X-men ’97 Trivia | 60 facts about the animated series

“X-men ’97” is a new animated series that debuted on Disney+ and marks a revival of the classis “X-men: The Animated Series”.

So let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the series.

X-Men ’97 is an American animated television series
It is created by Beau DeMayo for the streaming service Disney+
The series is based on the Marvel Comics superhero team X-Men
It is a revival of X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997)
Continuing from where that series ends
It depicts the X-Men facing dangerous new challenges following the loss of their leader, Professor X
X-Men ’97 is produced by Marvel Studios Animation
With DeMayo serving as head writer for the first two seasons
And Jake Castorena as supervising director
Several cast members return from the original series to reprise their roles or voice new characters
Including Cal Dodd, Lenore Zann, George Buza, Catherine Disher, Chris Potter, Alison Sealy-Smith, Adrian Hough, Christopher Britton, Alyson Court, Lawrence Bayne, and Ron Rubin
The revival was first discussed in June 2019
It was formally announced in November 2021
DeMayo and Castorena were involved by then
Chase Conley and Emi Yonemura also directed episodes
DeMayo was fired as head writer after completing work on the series’ first two seasons in March 2024
His firing was ahead of the series’ premiere
The series is the first X-Men project from Marvel Studios since the studio regained the film and television rights to the characters
Animation was provided by Studio Mir
It is a modernized version of the original series’ style
X-Men ’97 is scheduled to premiere its first two episodes on March 20, 2024
With the remainder of the ten-episode first season releasing weekly until May 15
A second season is in development
While a third season is planned
Following the departure of Professor X in the original series, the X-Men are now publicly recognized as heroes and public sympathy towards mutants has increased
Bishop has also joined the team, and Magneto becomes the heir to the Professor’s legacy
Larry Houston, the producer and director of the animated series X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997), said in June 2019 that he and the creative team were discussing a revival of the series with Disney
They wanted to continue the story from where the original series ended
Disney subsidiary Marvel Studios was developing their first animated series, What If…?, and after it was greenlit, executives began discussing what their next animated project could be
The first idea considered, a revival of X-Men: The Animated Series, was pitched by Brad Winderbaum, the head of streaming, television, and animation at Marvel Studios
He was a fan of the series
Several filmmakers had met with Marvel Studios in the past had cited that series as a touchstone
In late 2020, Beau DeMayo was approached to present a pitch for the revival after working as a writer for Marvel Studios’ live-action Disney+ miniseries Moon Knight (2022)
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
X-Men ’97, a revival and continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series, was announced in November 2021
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 exactly” what the continuation should be
DeMayo was announced as head writer 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 may arise, while also suggesting ideas of things they would like to see
The trio was contacted by Winderbaum shortly after the series entered development
Chase Conley and Emi Yonemura also directed episodes of the series
Marvel Studios’ Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, and Victoria Alonso also serve as executive producers of the series
The series is the first X-Men project from Marvel Studios since they regained the film and television rights to the characters from 20th Century Fox
Which DeMayo said added pressure to the series due to the large existing fanbase for the characters and original animated series
Eric and Julia Lewald believed Disney and Marvel Studios fast-tracking the revival was attributed to the success of the original series streaming on Disney+ and the artbook X-Men: The Art and Making of The Animated Series (2020)
X-Men ’97 was reported to not be set within Marvel Studios’ shared universe, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), since it continues the storylines of the original series
DeMayo later confirmed, saying the series was its own thing
Winderbaum noted the series was designed to work within the continuity of other animated Marvel series released during the original series’ run that it crossed over with, and as such, it was not set in the MCU’s Sacred Timeline
He said the series included the same amount of cameos from other Marvel characters as the original, including references to Spider-Man (1994–1998), in which the X-Men appeared
Within Marvel Comics’ multiverse, the original series exists on Earth-92131
During Marvel Studios Animation’s panel at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, X-Men ’97 and the other projects discussed were introduced as being part of the “Marvel Animated Multiverse”
Work on a second season had begun by July 2022, and writing on the second season finale started by July 2023
DeMayo had completed his writing work on the second season and began discussing ideas for a potential third season by March 2024, when he was fired by Marvel Studios ahead of the series’ premiere
He would not be involved in further promotion for the series and would miss its red carpet premiere,
The Hollywood Reporter 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
DeMayo, who is Black and gay, was reported to be difficult to work with, and his activity using a non-explicit OnlyFans account was reportedly not received well by Disney executives
Later that month, Winderbaum described DeMayo’s exit as a parting of the ways with the studio
He also confirmed that development on a third season would soon begin and that they were searching for DeMayo’s replacement by then
The series retains some of the 1990s aesthetics and campiness of the original series with its writing
As with the original series, various comic storylines are adapted in the series, including “Lifedeath” from Uncanny X-Men #186 (1984)