As Disney continues to delay Marvel Studios 2023 streaming slate, on project that was recently said to still be headed to the service this year is X-Men ’97. A revival of the beloved X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Men ’97 was announced during 2021’s Disney Plus Day and the first ten-episode season has always been framed as starting right where X-Men: The Animated Series left off. During the recent X-Men: 60 Uncanny Years Live Virtual Event, X-Men ’97 showrunner Beau DeMayo addressed that possibility and gave some insight into what to expect from the new show.
“We’re gonna be picking up about several months after Professor X left Earth after being shot by Henry Gyrich and had to return to the Shi’ar homeworld to be with Lilandra,” DeMayo said of where X-Men ’97 begins. Gyrich’s attempted assassination of Xavier was broadcast for the whole world to see, something DeMayo says will come into play in the new season. “And what ends up happening is that assassination attempt has led to this wave of increased sympathy towards mutants and understanding.” What does that mean for the X-Men, who were used to being hunted and hated? According to DeMayo, it’s a more positive outlook than they’re used to and that will be an adjustment.
Despite the friends of humanity still having their mullets and getting all up in it, things are really starting to look up for mutants. And this is gonna kind of come to a head and leads our X-Men to say, ‘What does our future hold for us? We weren’t expecting this.
Beau DeMayo
Not everyone on the team sees the same opportunity, however. According to DeMayo, Cyclops and Storm want to take charge in the absence of Charles and “carry on the dream”, something Magneto is intent on doing with them, while others see it as a chance to move on. Either way, X-Men ’97 is about facing the future, according to the showrunner.
As the X-Men are kind of looking at the future and, we’re going to be talking a lot about this, ‘How do you face the future? How do the X-Men do what they’ve been telling humanity to do for decades, which is embrace the future?
Beau DeMayo
Will fans get to pick up the old storyline this year? Marvel Studios has yet to make anything official and recent rumblings have suggested that yet another release date shuffle may have taken place. So until you tune in for the first episode of the new season, don’t count your chickens.
Source: Marvel Unlimited via The Direct
