X-Men '97 Officially Confirms Marvel's Coolest Mutant (And It's Not Wolverine)
From Cal Dodd's iteration on "X-Men: The Animated Series" to Hugh Jackman's interpretation throughout the entire "X-Men" movie timeline, Wolverine has traditionally been the poster boy for the "X-Men" franchise. And yet "X-Men '97" has prompted a shift in popularity when it comes to Marvel's team of superhero mutants, with eyes moving away from the iconic Canuk and toward the one that uses his as a lethal weapon: Scott Summers, aka Cyclops (Ray Chase).
The first two episodes of "X-Men '97" bring a new perspective to Cyclops, who displays the kind of team leadership and heroic standard that has been sorely missed from any live-action version we've seen. For starters, the character we're reunited with on the Disney+ cartoon isn't the staunch, stiff-lipped leader appointed by Charles Xavier (Cedric Smith).
Perhaps preparing to become a father has redirected his concerns away from the team and the rules and regulations he's been known to enforce, but the Cyclops we see here comes with a little more sass. He's shown dispatching members of the Friends of Humanity with a smirk and more importantly, applying his powers in battle in a style that puts the adamantium-laced loner to shame. Sorry, bub.
Cyclops' optic blast moves him to lens-endary status
On "X-Men: The Animated Series," Cyclops is relegated to Charles Xavier's staunch, heroic hall monitor, and his optic blast feels like nothing more than a laser beam. Here, though, a clear case is made as to why he's leading the team, and much of it comes from how powerful he truly is.
The untold truth is that Marvel's Cyclops is an expert tactician and strategist both on "X-Men '97" and in the comics, something that both "The Animated Series" and the "X-Men" movies skim over. Heck, it almost makes you want to be on his side when he and Wolverine get heated.
More importantly, though, it begs the question of whether this fresh treatment of what was previously a poorly portrayed hero will be reflected on the big screen when the Marvel Cinematic Universe debuts its official live-action iteration of the character.
X-Men '97's Cyclops has set a bar that the MCU needs to match
While fans have to wait a bit longer for the X-Men to arrive in the MCU, that doesn't mean what we've seen so far hasn't checked some boxes already. Besides Patrick Stewart returning as Charles Xavier and hovering into "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" in his iconic yellow chair, Hugh Jackman is set to don Wolverine's classic costume in "Deadpool & Wolverine." With any luck, the MCU's live-action iteration of Cyclops will pack the same kind of punch with his optic blast as the one on "X-Men '97."
Whether Scott Summers is played by Glen Powell (who has addressed rumors that he's been cast as Cyclops for the MCU's X-Men), James Marsden, Tye Sheridan, or someone else, he should come from the same master mold (no, not that one) that has been perfected on the 2024 series, which has proven without a doubt that the "X-Men" franchise isn't all about Wolverine but that there's plenty of room for the team leader he's constantly having issues with, whether the scraggly-faced cutlery set likes it or not.