''X-Men '97'' is an American animated television series created by Beau DeMayo for the streaming service
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
, based on the
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
superhero team the
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
. It is a
revival of ''
X-Men: The Animated Series'' (1992–1997) produced by
Marvel Studios Animation, and continues the story of the X-Men from the earlier series. DeMayo was
head writer
A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera
A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio ...
for the first two seasons and
Matthew Chauncey took over for the third, with Jake Castorena as
supervising director.
Ray Chase,
Jennifer Hale,
Alison Sealy-Smith,
Cal Dodd,
J. P. Karliak,
Lenore Zann,
George Buza,
A. J. LoCascio, Holly Chou, Isaac Robinson-Smith, Matthew Waterson,
Ross Marquand, and Adrian Hough star as members of the X-Men. Sealy-Smith, Dodd, Zann, Buza, and Hough reprised their roles from the original series, as did
Christopher Britton. Original series stars
Catherine Disher,
Chris Potter,
Alyson Court, Lawrence Bayne, and
Ron Rubin returned to voice new characters.
The revival was first discussed in June 2019 and formally announced in November 2021, with DeMayo and Castorena attached. Chase Conley and Emi Yonemura also directed episodes. The series is the first X-Men project from
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, LLC, formerly known as Marvel Films, is an American film and television production company. Marvel Studios is the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe of films and television ser ...
since the company
regained the film and television rights to the characters. Animation was provided by
Studio Mir and Tiger Animation, and is a modernized version of the original series' style. DeMayo was fired as head writer in March 2024 after completing work on the first two seasons. Chauncey was hired to write the third season in July 2024.
''X-Men '97'' premiered on March 20, 2024, with its first two episodes. The rest of the ten-episode first season was released weekly until May 15. It received critical acclaim and various accolades. The second season is scheduled to premiere in 2026. A third is in development.
Premise
''X-Men '97'' continues the story of ''
X-Men: The Animated Series'' (1992–1997). In both series,
mutants are people born with superhuman abilities that generally manifest during puberty. The
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
are a team of mutant superheroes founded by
Professor Charles Xavier to protect mutants and humans alike. At the end of ''The Animated Series'', Xavier nearly dies in an assassination attempt and is taken to space to be healed by the alien
Shi'ar
The Shi'ar ( ) are a fictional species of aliens appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Shi'ar Empire (or Imperium) is a vast collection of alien species, cultures, and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Em ...
Empire. ''X-Men '97'' begins a year later and sees the X-Men facing new challenges without Xavier, under the leadership of their former adversary
Magneto. As with the original series, ''X-Men '97'' combines action,
soap opera
A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
-style drama, and exploration of serious topics.
Cast and characters
*
Ray Chase as
Scott Summers / Cyclops:
The mutant field leader of the X-Men whose eyes emit powerful beams of concussive energy.
Cyclops is prepared to lead the X-Men after the loss of Charles Xavier, before Magneto takes that role.
Chase replaces Cyclops's original voice actor
Norm Spencer, who died in 2020.
Chase had not seen the original series when he auditioned, and was provided clips and references for the character's voice to base his performance on. After being cast, he watched the original series and listened to interviews of Spencer.
*
Jennifer Hale as
Jean Grey
Jean Elaine Grey-Summers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men, The X-Men'' #1 ...
:
A powerful
telepathic
Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...
and
telekinetic mutant who is married to Cyclops, and was once the host of the cosmic entity
Phoenix Force.
Her relationship with Cyclops is complicated by Wolverine's feelings for her.
Hale, who previously voiced the character in other Marvel media, replaces original series voice actress Catherine Disher,
and based her performance on Disher's voice.
Hale also voices
Madelyne Pryor / Goblin Queen, a mutant clone of Jean created by Mister Sinister. Madelyne gives birth to Cyclops's son, Nathan, which further complicates his relationship with Jean. Hale used a slightly different tone when voicing Madelyne to separate her from Jean.
*
Alison Sealy-Smith as
Ororo Munroe / Storm:
A powerful mutant who can control the weather and is described as a "goddess".
Sealy-Smith reprises her role from the original series,
and also voices the
Adversary, a demon that feeds on negative emotions.
*
Cal Dodd as
Logan / Wolverine:
A hotheaded mutant with a regenerative healing factor, heightened senses, retractable claws, and an
adamantium-laced skeleton.
Dodd reprises his role from the original series.
*
J. P. Karliak as
Morph:
A mutant
metamorph who can change their voice and appearance to that of any person. Morph's base design is updated from the original series to be "pale, hairless, and blankly-featured" similar to the version of the character seen in the "
Age of Apocalypse" comic book storyline and the ''
Exiles'' comic book.
Morph identifies as
non-binary
Non-binary or genderqueer Gender identity, gender identities are those that are outside the male/female gender binary. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gende ...
,
but the series does not explicitly use that term as it was not common in the 1990s.
Characters that Morph shape-shifts into in the first season include Xavier, Jean Grey,
Archangel,
Blob,
Lady Deathstryke,
Colossus, Psylocke,
Sabretooth,
Spiral,
Illyana Rasputina / Magik / Darkchylde, Quicksilver,
Juggernaut,
Hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...
, Mister Sinister,
Sauron, and
Mister Fantastic.
Karliak replaces Morph's original voice actor Ron Rubin.
He also voices
William Stryker, an anti-mutant
Christian minister,
and the superhero Hulk.
*
Lenore Zann as
Rogue:
A mutant who absorbs the memories, powers, and energy of those she touches.
The series reveals that Rogue had a secret romantic relationship with Magneto when she was younger, causing friction in her current relationship with Gambit.
Zann reprises her role from the original series.
*
George Buza as
Dr. Henry "Hank" McCoy / Beast:
A blue-furred mutant genius with superhuman strength and agility.
Buza reprises his role from the original series.
*
A. J. LoCascio as
Remy LeBeau / Gambit:
A mutant and former thief who can charge objects with explosive kinetic energy, including his signature playing cards.
Gambit's actions in the early episodes—including wearing a
crop top and taking his shirt off, and his relationship with Rogue—were intended to endear the audience to him before his death at the end of the fifth episode.
LoCascio replaces Gambit's original voice actor Chris Potter.
