X-Men ‘97, one of Marvel Studios’ most anticipated releases for 2023, has received some timely updates that underline how the animated series will pick up from its original ending now that a proper synopsis was shared at the “X-Men: 60 Uncanny Years Live Virtual Event.”
Marvel’s financial struggles in the ’90s meant that the rights to theX-Menwere not in the studio’s hands until Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019. Since then, fans have been eagerly waiting to see how mutants will come into play in the MCU. WhileX-Men ‘97was announced as a continuationof the animated classic, Marvel’s recent rescheduling has many worried the show won’t come out in 2023, although this latest event suggests otherwise.
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In the middle of the X-Men’s 60th-anniversary celebrations, the@XMenUpdatefan account posted an excerpt from the event that, while short of an official synopsis, confirms Storm and Wolverine will be the ones taking charge of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. Also,Magneto won’t be an antagonist opposing the X-Menthis time. Instead, the main villain will probably be Mister Sinister, as showrunner Beau DeMayo (The Witcher) noted.
In theX-Menanimated series, season 5 featured a cliffhanger ending where Henry Peter Gyrich nearly kills Professor X before Xavier’s longtime romantic interest, Empress Lilandra, takes him to space to be healed by Shi’ar Empire. According to DeMayo,X-Men ‘97will pick up a few months after. In that sense, the series will resume many of those storylines, like Rogue and Gambit’s relationship, and have Cyclops take on more of a leadership role, unlike the live-actionX-Menmovies.
The news comes on the back of a puzzling number of moves from Disney regarding Marvel Studios shows that point to possible delays affecting many upcoming productions such asWhat If…?orEcho. However, DeMayo has claimed on Twitter thatX-Men ‘97is still on trackto come out in 2023. The showrunner was involved in controversy last year when he was the first to denounceThe Witcher’s lack of respect for source material after leaving the Netflix series and penning Vesemir’s animated filmNightmare of the Wolf.
DeMayo made sure to have the show’s original creator Eric Lewal, his wife and fellow writer Julia, andX-Mendirector Larry Houston all on board as consultants. So Marvel fans should rest easy, knowingProfessor X’s students are in good hands.
