Marvel Takes the X-Men Back to the '90s
By Joseph Montgomery
When it comes to Marvel’s massive collection of stories and sagas, one of its most revered works is the X-Men franchise.
First introduced back in September 1963, the "X-Men" comics follow a group of mutant humans who are born with genetically enhanced abilities. They were assembled by the telepathic Professor Charles Xavier, A.K.A. Professor X. Under his guidance, the X-Men set out to not only fight against crime and villainy but to also ensure that they ― alongside the rest of mutant-kind can be peacefully accepted by the rest of humanity.
Marvel’s editor-in-chief Stan Lee, who co-created the X-Men alongside illustrator Jack Kirby, first conceived the idea of producing a comic series with mutants as the superheroes.
“Then it occurred to me that instead of them just being heroes that everybody admired, what if I made other people fear and suspect and actually hate them because they were different?” Lee shared in a 2000 interview with The Guardian. “I loved that idea; it not only made them different, but it was a good metaphor for what was happening with the civil rights movement in the country at that time.”
The X-Men franchise spawned many comics over the years and has been given numerous big-screen adaptations. One of the most popular highlights of the franchise, however, involves its animated series that ran during the 1990’s.
Much like the original comics, “X-Men: The Animated Series” follows the team as they fight for the peaceful coexistence between mutants and regular humans. The show ran for five seasons from 1992 to 1997, with a total of seventy-six episodes, and is currently recognized as a significant staple to both Marvel and 1990s nostalgia.
Now, about twenty-seven years later, Marvel will bring back its iconic series on Disney+.
“X-Men ‘97” is an animated series that will continue the adventures of the X-Men after the original show. Although the series was first announced back in November 2021, the official trailer for the series was released by Marvel on February 15.
The trailer opens with a brief recap of the original show’s series finale, “Graduation Day”. In this episode, Professor X suffers a fatal illness that initially takes his life but then becomes taken under the care and hospitality of an alien species known as the Shi’ar and their Empress Lilandra ― whom Professor X shares a close relationship with. The episode closes with the X-Men watching as their leader is taken away, leaving his lifelong mission of peace between mutants and the rest of humanity up to them.
The trailer then shows various scenes and details to be featured in the new series, from Jean Grey becoming pregnant with her boyfriend Cyclops’ child to Magneto inheriting everything originally owned by Professor X.
Based on the trailer, the animation will have a similar appearance and aesthetic as its predecessor. The series has also been rated TV-14, as opposed to the original series’ TV-Y7-FV rating; this seems to confirm that the new show will be a bit more mature than the previous one.
Some of the voice actors from the original animated series will reprise their respective roles for “X-Men ‘97” ― with primary examples including Cal Dodd as Wolverine; Lenore Zann as Rogue; George Buza as Beast; Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm; Chris Potter as Gambit; and Catherine Disher as Jean Grey.
Beau DeMayo leads the show as its head writer and creator, while Chase Conley and Jake Castorena are confirmed to direct some of the episodes. Kevin Feige and Louis D’Esposito, frequent executive producers for many of Marvel’s films and shows, will serve as a few of the executive producers alongside DeMayo for this series.
"X-Men '97" will soon be brought into action on Disney+, starting on March 20. Until then, who knows how Marvel will continue one of its most extraordinary works?