* Holly Chou as
Jubilation Lee / Jubilee:
The youngest member of the X-Men who can create firework-like explosions.
Chou replaces Jubilee's original voice actor
Alyson Court, who previously said she would not reprise the role and would prefer that an Asian-American actor take it.
Court instead voices
Abscissa, an older version of Jubilee from the "Motendo" video game world.
* Isaac Robinson-Smith as
Lucas Bishop:
A mutant from a dystopian future with the ability to absorb kinetic energy and redirect it into concussive blasts.
Robinson-Smith replaces Bishop's original voice actor
Philip Akin.
Robinson-Smith also voices
T'Chaka / Black Panther, the king of
Wakanda. The character's appearance creates an apparent continuity error with the animated series ''
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
'' (1994–1996), in which he dies and is succeeded by his son
T'Challa;
while developing the first season in early 2021,
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, LLC, formerly known as Marvel Films, is an American film and television production company. Marvel Studios is the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe of films and television ser ...
and creator Beau DeMayo felt it was too soon to feature T'Challa following the August 2020 death of
Chadwick Boseman—who portrayed
T'Challa / Black Panther in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
(MCU) films—and chose to "put humanity before continuity" by featuring T'Chaka instead.
* Matthew Waterson as
Erik "Magnus" Lehnsherr / Magneto:
A powerful mutant who controls magnetism. Magneto is given control of the X-Men in the last will and testament of Charles Xavier.
Waterson replaces Magneto's original voice actor
David Hemblen, who died in 2020.
*
Ross Marquand as
Professor Charles Xavier:
The founder of the X-Men who was taken to space to be healed by the
Shi'ar
The Shi'ar ( ) are a fictional species of aliens appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Shi'ar Empire (or Imperium) is a vast collection of alien species, cultures, and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Em ...
Empire following an assassination attempt.
Marquand replaces Xavier's original voice actor
Cedric Smith. Coincidentally, both actors previously provided the voice for Marvel villain
Red Skull in different projects.
Marquand also voices
Doctor Doom, the leader of
Latveria who is a member of "Operation: Zero Tolerance" (OZT);
and
Apocalypse
Apocalypse () is a literary genre originating in Judaism in the centuries following the Babylonian exile (597–587 BCE) but persisting in Christianity and Islam. In apocalypse, a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a ...
, one of the first mutants who is thousands of years old and an enemy of the X-Men, replacing
John Colicos and
James Blendick who voiced the character in the original series.
* Adrian Hough as
Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler:
A Catholic, blue mutant with teleporting abilities and prehensile hands and feet. Hough reprises his role from the original series in ''X-Men '97'', which includes the character's playfulness from the comics.
Hough also voices
Strong Guy, a mutant who can channel kinetic energy into physical strength.
Recurring guests in the first season include Gui Agustini as
Roberto da Costa / Sunspot, a young mutant rescued by the X-Men who can channel
solar energy
Solar energy is the radiant energy from the Sun's sunlight, light and heat, which can be harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar electricity, solar thermal energy (including solar water heating) and solar architecture. It is a ...
;
Catherine Disher—who voiced Jean Grey in the original series—as Dr.
Valerie Cooper, a
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
official;
Gavin Hammon as Sentinel creator Dr.
Bolivar Trask,
replacing original voice actor
Brett Halsey,
as well as Shi'ar chancellor Lord Araki;
Eric Bauza as the
Master Mold supercomputer and mutant-hunting
Sentinels, replacing original voice actor
David Fox who died in 2021;
Donna Jay Fulks as news reporter
Trish Tilby,
as well as the mutants
Tommy and
Amelia Voght;
Christopher Britton as
Dr. Nathaniel Essex / Mister Sinister, a scientist from
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...
-London who has enhanced himself using mutant DNA, reprising his role from the original series;
Gil Birmingham as
Forge
A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to the ...
, a mutant who can invent advanced technology, replacing original voice actor
Marc Strange;
Christine Uhebe as Roberto's mother Nina da Costa;
Chris Potter—who voiced Gambit in the original series—as
Nathan Summers / Cable, the son of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor who was taken to the future as an infant after being infected with a
techno-organic virus;
Theo James as
Bastion, the anti-mutant leader of OZT, a human-machine hybrid created by
Nimrod
Nimrod is a Hebrew Bible, biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles, the Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush (Bible), Cush and therefore the great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of Sh ...
whose parents were background characters in the original series episode "
One Man's Worth";
and
Ron Rubin—who voiced Morph in the original series—as
U.S. president Robert Kelly,
replacing original voice actor
Len Carlson, who died in 2006.
Actors who voice multiple characters include
Todd Haberkorn, who voices former government agent
Henry Peter Gyrich who attempted to assassinate Xavier,
replacing original voice actor Barry Flatman;
and
Ronan the Accuser, a high-ranking member of the
Kree
The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are an List of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and have a scientificall ...
Empire.
David Errigo Jr. voices
Leech
Leeches are segmented parasitism, parasitic or Predation, predatory worms that comprise the Class (biology), subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the Oligochaeta, oligochaetes, which include the earthwor ...
, a young
Morlock who can nullify other mutants' powers, replacing original voice actor
John Stocker;
Mojo, an interdimensional media mogul from the
Mojoverse, replacing original voice actor
Peter Wildman;
Sean Cassidy / Banshee, an Irish mutant with a sonic scream who serves on the council of Genosha,
replacing original actor
Jeremy Ratchford;
and
Gladiator, the Strontian leader of the
Shi'ar Imperial Guard.
Courtenay Taylor voices
Callisto, the leader of the Morlocks,
replacing original voice actor Susan Roman;
and
Illyana Rasputina / Magik / Darkchylde, a mutant sorcerer, replacing original voice actor
Tara Strong
Tara Lyn Strong (; born February 12, 1973) is a Canadian and American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games. Strong's voice roles include animated series such as '' The Powerpuff Girls'', '' The Fair ...
.
Martha Marion voices
Emma Frost, a former member of the
Inner Circle Club who serves on the council of Genosha,
replacing original voice actor
Tracey Moore;
and Dr.
Moira MacTaggert
Dr. Moira MacTaggert, more recently known as Moira X, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #96 (Dec. 1975) and was created by writer Chris Claremont and ...
