU. "X-Men '97" Season 1 will run for 10 episodes exclusively on Disney+.