No one expected X-Men ‘97 to go as hard as it did. The animated series felt like yet another excuse to capitalize on some noughties nostalgia and curb some of the superhero fatigue that’s been plaguing Marvel Studios of late. It definitely ended up doing the latter, as ‘97 might be one of the best superhero projects of the past five years — but it largely sheds the safe trappings of nostalgia in favor of something much more radical.