, a Scottish geneticist who serves on the council of Genosha, replacing original voice actor
Lally Cadeau.
Kari Wahlgren
Kari Wahlgren (born July 13, 1977) is an American voice actress who has provided English-language roles for animated movies, TV series, and video games. She got her start in anime voice-overs as List of FLCL characters#Haruko Haruhara, Haruko H ...
voices young Bastion, who is called Sebastian, and his mother Rose.
Other guest stars include Lawrence Bayne—who voiced Cable in the original series—as
Carl Denti / X-Cutioner, leader of the anti-mutant group
Friends of Humanity;
Kimberly Woods as a vision of Bishop's younger sister
Shard,
replacing original voice actor
Kay Tremblay;
Abby Trott as
Spiral, Mojo's assistant, replacing original voice actor
Cynthia Belliveau;
Travis Willingham as
Sebastian Shaw, a former member of the Inner Circle Club who serves on the council of Genosha, replacing original voice actor David Bryant;
Morla Gorrondonna as
Lilandra Neramani
Princess-Majestrix Lilandra Neramani () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. She is the Empress, or Majestrix, of the Shi'ar Empire and shares a life ...
, the empress of the Shi'ar Empire,
replacing original voice actor
Camilla Scott;
Cari Kabinoff as Lilandra's sister
Deathbird;
Jeff Bennett as Ford, the da Costa family's butler;
Anjali Bhimani as Bastion's assistant
Daria
''Daria'' is an American adult animation, adult animated sitcom television series created by Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis, Susie Lewis Lynn. The series ran from March 3, 1997, to January 21, 2002, on MTV. It centers on the titular character, D ...
;
Rama Vallury as
Baron Zemo, a member of OZT;
Gates McFadden as
Rachel Summers / Mother Askani, leader of the Askani Clan in a desolate future;
and
Adetokumboh M'Cormack as En Sabah Nur, a younger version of Apocalypse living in
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...
.
Additionally,
Josh Keaton and
Michael Patrick McGill reprise their respective roles as
Steve Rogers / Captain America and
Thunderbolt Ross from the series ''
What If...?'' (2021–2024);
Bayne voiced Captain America in the original series.
In addition to Callisto, Leech, and Tommy, the Morlocks
Ape and
Erg
The erg is a unit of energy equal to 10−7joules (100Nano-, nJ). It is not an SI unit, instead originating from the centimetre–gram–second system of units (CGS). Its name is derived from (), a Greek language, Greek word meaning 'work' or ' ...
are seen.
Characters that appear in Genosha include
Glob Herman,
Pixie
A pixie (also called pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, piskie, or pigsie in parts of Cornwall and Devon) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are speculated to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas around Devon and Cor ...
,
Nature Girl,
Gentle,
Multiple Man,
Exodus,
Dazzler,
Boom Boom,
Squid-Boy,
Marrow,
Blob,
Forearm,
Angel Salvadore,
Mimic
In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. In the simples ...
,
Psylocke,
Cipher
In cryptography, a cipher (or cypher) is an algorithm for performing encryption or decryption—a series of well-defined steps that can be followed as a procedure. An alternative, less common term is ''encipherment''. To encipher or encode i ...
,
Frenzy, and members of the
Savage Land Mutates.
Other characters that make non-speaking appearances in the first season include Cyclops's brother
Vulcan who is a member of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard;
Alpha Flight members
Northstar,
Puck, and
Aurora
An aurora ( aurorae or auroras),
also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
; Japanese mutant
Silver Samurai; the Russian superhero team
Winter Guard
Winter guard (sometimes spelled "winterguard") is an indoor Color guard (flag spinning), color guard sport and performance art derived from military ceremonies. Modern winter guard is a competitive, performance-based activity which incorporates c ...
which includes the mutants
Omega Red and
Darkstar alongside
Crimson Dynamo;
Iron Man
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
from the 1990s series
of the same name; the magic-wielding superhero
Doctor Strange
Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as ...
; New York heroes
Daredevil,
Cloak, and Dagger;
and the characters
Peter Parker / Spider-Man,
Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane "MJ" Watson is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, making her first appearance in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #25 (June 1965), and subsequent ...
, and
Flash Thompson
Eugene "Flash" Thompson is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962).
Flash ...
from the animated series ''
Spider-Man: The Animated Series'' (1994–1998), revealing that Spider-Man has found Mary Jane following the events of that series' finale.
Magneto sees a vision of his children
Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch,
Pietro Maximoff / Quicksilver, and
Lorna Dane / Polaris,
while alternate versions of Polaris and Rachel Summers are seen in the future that Cable is trying to prevent.
Characters that are set to appear in the second season include Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike,
Havok,
Mariko, Polaris, and
Danger.
Episodes
Production
Development
Larry Houston, the producer and director of ''
X-Men: The Animated Series'' (1992–1997), said in June 2019 that he and that series' creative team were discussing a potential
revival with
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
. They wanted to continue the story from where the original series ended.
Disney subsidiary
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, LLC, formerly known as Marvel Films, is an American film and television production company. Marvel Studios is the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe of films and television ser ...
was developing their first animated series, ''
What If...?'' (2021–2024), and executives began discussing what their next animated project could be. The first idea considered was a revival of ''X-Men: The Animated Series'', which was suggested by
Brad Winderbaum. The head of streaming, television, and animation at Marvel Studios, Winderbaum was a fan of the series,
and said several filmmakers who had met with Marvel Studios in the past had cited that series as a touchstone.
In November 2020, Beau DeMayo was asked to present a
pitch for the revival after working as a writer for Marvel Studios' live-action
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
miniseries ''
Moon Knight'' (2022).
Jeff Trammell also presented a pitch for the revival, but his desire to create an original story rather than continue the narrative from ''X-Men: The Animated Series'' led to Marvel Studios suggesting he present a pitch for their
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
animated series, ''
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man'' (2025–present), instead.
By June 2021,
Marvel Studios Animation was developing a slate of at least three series in addition to ''What If...?'' that,
as of August 2021, were in various stages of development and not expected to be released until 2023.
In November, one of these was announced to be ''X-Men '97'', a revival and continuation of ''X-Men: The Animated Series''.
Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, VP of animation at Marvel Studios, said many of the people involved with the revival were fans of the 1990s series and "knew " what the continuation should be.
