On September 20, 1997, a dying Charles Xavier said goodbye to his fellow mutants. That left them to navigate a dangerous world without their wise leader. At least they would have had to if Fox hadn’t canceled X-Men: The Animated Series. What awaited Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine, Beast, and the rest with the Professor? We’re finally going to find out. At long last, the show’s highly-anticipated Disney reboot, Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97, has both a trailer and a release date. The series has even revealed the names of its anticipated episodes, all of which you can check out below.
However, in a shocking twist, it seems that X-Men ’97 Head Writer has been fired by Marvel eight days before the series is set to release.
X-Men ’97 Creator Beau DeMayo Has Been Fired By Marvel
In a shocking turn of events, X-Men ’97‘s creator and head writer Beau DeMayo has been fired by Marvel Studios, reports The Hollywood Reporter. The publication notes that “early last week, Marvel and DeMayo suddenly parted ways. His company email was deactivated and cast and crew were informed he was no longer on the project.” DeMayo’s Instagram has now been deactivated. No reason for the firing has been released.
X-Men ’97 Picks Up Where The Animated Series Left Off
Bust out your best pogs and crack open a can of Surge soda cause the ’90s are back. X-Men: The Animated Series will get to resume its story on Disney+ with X-Men ’97. The show’s first trailer picks up right where the old series left off, too. The death of Professor X means the team needs a new leader to emerge. They’ll also be forced to deal with an old enemy who will now have an even bigger role in their lives. Charles Xavier left everything he had to none other than Magneto.
That will make for a whole lot of fun. For us. That will be fun for us, not the X-Men.
Sentinels Have Landed
And Magneto won’t be the X-Men’s only headache in X-Men ’97. The latest clip from the series reveals the team fighting massive Sentinels. These murderous robots are programmed to hunt down and destroy all mutants. Yikes!
X-Men ’97‘s Episode Titles
X-Men ’97 has revealed the titles of its ten episodes. The series will conclude with a three-part arc titled “Tolerance is Extinction.” Of course, eagle-eyed fans will already be drawing connections to other X-Men lore from comics, cartoons, and beyond. What Easter eggs do you spy in this line-up of titles?
X-Men ’97 Will Not Be a Part of the MCU
For the curious, X-Men ’97‘s former head writer, Beau DeMayo confirmed on Instagram that X-Men ’97 would not be a part of the MCU’s continuity. He replied, “We are our own thing,” while answering a question that pondered whether the series would be canon to the MCU.
The Series‘ Cast and Production Team
Disney also announced the cast for the show. X-Men ’97 stars: Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, JP Karliak as Morph, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, AJ LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop, Matthew Waterson as Magneto, and Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler. Theo James also joins the cast in a mysterious role.
Jake Castorena, Chase Conley, and Emi Yonemura serve as the ten-episode season’s directors, with Beau DeMayo on as head writer.
When Is X-Men ’97‘s Release Date?
Despite this being the first trailer for a reboot more than 25 years in the making, we won’t have to wait long to see its first episode. X-Men ’97 premieres on Disney+ on March 20. X-Men ’97 will run for 10 episodes. The series will release its first two episodes on the 20th.
Obviously, mutants are just as eager to resume their story as we are to see what happens to them next.
Originally published on February 15, 2024.