SlashFilm Gives X-Men '97' Season 2 a 9/10 Ahead of July 1 Disney+ Premiere

Q: The X-Men are split between past and future. Which timeline holds the key to defeating the immortal Apocalypse?

The future timeline appears to hold the key to defeating Apocalypse. Reviews and supporting coverage point most clearly to 3960 A.D., where Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Morph and Wolverine are stranded and where they encounter young Nathan Summers. That future storyline is framed around Nathan’s destiny to become Cable, the figure prophesied to defeat Apocalypse. The season’s narrative symmetry reinforces this: while Professor X and Magneto try to shape young En Sabah Nur in ancient Egypt, Cyclops and Jean are effectively helping prepare Apocalypse’s eventual conqueror in the far future. That does not make the past irrelevant. The ancient Egypt storyline is crucial to understanding Apocalypse’s origins, motives and possible turning points. Xavier, Magneto, Rogue, Beast and Nightcrawler are placed at the moment En Sabah Nur is still young and malleable, suggesting the past may reveal how he became Apocalypse—or whether that path can be altered. Early commentary also stresses that events in both past and future can affect the present. Still, if the question is which timeline most directly holds the answer to defeating him, the evidence favors the future. Season 2 repeatedly positions Cable’s rise in the dystopian future as the clearest path to Apocalypse’s downfall, even as the past provides the deeper explanation for how that conflict began.

3 articles · Updated · SlashFilm · Jun 15

A 9/10 SlashFilm review says “X-Men ’97” Season 2 rewards the two-year wait, praising its first 4 episodes as a strong continuation rather than a sophomore slump.
Season 2 picks up after the cliffhanger with the X-Men split across a dystopian 3960 AD, ancient Egypt and the 1990s, while Forge and Bishop try to bring them home.
The review highlights faster-moving but more focused storytelling, stronger animation and a standout Episode 2 action sequence featuring Jubilee battling X-Factor aboard a helicarrier.
Character work remains central, with Cyclops and Jean confronting parenthood, Rogue grieving Gambit and Wolverine kept in a supporting role as Apocalypse emerges as the season’s main threat.
Disney+ will premiere the new season on July 1, with SlashFilm arguing the 9-episode run reinforces Season 1’s reputation as one of Marvel’s strongest screen projects.