DeMayo was announced as
head writer
A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera
A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio ...
and executive producer,
with Jake Castorena as
supervising director and Charley Feldman as
supervising producer.
Houston and the original series'
showrunners, Eric and Julia Lewald, were consulting on the revival,
assisting with any "red flags" that arose and suggesting things they would like to see.
The trio were contacted by Winderbaum shortly after the revival series entered development, and were excited that Marvel chose to make a direct continuation of their series.
The Lewalds attributed Disney and Marvel Studios' fast-tracking of the revival to the success of the original series streaming on Disney+ and the book ''
X-Men: The Art and Making of The Animated Series'' (2020).
Castorena, Chase Conley, and Emi Yonemura directed episodes of the first season. Marvel Studios' Winderbaum,
Kevin Feige
Kevin Feige ( ; born June 2, 1973) is an American film and television producer. He has been the president of Marvel Studios and the primary producer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchise since 2007. The films he has produced have a co ...
,
Louis D'Esposito, and
Victoria Alonso
Victoria Alonso (born 22 December 1965) is an Argentine film producer who formerly served as the president of physical and post-production, visual effects, and animation at Marvel Studios.
Early life and education
Victoria Alonso was born on ...
also served as executive producers.
The series is the first
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
project from Marvel Studios since they
regained the film and television rights to the characters from 20th Century Fox,
which put more pressure on DeMayo to get the project right in addition to wanting to respect the original series.
''X-Men '97'' is not set in the
Sacred Timeline of Marvel Studios'
shared universe
A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where one or more writers (or other artists) independently contribute works that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, charact ...
, the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
(MCU),
though Feige did consider integrating the series with the MCU during development.
Instead, ''X-Men '97'' shares continuity with the original series and several other animated Marvel series that were released in the 1990s, including ''
Iron Man
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
'' (1994–1996), ''
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
'' (1994–1996), ''
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
'' (1994–1998), ''
The Incredible Hulk'' (1996–97) and ''
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...
'' (1998);
within
Marvel Comics' multiverse, ''X-Men: The Animated Series'' exists on Earth-92131.
Winderbaum said ''X-Men '97'' would continue the original series' tradition of featuring crossover
cameo appearances from the other 1990s series.
During Marvel Studios Animation's panel at the 2022
San Diego Comic-Con
San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
, ''X-Men '97'' and the studio's other animated series were described as being part of the "Marvel Animated Multiverse",
and Winderbaum acknowledged that there was potential to connect the series with other MCU properties using the
MCU's multiverse.
Work on a second season had begun by July 2022,
and writing on the second-season finale started by July 2023.
Conley and Yonemura returned as directors for the season.
By March 2024, DeMayo had finished writing for the second season,
and had begun discussing ideas for a potential third season when he was fired by Marvel Studios ahead of the series' premiere. He was not involved in further promotion for the series and missed its red carpet premiere, which ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' said was unusual for someone working on a Marvel Studios project, "even if they've been shuffled to the side" or replaced by other creatives.
Marvel said DeMayo had been fired after an investigation that led to "egregious" findings, which reportedly involved sexual misconduct.
An agreement made following DeMayo's exit allowed him to still
tweet about the series.
Winderbaum praised DeMayo's work on the series and said his departure would not negatively affect work on the third season, which was in development by the end of the month and remained on track to meet its production schedule. The studio was searching for DeMayo's replacement by then.
In June 2024, after DeMayo posted
gay pride
In the context of LGBTQ culture, pride (also known as LGBTQ pride, LGBTQIA pride, LGBT pride, queer pride, gay pride, or gay and lesbian pride) is the promotion of the rights, self-affirmation, dignity, Social equality, equality, and increas ...
-themed X-Men fan art on his
Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
account, Marvel told him that they would be removing his credits from the second season because of the post.
This decision was reportedly based on multiple instances that Marvel viewed as violations of DeMayo's termination agreement, in addition to the fan art post.
DeMayo said the breaches of his termination agreement were posts that he had made about the first season while it was being released, along with him participating in a screening of the series at a bar.
His lawyer
Bryan Freedman said the agreement included "illegal unconscionable items".
DeMayo released a video in which he denied reports of his own egregious misconduct and accused crew members and Marvel executives of "egregious prejudicial misconduct" against him, saying others had weaponized his identity as a gay Black man to undermine his work. He listed a series of concerns about crew and executives who worked on the series, and also suggested that his role on the second season had been "aggressively marginalized" before his firing due to concerns that he had expressed about the workplace culture of Marvel's in-development film ''
Blade
A blade is the Sharpness (cutting), sharp, cutting portion of a tool, weapon, or machine, specifically designed to puncture, chop, slice, or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they a ...
'' (2025) while he was working on that project.
Matthew Chauncey, a writer on ''What If...?'', was hired in July 2024 to write and executive produce the third season, replacing DeMayo.
The scripts for the second season had reportedly been revised and rewritten by then, with Chauncey overseeing the rewrites.
In February 2025, Winderbaum said the second season would be released in 2026, more than a year after the first, but he hoped that future seasons could be released annually. He said ''X-Men '97'' and ''Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man'' were the studio's top priorities for "get
ing
Ing, ING or ing may refer to:
Art and media
* '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film
* i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group
* The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes''
* "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 199 ...
to a place where we can reliably have very strong seasons every year".
Writing
By April 2022, the Lewalds had seen premises for all 10 episodes and several completed scripts from the first season, as well as the series'
bible
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
,
which confirms that—as with the original series and the comic books—the revival's central ethos is the X-Men are allegories for people who face prejudice and discrimination.
Eric Lewald described ''X-Men '97'' as an extension of the original series that the Marvel Studios team had made their own,
while Vasquez-Eberhardt said the original series "embraced action,
soap opera
A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
and serious topics", and the revival would do the same.
DeMayo wanted to honor the original series while bringing it into the modern world,
hoping to retain its earnestness, emotional sincerity, and focus on
found family while updating the social commentary to reflect contemporary society.
The new series explores whether
Professor Charles Xavier's dream of
mutant
In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It i ...
/human co-existence and his focus on empathy are still relevant to modern audiences,
with DeMayo feeling that issues of social acceptance had become more complicated since the 1990s.
The revival begins a year after the loss of Xavier during the original series' finale.
