The Best TV Show To Watch After ‘X-Men ‘97’ Season 2 Might Surprise You
X-Men ‘97 (2024) has been a massive hit with fans, bringing them back to the universe established in X-Men (1992) in a way that feels consistent with the old stories while charting new paths forward. For superhero fans, it’s been a delight, with the perfect mix of self-aware comedy, genuine emotional pathos, and complex storytelling to draw the audience in. It’s also far from the first superhero show to find that balance.
With Season 2 coming to a close and an unknown amount of time to wait before the next two batches of episodes, fans might want to bide their time with some other additions to the genre. One great pick for superhero fans is Young Justice (2013). Coming from Gargoyles (1994) and The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008) creator Greg Weisman, Young Justice shares some very key elements with X-Men ‘97 that make the former an ideal follow-up to Marvel’s mutants. Watch it now on Prime Video or Apple TV!
It Is Ensemble First
One of the key appeals of the X-Men has always been the way it’s a true ensemble show, something it shares with Young Justice. Both properties have a wide range of characters that the focus shifts to on different occasions, allowing each viewer to pick their own favorites. The rotating focus shifts different characters into the spotlight at different times, allowing different narrative throughlines to kick into gear in separate sub-plots and storylines that can reflect off one another or expose new sides of the established characters.
While characters like Wolverine in X-Men or Robin/Nightwing in Young Justice might steal the spotlight thanks to their popularity and prominence in other adaptations, they never truly take over the show and actually gain new dimensions in their supporting positions to other dynamics and narratives. Both shows are genuine ensembles that don’t let a single hero become the sole protagonist, which does wonders to keep the pace active and the stories fresh.
The Characters Evolve
While there are some superhero adaptations that work terrifically as a collection of self-contained adventures like Batman: The Animated Series (1992), X-Men and Young Justice both thrive on being larger narratives with more consistent and complex throughlines. Across multi-season arcs, the heroes are forced to confront their wants, their fears, and their limits. As a result, the shows aren’t afraid to mess with expectation. Mortality means something in these shows, as long-running and fan-favorite characters can be killed off as part of their adventures.
Dynamics can change and grow in different ways, exposing new layers to characters or twisting their true selves into unexpected forms. The characters genuinely grow and change. Young Justice made that a key part of the show’s appeal, especially after it took a five-year time-jump between seasons 1 and 2. It used that window to radically change several characters and introduce a new host of heroes, all while remaining consistent with their planned throughlines.
Superhero Politics
The underlying politics present in superhero narratives can be downplayed in many adaptations. Shows like Teen Titans (2003) or Marvel Zombies (2025) have central narratives or character arcs, but they lean into their stylization over their substance. By contrast, X-Men ‘97 and Young Justice both explore the larger ramifications of their metaphors. X-Men ‘97 is a blatantly political story that explores the horrors of prejudice and the lengths that institutional fear will go to combat the new.
Young Justice touches on some similar ideas with their exploration of aliens, but their political focus is more broadly centered on differing global interests and power structures. Especially the “Outsiders” storyline, which centered on a trafficking ring taking place across the world, doesn’t allow the superpowered elements to overwhelm the more realistic metaphors at play. Fans of how X-Men ‘97 is willing to grapple with heavy subjects will find lots to love in this ambitious DC property.
It Grows With Its Audience
Both Young Justice and X-Men began as more family-friendly material. While they were certainly more complex than some other adaptations of the genre, there was a certain level of simplicity that makes sense for all-ages animation. However, these two shows quickly proved willing to grow with their audience and evolve their focus to match. Characters in X-Men ‘97 have nuanced views on others, gaining new respect for old foes. The heroes of Young Justice steadily learn the limits of their noble intentions and find themselves forced to confront more vicious methods to earn their happy ending.
Both shows proved willing to tackle these changes with a bluntness that has to be respected. They allowed heroes to become villains, monsters to become allies, and for major deaths to actually stick. In both cases, the shows were improved by these changes, growing into striking new states that underscore the narrative potential of the superhero genre as a whole. If you’re finished with X-Men ‘97 and already desperate for another taste of that style of superheroes, then Young Justice is the right saga to engage with.
