Serving as a revival of the 1992 X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Men ’97 — which began streaming on Disney+ on March 20 — picked up where the original series ended almost three decades ago. While it has been years since the show last aired, the highly anticipated reboot has proven that the mutants’ unwavering power has never dwindled. According to Disney‘s data (via Deadline), X-Men ’97 has managed to hit four million views during its first five days, making it the most-watched full-length animated series premiere on the streamer since the first season of What If…? debuted in 2021.
Disney+ defines a view as the total hours watched divided by the show’s runtime. Apart from becoming the streaming platform’s most-viewed animated series premiere, the new record also puts X-Men ’97 — of which each episode runs about 30 minutes long — ahead of other reboots like The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. In addition, views across all five seasons of the original 1992 animated series have climbed significantly since X-Men ’97‘s trailer first came out earlier this year.
X-Men ‘97 Reintroduces the Team of Heroic Mutants
X-Men ’97 did not stray too far away from the original, continuing where the first series left off by following Professor X‘s (voiced by Cedric Smith) quest into space with Shi’ar ally Lilandra (Camilla Scott) to receive medical treatment. The X-Men founder, however, is considered dead for now unless his space adventure proves to have worked as the 10-episode series progresses. Not only did X-Men ’97 offer an ultimate throwback from the iconic era of the 1990s, but the show has also reintroduced the beloved mutants, all while staying faithful to the source material by bringing back almost the entire cast of X-Men: The Animated Series.
The Disney+ series follows the titular heroes, as well as a few baddies, as they “use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them.” The returning voice cast members include Cal Dodd as Wolverine, Lenore Zann as Rogue, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Chris Potter as Gambit, Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler, George Buza as Beast, and Chris Britton as the show’s main antagonist, Mr. Sinister (otherwise known as Nathaniel Essex). Joining them are Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Ray Chase as Cyclops, JP Karliak as Morph, and Matthew Waterson as the somehow even hotter version of Magneto.
X-Men ’97 Season 2 is confirmed to be underway and will arrive on Disney+ at a later date. The first two episodes of Season 1 are available to stream now, with the remaining eight episodes airing on Wednesdays. You can also stream the original animated series on the platform.
via Collider