Cyclops,
Jean Grey
Jean Elaine Grey-Summers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men, The X-Men'' #1 ...
,
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...
,
Wolverine
The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
,
Rogue,
Beast,
Gambit, and
Jubilee return as members of the X-Men, now led by their former adversary
Magneto.
Joining the team in the first season are
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
, a time-traveling ally of the X-Men;
Morph, who rejoins after their death and resurrection in the original series;
and
Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler. Winderbaum said fans remembered these three characters as being more important in the original series than they actually were, and the creatives wanted to make up for that by elevating them in the revival.
The X-Men question their future after Xavier's loss and a subsequent increase in sympathy towards mutants. Cyclops and Storm want to continue Xavier's dream but others, such as Jean Grey, want to build new lives. Magneto is moved by the growing mutant sympathy and wants to follow in Xavier's footsteps as the team's leader.
The main antagonists for the first season are the returning
Mister Sinister and the
Sentinels,
along with new villain
Bastion.
Deadpool does not appear in the season because Marvel was saving him for the film ''
Deadpool & Wolverine'' (2024), though Winderbaum said they could have used him if there was an "insanely compelling reason".
DeMayo said the original series'
melodrama
A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...
and exploration of character relationships was key to its success and set it apart from other animated series at the time,
which Marvel executives felt was a compelling approach to the material.
''X-Men '97'' also retains the campiness of the original series in its writing, such as Storm announcing her attacks and Rogue using "syrupy" Southern metaphors and analogies. DeMayo found it particularly difficult to write for Rogue, who developed in ways that he did not initially plan for throughout the first season; and for Jubilee, who was introduced as a representative for younger audiences in the 1990s and needed to remain relevant for younger audiences in the modern day. DeMayo was more comfortable writing for Beast, whose scientific terms are similar to the writer's work on the series ''
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'' (2022–present).
As with the original series, various comic book storylines were adapted for the revival. ''The Animated Series'' was primarily influenced by
Chris Claremont
Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is an English-born American comic book writer and novelist. Claremont is best known for his 16-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Clarem ...
's run on the comics from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, and ''X-Men '97'' continues to adapt stories from that era as well as elements from later in the 1990s and into
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, Humanism, humanist philosophy and counterculture, countercultural leanings. Morrison has writt ...
's early 2000s run.
"The Trial of Magneto" from ''
Uncanny X-Men'' #200 (1985), by Claremont and
John Romita Jr., is adapted in the second episode.
The third episode is a condensed version of the comic book crossover event "
Inferno" (1989).
The "Lifedeath" storyline from ''Uncanny X-Men'' #186 (1984), by Claremont and
Barry Windsor-Smith, is adapted in the fourth and sixth episodes;
the fourth episode contains two mini-episodes, the first part of "Lifedeath" and also "Motendo" which is an homage to the
1992 ''X-Men'' arcade game.
Central to DeMayo's pitch for the revival was the idea that the original series was made in a "simple
imeof right and wrong, where questions about identity and social justice had relatively clear cut answers", but the people who grew-up watching the original had since experienced
9/11, a rise in
populist movements, the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, and other traumatic events. DeMayo particularly highlighted the 2016
Pulse nightclub shooting which had personally impacted him as a gay man who had partied at that club. He wanted the X-Men to go through a similarly traumatic event and face "the realities of an adult and unsafe world" just like the audience of the original series had, which led to the attack on the mutant nation of
Genosha in the fifth episode.
This is based on the "
E Is for Extinction" storyline from ''
New X-Men'' #115 (2001) by Morrison and
Frank Quitely,
though the attack is not perpetrated by
Cassandra Nova as in that comic.
Following the fifth episode, the X-Men have to decide how they will change in response to the attack and whether social healing or social justice is needed.
The reveal that Bastion is responsible for the Genosha attack leads to the season's three-part finale, which includes elements from the crossover event "
Operation: Zero Tolerance" (1997).
The final episodes see the X-Men split into two teams, Blue and Gold, as was done in the 1990s comics. Magneto ripping the
adamantium metal from Wolverine's skeleton at the end of the ninth episode was adapted from the crossover event "
Fatal Attractions" (1993).
In September 2024, DeMayo stated that Marvel Studios had removed his planned tenth episode of the second season and re-written the rest of the episodes to reflect this change. He explained that in his version of the scripts there had been hints throughout the season leading to the appearance of the character
Onslaught in the tenth episode, which also included elements based on the comic book storyline ''
Age of Apocalypse'' (1995). The episode would have ended with Gambit freeing Bishop from prison in an ''Age of Apocalypse'' timeline and the pair escaping from evil Cyclops in a similar scene to the
Darth Vader hallway scene at the end of the film ''
Rogue One'' (2016). DeMayo opined that the decision to change his scripts came from directors and executives who believed they "know better than the comics" and added that "Marvel loves shooting themselves in the foot".
Casting and voice recording
With the revival's announcement, several voice actors were revealed to be returning from the original series:
Cal Dodd (Logan / Wolverine),
Lenore Zann (Rogue),
George Buza (Henry "Hank" McCoy / Beast),
Catherine Disher (Jean Grey),
Chris Potter (Remy LeBeau / Gambit),
Alison Sealy-Smith (Ororo Munroe / Storm), Adrian Hough (Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler),
Christopher Britton (Nathaniel Essex / Mister Sinister), and
Alyson Court (Jubilation Lee / Jubilee).
Lawrence Bayne (
Nathan Summers / Cable) and
Ron Rubin (Morph) also returned. Dodd, Zann, Buza, Sealy-Smith, Hough, and Britton all reprised their roles from the original series, while the others voice new roles: Disher voices Dr.
Valerie Cooper, Potter voices Nathan Summers / Cable, Court voices
Abscissa, Bayne voices
Carl Denti / X-Cutioner, and Rubin voices President
Robert Edward Kelly.
