Highlights
- X-Men '97 will be a revival of the beloved X-Men: The Animated Series, featuring a classic lineup of characters from Marvel Comics.
- The first episode will showcase the X-Men on a mission to confront a new Sentinel threat, incorporating elements of danger and utilizing their skills to save themselves.
- The inclusion of new characters like Archangel, Bishop, and Sunspot, as well as the return of familiar ones like Cyclops, will add depth and excitement to the series.
X-Men '97 episode 1 plot details were revealed by producers at San Diego Comic-Con 2023, where a sneak peek of the finished animation was shown.
Based on the characters from Marvel Comics, X-Men '97 is a revival of the well-loved X-Men: The Animated Series that initially ran for 5 seasons from 1992 to 1997. The series featured a classic lineup of X-Men from earlier comic book runs that included Cyclops, Wolverine, Rogue, Storm, Beast, Gambit, Jubilee, Jean Gray, and Professor X alongside a Changeling-esque original character called Morph. Talks of a revival started up in 2019, leading up to an official announcement in 2021. The project is the first in line for Marvel Studios after reacquiring the rights for the X-Men, and an X-Men '97 writer teased an MCU connection.
Fan anticipation for the show has been understandably high, but there has been little to go on other than sparse details and first looks at characters from new X-Men '97 merchandise. Speaking in an interview with Marvel at San Diego Comic-Con 2023, executive producer Beau DeMayo discussed a teaser clip revealed at the event, which showed the first look at finished footage for the show. “We showed a clip from the first episode that shows the X-Men going off on a mission to confront a new Sentinel threat... And mid-mission, they are unexpectedly attacked and have to use their Danger Room practice skills to save themselves."
The preview also featured a lot of new information about the series, such as confirming a pregnant Jean Gray and the addition of Archangel and Bishop to the team alongside newcomer Sunspot. There was also a callback to the original X-Men animated series in a strong showing for Cyclops, which supervising producer Jake Castorena attributed to the strong writing. “Look, I can’t take all the credit... Beau gave us a really good script and a really good scene and a really good epic moment that makes you go, ‘that’s why Cyclops is the leader of the X-Men.’”
The Sentinels, giant mechanical mutant hunters created to combat the mutant “threat,” have always been stellar antagonists for the X-Men, playing a part in many of the team’s most well-received and emotionally important storylines. The preview clips also feature the X-Men questioning Bolivar Trask, the villain often responsible for creating the Sentinel program in the comic stories. These enemies have appeared in a litany of X-Men media over the years, including being prominently featured in the mediocre 2016 live-action film X-Men: Apocalypse, which star Oscar Isaac admitted to wishing was a better film. If one thing is sure, Trask and his monstrous creations will be an interesting part of the new series.
The producers surely appreciate the positive reception the reveal has elicited, as the show’s second season is already in production. Excitement has reached a new high after the San Diego Comic-Con preview. If X-Men '97 can embrace what made the original series great, this might be an unequaled triumph for Marvel Studios and spur more X-Men integration into mainline MCU projects.
X-Men '97 is expected to release on Disney Plus in late fall 2023.
Source: Marvel