The critic reviews for X-Men '97 Season 2 are getting ready to come in, and fans are more than ready to hear about the upcoming installment. It has been more than two years since Marvel Animation released an episode of X-Men '97, and around 27 months since the first season debuted on Disney+, but everything will change when Season 2 of the hit animated show returns to the streaming platform. Not only will fans be given an entirely new season centered around the X-Men, but they will also not have to wait as long for Season 3 (which has already been confirmed) to be released, as Marvel is aiming to put out future seasons of the series on a yearly basis.
As revealed by @EmbargoLiftsFor via X, the review embargo for X-Men '97 Season 2 will be lifted on Saturday, June 13 at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT. If this seems early for a review embargo to be lifted, that is because it is, as X-Men '97 Season 2 is not scheduled to be released on Disney+ until July 1, around two-and-a-half weeks later. Notably, the social media embargo will also be lifted on the same day, meaning general audiences will get to see short reactions on social media at the same time that they receive full reviews.
Notably, critics will have watched the first four episodes of Season 2 by that date, and will only be reviewing those specific installments. Most likely, the press will receive the rest of the episodes at a later date, and it is possible there will be pretty big spoilers in those later episodes, which would explain why Marvel is waiting to give them to the media until later on.
It is also worth mentioning that the first four episodes of X-Men '97 Season 2 will be screened at the Tribeca Festival on June 13, which is another reason the review embargo will be lifted on that particular date.
The fact that Marvel Animation is screening the first four episodes on June 13 and is allowing reviews to be published that far in advance of the season debuting on Disney+ should be a promising sign for the season. In most cases, if a studio allows reviews to be published that early, it signals the studio is extremely confident in the project and expects the reviews to be overwhelmingly positive. That wouldn't come as a surprise, as Season 1 was such a success for Marvel Animation and is often viewed as one of the best superhero projects that has been released within the last decade.
While Season 1 was generally viewed as extremely successful, it wasn't without its issues. Hopefully, the reviews for the first four episodes indicate that Season 2 will be fixing those problems early on.
What X-Men '97 Season 2 Could Improve From Season 1
Pacing
A lot of fans really appreciated X-Men '97 Season 1 as a whole, but one common complaint is that it was too fast-paced. This isn't uncommon with an animated series that only has 10 episodes that are around 30 minutes apiece, but the show introduced so many different storylines and focused on so many different character arcs, so it could be more beneficial if Season 2 slows down a bit to allow those storylines to organically play out and breathe.
Wasted Cameos
As mentioned, X-Men '97 Season 1 included a lot of different major characters. However, it also featured multiple cameos from other members of the X-Men, and a lot of viewers felt as though those cameos were somewhat wasted. Now, it is important to mention that some of those characters, like Magik, Archangel, and Multiple Man (who had cameo roles in Season 1), will be returning in Season 2 for more substantial roles, but many would enjoy it if Season 2's cameos didn't feel empty, and would directly impact the story or existing character arcs.
Better Utilization of Non-X-Men Marvel Characters
X-Men '97 Season 1 didn't just include superheroes on the X-Men team, and instead brought in non-X-Men heroes, such as Iron Man and Captain America. Season 2 is going to continue the trend of featuring characters outside of the X-Men heroes and villains, as it was recently confirmed that Rama-Tut, a Variant of Kang the Conqueror, will be showing up at some point. This likely means more non-X-Men characters will be included throughout Season 2 as well, just like in Season 1, and, hopefully, Season 2 can better utilize them and integrate them into the whole story as opposed to just showcasing them in minor cameo roles.