Ray Chase takes on the role of Scott Summers / Cyclops following the death of original voice actor
Norm Spencer;
Jennifer Hale replaces Disher as the voice of Jean Grey;
Holly Chou replaces Court as Jubilation Lee / Jubilee, with Court previously stating that she would not return to the role and hoped an
Asian-American actor would voice the character instead;
A. J. LoCascio replaces Potter as Remy LeBeau / Gambit; Matthew Waterson voices Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto, following the death of
David Hemblen; Gui Agustini voices
Roberto da Costa / Sunspot;
J. P. Karliak replaces Rubin as Morph; Isaac Robinson-Smith voices Lucas Bishop, replacing
Philip Akin;
Ross Marquand voices Professor Charles Xavier, replacing
Cedric Smith;
Gil Birmingham voices
Forge
A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to the ...
following the death of
Marc Strange; and
Eric Bauza voices the Sentinels after the death of
David Fox.
Meredith Layne was the casting and voice director for the series, responsible for casting actors and directing the voice recording sessions. New cast members were hired for instances where the original voice actor was not available or their voice was no longer appropriate for the character, and were intended to match the original performances.
Recasting was also done to have more authentic representation (as with Court and Jubilee), because of specific vocal intonations (as with Cable to better highlight the "weird" father-son relationship with Cyclops), or for symbolic reasons (as with Disher now voicing Valerie Cooper). Regarding Disher's new role, DeMayo explained that Cooper delivers the series' thesis and he wanted Disher to be the one to present that since he felt "she was such the heart of the original series" and her original role as Jean Grey was "the epitome of empathy".
In February 2024, DeMayo said
Theo James, who DeMayo worked with on the film ''
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf'' (2021), had been cast in a "fan favorite" role,
later revealed to be Bastion.
Reprising their voice roles from ''What If...?'' in the first season are
Josh Keaton as
Steve Rogers / Captain America and
Michael Patrick McGill as
Thunderbolt Ross.
Gates McFadden is introduced at the end of the first season as
Mother Askani, a future version of the daughter of Cyclops and Jean Grey. DeMayo and Winderbaum decided to cast McFadden after discussing her performance as
Beverly Crusher in the
third season of ''
Star Trek: Picard'' (2023). Winderbaum had felt that Crusher and Jean were similar characters since he had been reading ''X-Men'' comics around the same time as the series ''
Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1994) was being released, so he thought it was poetic to cast McFadden as a version of Jean's daughter.
Voice recording began by November 2021,
primarily taking place remotely over
Zoom due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. Chase and Hale recorded scenes for the third episode together in-person because of how much dialogue they share in that episode, but they said this was a rare occasion.
Dodd revealed in February 2023 that he had started recording for the second season,
and Zann stated in August 2023 that she had begun recording for it as well.
By May 2024, she had completed her work on the season except for
additional dialogue recording (ADR).
Bayne also returned for the season.
Despite the pandemic having less of an impact on the second season, recording continued to take place remotely for most cast members due to them being based in different locations.
In March 2025, Zann said she was beginning recording for the third season in the week of March 17.
Animation and design
Animation was provided by
Studio Mir and Tiger Animation.
The
2D animation style of the original series was retained, but "slightly modernized" to improve the quality and reflect advances in animation since the 1990s.
Castorena's pitch for the job of supervising director was to make the series "fresh, but familiar",
and he said it needed to be "the show we remember, but it has to be in 4K".
Houston advised the animation team on how the original series was made,
and the storyboard artists reviewed the original to inform their composition, editing, and cinematography decisions. Winderbaum said there was a "code of ethics" they followed to align with the restrictions of the 1990s animation, but they occasionally broke this for dramatic effect such as during key action sequences.
A
VHS-inspired effect was applied to the animation to make it appear more like 1990s television.
3D animation was used to lay out scenes and create more complicated vehicles and ships, but the animation team drew over this in 2D to maintain the series' art style.
The opening title sequence of ''The Animated Series'' was recreated with updated animation for the revival. Houston worked with episodic directors Conley and Yonemura to recreate the title sequence based on Houston's original storyboards.
DeMayo said the costumes chosen for each character indicated which comic book storylines were being adapted by the series.
Lead character designer Amelia Vidal retained the design concepts from the original series along with the style and aesthetics of the ''X-Men'' comic books of the 1970s to the 1990s. Any changes from those were made to either better serve the story or to assist with the technical side of the animation.
Nightcrawler's design is based on his appearance during
John Byrne and
Dave Cockrum's 1970s comic book runs.
In the final episodes of the first season, the X-Men don costumes based on their original comic book designs and those of the failed 1989 animation
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
''
X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men''. DeMayo said this was always planned as part of the series' exploration of nostalgia.
The original series' animators could not move Mister Sinister around much because of his complex design, which includes tendrils coming from his back; this was not an issue for the new series, but the animators chose to restrict the character's movements to align with the original series.
To show emotion with Cyclops, whose eyes and eyebrows are covered by his visor, animators adjusted how the glints and reflections appeared on his visor. Castorena said other mutants' powers were also used in unique ways to convey their emotions,
and his goal was to use mutant powers in ways that had not been seen before such as having Gambit charge Wolverine's claws with kinetic energy. Morph's shape-shifting powers allow for cameo appearances of other mutants.
A background in the fifth episode features the
Watcher in a blink-and-you-miss-it
Easter egg
Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian holiday of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are commonly used during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The ...
for fans. The Watcher was included because that character observes important moments throughout the multiverse, including the massacre in Genosha. Castorena said this was not necessarily the same version of the Watcher that appears in ''What If...?'' since a different version of the character also appeared in the original series.
Work on the
animatics for the first season had begun by November 2021,
and full animation began by April 2023.
The first season was in post-production by July,
and animatics for the entire second season had been created by March 2024.
Music
One of Feige's stipulations for reviving ''X-Men: The Animated Series'' was ensuring Marvel Studios was able to use that series' theme song,
which was composed by
Ron Wasserman. Wasserman composed the theme while under contract with producer
Haim Saban, giving legal ownership of the song to Saban.
Following legal battles over the use of the theme, Marvel Studios paid a large sum to secure the rights to it in 2022.
This was done on the condition that it be re-recorded for future projects and credited to the original series' music executives, Saban and
Shuki Levy.
Wasserman was set to meet with Marvel about his involvement in the revival by early 2022,
but John Andrew Grush and Taylor Newton Stewart—known professionally as
the Newton Brothers—were announced to be the composers for ''X-Men '97'' that July.
