After its finale earned rave reviews, X-Men ’97 matches a Rotten Tomatoes record previously held by a surprising Marvel show

X-Men '97 episode 9 still
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

X-Men '97 is officially the highest-rated Marvel TV show on Rotten Tomatoes – but shares the honor with another, perhaps more underrated Marvel show.

X-Men '97 and Ms Marvel currently hold a 98% Fresh critic rating on RT, though X-Men holds a higher audience score of 94% than Ms Marvel's 80%. 

The critically acclaimed show serves as a continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series, with our favorite group of mutants learning how to cope in a post-Charles Xavier world. As it turns out, Professor X's absence is the least of their worries – and there's so much else at stake. Some critics have called the series Marvel's best release in years, with others pointing out how refreshing it is to have a Marvel release that isn't connected to the MCU. The show has been greenlit for both a second and third season.

Ms Marvel, which hit Disney Plus in 2022, follows an Avengers-obsessed 16-year-old named Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) who ends up developing her own powers. The miniseries ran for one season before Kamala appeared in The Marvels alongside Brie Larson as Captain Marvel and Teyonah Paris as Monica Rambeau. 

Something both shows have in common, besides the whole Marvel thing, is the fact that Kamala Khan herself is a mutant. This makes Kamala the first mutant in the MCU, with Wolverine coming in second thanks to the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine. Kinda cool to see two mutant-centered shows in the top spot.

X-Men '97 season 1 is streaming now on Disney Plus. For more, check out our guide to the X-Men '97 post-credits scene explained.

CATEGORIES
Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

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