That Incredible Wolverine Moment In X-Men ’97 Trailer Is Deeper Than You Realize

The X-Men ’97 trailer’s best moment comes near the end with Wolverine and Gambit, though the epic shot speaks to something much deeper than just being a cool moment of teamwork. Picking up where the original X-Men animated series from the 90s left off, X-Men ’97 will continue the adventures of Marvel’s premiere mutant team. However, they may be using their powers in some new and very exciting way if the trailer is any indication.

As seen in the first trailer for Marvel Studios’ X-Men ’97, Professor Charles Xavier has died and has surprisingly left everything to Magneto. However, the X-Men are still being led by Cyclops, and there are sure to be more big reveals on the way such as Jean Grey’s pregnancy and teases regarding the Hellfire Gala. However, Wolverine and Gambit’s epic power combo at the trailer’s end provides an epic nod to the legacy of the X-Men from the original comics.

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The X-Men ’97 Trailer’s Best Moment Comes From Gambit and Wolverine

Superhero Teamwork At Its Finest

As seen at the end of the new X-Men ’97 trailer, Gambit hops onto Wolverine’s back before using his powers to charge Logan’s claws with kinetic energy. It’s a move that has amazingly been referred to by fans online as “Cutting the Deck”, and many wanted to know who came up with this exciting idea. As such, X-Men ’97’s supervising producer Jake Castorena recently confirmed on Instagram that the move was his idea, responding to a post from @stefania_sassano.

While the end result isn’t shown, one can imagine that whoever’s on the receiving end won’t be doing well after enduring the combined abilities of both Gambit and Wolverine. The benefit of this combo likely comes from the idea that Wolverine’s adamantium claws can either hold the charge for more powerful attacks, or that his healing factor will take care of any resulting explosions. Regardless, the act of teamwork itself speaks to a greater legacy of X-Men combos in the comics known as “mutant circuits”.

How Wolverine and Gambit’s “Cutting The Deck” Honors The X-Men’s Legacy

Mutant Circuits From Marvel Comics

The X-Men have always been a Marvel Comics team that’s incredibly focused on power combos and enhanced teamwork. For example, the most famous and original mutant circuit being “The Fastball Special” where Colossus throws Wolverine, attacking targets neither can hit alone. As such, X-Men ’97’s “Cutting the Deck” with Wolverine and Gambit feels like a very clear nod to this idea.

In more recent X-Men comics, the concept of mutant circuits has been explored to an even greater degree with mutantkind using circuits as a form of established technology. This is the case with The Five, a group of mutants capable of resurrecting any mutant from the dead using their combined powers on the island nation of Krakoa. To that end, “Cutting the Deck” in the X-Men ’97 trailer is hopefully a very exciting tease that fans may soon see even more exciting synergies of X-Men powers in the actual show, perhaps going even further than combos during a battle.

X-Men ’97

Animation

Adventure

Action

Superhero

X-Men ’97 is the direct continuation of the popular 1990s animated series X-Men: The Animated Series. Taking up where the third season left off, Marvel’s revival brings back famous mutants such as Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Gambit, Cyclops, Beast, Magneto, and Nightcrawler, who fight villains like Mr. Sinister, the Sentinels, and the Hellfire Club.

Cast

Jennifer Hale , Chris Potter , Alison Sealy-Smith , Lenore Zann , Cal Dodd , Catherine Disher , Adrian Hough , Ray Chase , Chris Britton , George Buza

Release Date

March 20, 2024

Seasons

1

Streaming Service(s)

Disney+

Franchise(s)

X-Men

Writers

Beau DeMayo

Directors

Jake Castorena

Creator(s)

Beau DeMayo

Where To Watch

Disney Plus