The Newton Brothers were hired while Marvel was still in the process of securing the rights for the original theme. On revisiting the original series, the composers realized that the music did not match with their childhood memories and many of the original
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
sounds would now sound dated to modern audiences. They chose to modernize the score with an orchestra, choir, and some modern synthesizers.
However, they felt the theme song should remain more true to the original style, to not "ruin the nostalgic vibes" and embrace the sincerity of the original series. They produced eight different versions of the theme, each with a different amount of orchestral music versus synthesizer music, before settling on the final version. The main melody is played on a synthesizer and an electric guitar, the latter performed by
Nili Brosh.
The ''X-Men '97'' version of the theme, credited to Saban and Levy, was first heard in the MCU film ''
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'' (2022) and then the series ''
Ms. Marvel'' (2022) when those projects referenced mutants.
After discussing the score's tone with DeMayo, the Newton Brothers decided to begin closer to the original series and modernize the music more with each episode. They began by experimenting with ideas separately and then came together to write
musical suites for each main character, defining sounds and instruments which could be their "calling cards". For instance, Storm's music uses
woodwind
Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments.
Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and Ree ...
instruments, choir, and chanting to reflect the wind aspect of her powers, while a
waterphone and other metallic sounds were used for Magneto.
To ensure the music did not become too modern, the composers took influence from 1990s musicians such as
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
,
the Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboardist, and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured
Rapping, MC and vocalist Maxim (musician), Maxim, dancer and occasi ...
,
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...
, and
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
.
Jackson's "
Thriller" particularly inspired the third episode,
which "got the Gothic treatment" and includes an
organ.
The song "
Happy Nation" by
Ace of Base
Ace of Base is a Swedish pop group formed in 1987, originally consisting of siblings Jonas, Linn, and Jenny Berggren, with Ulf Ekberg.
They achieved worldwide success following the release of their debut album, '' Happy Nation'', in 1992. L ...
, which was released days after ''X-Men: The Animated Series'' premiered in 1992, is used prominently in the series in relation to the nation of Genosha and the Sentinel attack on it.
The ''X-Men '97'' version of the main theme was released by
Marvel Music and
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by the Disney Music Group which focuses on pop, rock, alternative, hip hop and country genres, also specializing in recordings for a more mature audience not suitable for the flagship Wal ...
as a digital single on March 20, 2024.
The next month, Stewart confirmed that he and Grush were returning for the second season but said they had not yet begun writing music for it.
A full soundtrack album for the first season was released on May 24. All music composed by the Newton Brothers:
Marketing
The series was discussed during Marvel Studios Animation's panel at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, where animatics were shown.
Completed animation from the series was shown a year later at the 2023 San Diego Comic-Con, where
Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment holding company founded on December 6, 1923 by Henry, Hillel and Herma ...
's
Marvel Legends figures for the series were also revealed.
In December 2023, Marvel Comics announced a four-issue comic book prequel series, also titled ''X-Men '97'', written by
Steve Foxe and with art by Salva Espin. The comic was made in collaboration with the series' producers. Foxe said the comic was an "original tale that feeds right into" the new series.
The first issue was released in March 2024.
Foxe and Espin previously worked on ''
X-Men '92'', a comic book continuation of the original series.
Select ''X-Men'' comic books released in March 2024 feature
variant cover
In comic books, a variant cover (sometimes variant edition) refers to an issue of a comic book printed with multiple covers, each with unique cover art. The first comic book marketed with a variant cover was the 1986 first issue of ''The Man of St ...
s based on Hasbro's Marvel Legends figures for the series.
A trailer for the series was released on February 15, 2024, when the first season's premiere date was announced.
Charles Pulliam-Moore at ''
The Verge
''The Verge'' is an American Technology journalism, technology news website headquarters, headquartered in Lower Manhattan, New York City and operated by Vox Media. The website publishes news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, cons ...
'' and Joshua Rivera at ''
Polygon
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain.
The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...
'' both praised the trailer's nostalgia for the original series and specifically focused on the use of the original series' main theme.
Ben Travis, writing for ''
Empire
An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
'', also noted the nostalgia and music as well as the "narrative weight" suggested by the trailer's character details.
James Whitbrook at ''
Gizmodo
''Gizmodo'' () is a design, technology, science, and science fiction website. It was originally launched as part of the Gawker Media network run by Nick Denton. ''Gizmodo'' also includes the sub-blogs ''io9'' and ''Earther'', which focus on pop ...
'' felt something was off about the trailer and identified that the animation "flits between looking oddly flat and stilted and some elements that almost look 3D", along with the combination of new and returning voice actors. However, he liked the series' aesthetic and some of the story ideas suggested by the trailer, and hoped that the elements which made him uneasy would work better when actually watching the series.
The trailer reportedly set an internal Disney record as the biggest trailer launch for a Disney+ animated series, surpassing the trailers for ''What If...?'' and the service's ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' animated series.
Arcade1Up announced a home
arcade cabinet, themed around ''X-Men '97'', later in February. It features eight Marvel/
Capcom
is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...
video games: ''
X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse'' (1994), ''
Marvel Super Heroes'' (1995), ''
X-Men: Children of the Atom'' (1995), ''
X-Men vs. Street Fighter'' (1996), ''
Marvel Super Heroes in War of the Gems'' (1996), ''
Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter'' (1997), ''
Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes'' (1998), and ''
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes'' (2000).
The titles for each episode of the first season were announced on a poster done in the style of a 1990s issue of ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media
In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
''.
The first three episodes debuted at the series'
world premiere in
Hollywood, Los Angeles
Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...
, on March 13.
By the end of the month, viewership for all five seasons of the original series had increased on Disney+ by 522 percent since the release of the trailer in February.
Release
''X-Men '97'' premiered on Disney+ on March 20, 2024, with its first two episodes. The rest of the ten-episode first season was released weekly until May 15.
The season was originally scheduled for release in late 2023.
The second season is scheduled to premiere in 2026. Winderbaum hoped that future seasons could be released annually.
Reception
Viewership
According to
Whip Media, which tracks viewership data for the 25 million worldwide users of its
TV Time app, ''X-Men '97'' was the most anticipated new series of March 2024.
Disney announced that the first two episodes had 4 million views worldwide in the five days following their release, marking the biggest first-season premiere for a full-length animated series on the service since the
first season of ''What If...?'' in 2021.
