Summary

• X-Men '97 marks a success for Marvel, allowing for experimentation in future projects outside the MCU.
• The show's independence from MCU canon benefits its storytelling and character development, earning praise from fans.
• High-stakes narratives like X-Men '97 wouldn't fit in the MCU, showcasing the value of non-MCU Marvel content.

and Secret Invasion came and went with disappointing viewership regardless of quality. Thankfully, X-Men '97 is a bright spot for Marvel television, garnering praise from critics and audiences alike.

The series was sure to be a hit as it's a continuation of the wildly popular X-Men: The Animated Series from the 1990s, but it has expanded beyond that. People who grew up with the original love it, but it has also struck a chord with new viewers, making them even more invested in Marvel's mutants. It's not an official part of the MCU, but that's something Marvel should learn from when thinking about future projects.

X-Men '97 Proves The Value Of Non-MCU Marvel Studios Content

Since the MCU kicked off in 2008 with Iron Man, Marvel Studios has done an excellent job of keeping everything within canon. Other X-Men and Spider-Man films created by Sony and Fox exist outside the MCU, but Marvel now has the rights to all of these characters and is starting to wrap them into the larger MCU multiverse. However, X-Men '97 still exists outside the MCU or any of its multiverses and is an independent entity. While it'd be great to see these characters within the larger MCU, this show benefits from not being constrained to MCU canon.

It's refreshing to watch Marvel content without worrying about how it'll connect to the next movie or TV show or how it fits into the larger universe. While it does take place within a Marvel universe where other heroes and villains are present, it keeps the attention on the X-Men and gives each character many moments to shine. Creating projects outside a connected universe has worked for DC with Joker and The Batman, and X-Men '97's success proves that Marvel needs to consider more non-MCU movies and TV shows.

Why X-Men '97 Couldn't Work In The MCU

X-Men '97 is a show that works best on its own, as its stakes are way too high. Episode 5's attack on Genosha had massive consequences, and it wouldn't work in the MCU, especially halfway through the season. Since the end of Avengers: Endgame, many MCU projects have dealt with the blip and its consequences, so a majority of Marvel projects would have to address the attack on Genosha somehow. Additionally, Bastion and his army of human-sentinel hybrids are a global problem, and the Avengers would have to deal with it if it happened in the MCU.

The series already featured many heroes, like Spider-Man, Daredevil, Captain America, and Iron Man, dealing with the fallout of the X-Men's battle, so there's no way of knowing how the MCU would handle this storyline. X-Men '97 also tells many iconic X-Men storylines throughout the season. Some stories, like Madelyne Pryor's Goblin Queen, are covered in one episode, while others are stretched into multiple parts. These stories couldn't be used in the live-action MCU if they were already adapted in a canon X-Men series.

Other Marvel Projects Perfect For Non-MCU Adaptations

Marvel has plenty of characters it can use if it wants to create more isolated projects. One option is continuing the 1990s Spider-Man animated series, which many are clamoring for after his cameo in X-Men '97. There is also the 1990s The Incredible Hulk, which also received a reference in the series. Both of these options would be excellent ways of building Marvel's animated portfolio and creating an opportunity for an animated universe. It also gives Marvel a chance to take characters in different directions without affecting their current MCU status.

For example, many want to see the Hulk smash again and are disappointed by Mark Ruffalo's transition into Professor Hulk. An isolated Hulk series allows Marvel to provide a more feral, aggressive Hulk for audiences without changing the direction of Ruffalo's Bruce Banner. Characters with darker stories like Daredevil or The Punisher could also have more R-rated stories that don't tarnish the family-friendly image that the MCU has. X-Men '97 is a reminder that there is an unlimited catalog of stories Marvel could adapt into isolated projects without affecting the main MCU.