X-Men 97 Trailer: 5 Secrets Most People Missed

Originally posted on Men's Journal | By Griff Griffin | Last updated Feb 16, 2024 7:17 AM ET

Marvel has released the first trailer for animated series X-Men '97, and it features tons of hidden details a lot of people overlooked.

Ahead of the show's premier on Disney+ Wednesday, March 20, here are five secrets we've spotted. Marvel loves to tease.

Meanwhile, did you know a Bourne sequel was teased by Matt Damon?

It’s a direct continuation

Firstly, as a follow-up to X-Men: The Animated Series, which debuted in 1992, X-Men ‘97’s trailer starts where that one ended: with Professor X on his deathbed. Fans knew it would tie into the ‘90s show, but perhaps not quite this directly. We'll see Cyclops take over as the X-Men's head in Xavier's absence - at least, for the time being.

Spider-Man confirmed

Next we see a close-up of The Daily Bugle, the paper Spider-Man works for as a photographer for. It teases a handful of heroes. One headline reads “Is Spiderman a mutant?,” while an image below shows Banshee and Dust modelling some outfits at the “Hellfire Gala”. Hellfire is an Inhuman who can ignite objects by touching them.

The Savage Land

We’re a long way from Westchester County, New York. At one point in the trailer we see a sun-drenched location that looks similar to a place in the comics called The Savage Land, a secret area in Antarctica where prehistoric creatures thrive. In season two of X-Men: The Animated Series, Xavier and Magneto teamed up to escape The Savage Land, which impressed the natives. That explains the statues.

The trial of Magneto

X-Men ‘97 looks like it’s adapting several different storylines. In this shot from the trailer, we see Magneto standing before what appears to be the United Nations. This is similar to 1985 comic The Trial of Magneto, which sees the metal-controlling supervillain acquitted of his crimes. It begins a redemption arc putting him on the path to good.

Magneto replaces Charles

Cyclops may direct his team on the battlefield, but Magneto is now leading the X-Men. In the final shot of the trailer, we see Magneto holding The Last Will and Testament of the seemingly now-deceased Professor X. He’s taking over as the X-Men’s leader, as per Professor X’s instructions, just as he does in both the Uncanny X-Men comics, and the Age of Apocalypse comics.