The company announced that the first-season finale was watched by 3.5 million views globally during its first five days, which was similarly the biggest season finale for a full-length animated series on the streaming service since the first season of ''What If...?'' Disney added that viewership had grown consistently over the four episodes leading up to the finale, and views for the original series had also doubled since ''X-Men '97'' premiered.
The series debuted on Whip's U.S. top streaming originals chart in fourth place during its premiere week. It was in third place, behind
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...
's ''
Invincible'' and Disney+'s ''
Star Wars: The Bad Batch'', for the next two weeks; in second place, behind Prime Video's ''
Fallout'', for the following three weeks; and at first place for the two weeks after that. For the week that the first-season finale was released, the series was second on Whip's chart behind
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
's ''
Bridgerton
''Bridgerton'' is an American alternative history regency romance television series created by Chris Van Dusen for Netflix. Based on the book series Bridgerton (novel series), of the same name by Julia Quinn, it is Shondaland's first scripted ...
''.
JustWatch, a guide to streaming content with access to data from more than 20 million users, included ''X-Men '97'' on its list of top 10 U.S. streaming series for the week it premiered.
Luminate, which gathers viewership data from
smart TV
A smart TV, also known as a connected TV (CTV or, rarely, CoTV), is a traditional television set with integrated Internet and interactive Web 2.0 features that allow users to stream music and videos, browse the internet, and view photos. Smart T ...
s in the U.S., reported that ''X-Men '97'' was the fifth-most watched Disney+ series of 2024 with 1.4 billion minutes viewed.
Critical response
The first season received critical acclaim,
was called "Marvel's best release in years", and was praised for its nostalgic animation, "smart writing, and captivating action sequences".
Review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
calculated that 99% of 79 critics reviews were positive, with an average rating of 8.9 out of 10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Pulling off the x-traordinary feat of staying true to its beloved predecessor while charting a path forward for the franchise, ''X-Men '97'' is simply x-cellent."
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
assigned a
weighted average score of 82 out of 100 based on 14 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
Jordan King of ''
Empire Magazine'' praised the series for maintaining the spirit of the original ''
X-Men: The Animated Series'' while introducing fresh elements, calling it "a fitting
tribute
A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of lands which the state con ...
to the legacy of the X-Men."
Similarly, Maya Phillips of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' highlighted how the show revisits the
franchise's roots, noting that its themes feel more timely than ever.
Some reviewers emphasized the series' successful
modernization of a "beloved classic". In his review for ''
Screen Rant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers.
...
'', Simon Gallagher called X-Men '97 "the next step in evolution" for the series,
while Tatat Bunnag of the ''
Bangkok Post'' praised it as a "great introduction to the classic series for a new generation." Joshua Rivera of ''
Polygon
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain.
The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...
'' underscored the series' focus on its characters, stating, "X-Men '97 wasn't about superheroes, it was about people."
The animation style also drew attention. William Hughes of ''
AV Club'' noted that the revival captures the essence of the original series, commenting that it matches viewers' childhood memories rather than replicating specific elements. Meanwhile, Alison Herman of ''
Variety'' complimented the show's throwback visuals, writing that the "neon-colored, two-dimensional style" made for an engaging viewing experience.
The series also garnered praise for its voice acting and storytelling. Hayden Mears of ''
TV Line'' described ''X-Men '97'' as "confident and charming," bolstered by excellent voice performances
while Brian Lowry of ''
CNN'' observed that the series takes advantage of the streaming format to present a slightly more adult tone while remaining true to the original's spirit.
Nick Schager of ''
The Daily Beast'' remarked that although it "may not reinvent the wheel," it sets the groundwork for Marvel's exciting future. Francis Agustin of the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
noted that the series was a shift away from the heavily interconnected Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Critics also appreciated the modern themes woven throughout the show. Alex Abad-Santos of ''
Vox'' posited that X-Men '97 serves as Marvel's best argument for an X-Men animated feature,
while Mini Anthikad-Chhibber of ''
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...
'' found much to enjoy in this "old-school adventure." James Whitbrook from ''
Io9
''io9'' is a sub-blog of the technology blog ''Gizmodo'' that focuses on science fiction and fantasy pop culture, with former focuses on science, technology and futurism. It was created as a standalone blog in 2008 by editor Annalee Newitz under ...
'' noted that the show successfully balances nostalgia with contemporary storytelling, while Mike Ryan of ''
Uproxx
Uproxx Studios (stylized as ''UPROXX'') is an American music, entertainment and popular culture website and content studio. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater. The website was acquired in 2014 by Woven Digital (which later ...
'' expressed surprise at how much he enjoyed the series, despite not being a die-hard fan of the original.
However, the series' use of
nostalgia
Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a neoclassical compound derived from Greek language, Greek, consisting of (''nóstos''), a Homeric word me ...
garnered mixed reactions. Charles Pulliam-Moore of ''
The Verge
''The Verge'' is an American Technology journalism, technology news website headquarters, headquartered in Lower Manhattan, New York City and operated by Vox Media. The website publishes news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, cons ...
'' referred to it as Marvel's "
omega-level nostalgia play," while Rohan Naahar of ''
The Indian Express
''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...
'' criticized the show for leaning too heavily on glorified nostalgia marketing, while Brittany Frederick of ''
CBR'' found the balance between old and new elements to be effective, describing the premiere as "a blast for both old and new fans alike." Witney Seibold of ''
Slashfilm'' likened the series to "classic rock," suggesting that while it's familiar and comforting, it has lost some of its edge. Yet, Seibold acknowledged that the show’s appeal lies in its comforting sense of nostalgia.
Accolades
Documentary special
In February 2021, the documentary series ''
Marvel Studios: Assembled'' was announced. The specials go behind the scenes of the Marvel Studios films and television series with cast members and additional creatives.
The special for this series, "
The Making of ''X-Men '97'', features cast members from the original series and ''X-Men '97'', and explores the origins of the original series. It was released on Disney+ on May 22, 2024.
Notes
References
External links
* at
Marvel.com
*
*
{{Authority control
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2024 American television series debuts
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2020s American superhero television series
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Animated series produced by Marvel Studios Animation
Animated television series based on Marvel Comics
American television series revived after cancellation
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Television series set in 1997
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X-Men television series
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