Credit: 20th Century Studios, MarvelAfter the extraordinary success of the 2008 film Iron Man, which not only rejuvenated Robert Downey Jr.’s career but also breathed new life into the Marvel Comics superhero franchise, the Walt Disney Company took ownership of Marvel Studios. Now, more than a decade has passed since that acquisition, and under the guidance of Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has seen remarkable expansion.
The initial three phases, collectively referred to as the Infinity Saga, came to a highly popular conclusion with Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Endgame portrayed the original six Avengers each embarking on their own retirements.
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As Tony Stark/Iron Man, a beloved character, made the ultimate sacrifice to vanquish Thanos (Josh Brolin), and Chris Evans bid farewell to his portrayal of Steve Rogers/Captain America by passing on the Captain America legacy, it seems there’s a significant opening for prominent superhero teams like the Fantastic Four and X-Men to step into the spotlight and assume positions of power.
Fox’s X-Men Join the MCU
Not too long ago, Marvel Studios made a big reveal concerning the highly anticipated third installment of the Deadpool film series, aptly titled Deadpool 3. This fresh chapter is set to become a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), thanks to The Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, now rebranded as 20th Century Studios. Deadpool 3 has been rumored to feature Fox X-Men Universe plots heavily.
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The announcement was made by the talented actor Ryan Reynolds, famed for his portrayal of Deadpool/Wade Wilson, in collaboration with his “frenemy” Hugh Jackman, renowned for his role as Wolverine/Logan/James Howlett in the X-Men Universe. This announcement marks the official confirmation of the eagerly awaited introduction of both these superhero characters into the MCU.
The Fox X-Men movie series delved into the adventures of Mutants endowed with extraordinary abilities, coexisting in a modern world. The central focus was on the opposing viewpoints of Professor X and Magneto regarding the relationship between Mutants and humans. Their conflicting ideologies created tension that led other Mutants to align themselves with one of the two sides.
Prominent characters entangled in these dynamics included Patrick Stewart as Professor X/Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen as Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr, Halle Berry as Ororo Munroe, also known as Storm, Famke Janssen as Dr. Jean Grey, James Marsden as Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique/Raven Darkholme, Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner, also known as Nightcrawler, and Anna Paquin as Anna Marie LeBeau, commonly referred to as Rogue, among many others. Subsequent films like X-Men: First Class (2011), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) and X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) explored prequel narratives and delved into themes of time travel, introducing younger versions of characters such as Professor Xavier, Magneto, and Mystique, portrayed by James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence, respectively.
But with the Multiverse ever-expanding, and any alternate universe basically “kosher” in Marvel Studios’ eyes — it seems like it’s time for yet another iteration of X-Men to join the Marvel fray.
The New X-Men TV Series
Marvel Studios is releasing X-Men ’97, an upcoming Marvel Studios TV series created by Beau DeMayo for Disney+ (Disney Plus).
Recently, Hollywood insider CanWeGetSomeToast shared some info regarding the upcoming X-Men show. Namely, that it would depart from the original format show the was in and migrate from a 2D style to a more 3D (or really, 2.5D) method, utilized in previous Marvel Studios titles like What If…? (2021):
You can tell #XMen97 won’t be 2D from the promo art alone.
Just look at Cyclops and Rogue compared to their original designs, especially the hair. Then compare them to #WhatIf’s designs and you’ll see that it’s not just a “modern update” 🤷🏽♀️
(quoted) #XMen97 moved to from Fall 2023 to Early 2024. For those expecting it to be 2D animation like the original, sorry to burst your bubble.
Expect it to be like What If’s 3D animation. Not a big deal since X-Men TAS wasn’t known for its crazy animation anyways. The character models look way better than What If because they’re based on 2D designs instead of actors’ likeness. Anime inspiration still holds true.
You can tell #XMen97 won’t be 2D from the promo art alone.
Just look at Cyclops and Rogue compared to their original designs, especially the hair. Then compare them to #WhatIf’s designs and you’ll see that it’s not just a “modern update” 🤷🏽♀️ https://t.co/HLc4hbV9am pic.twitter.com/h9VClgOuYK
— CanWeGetSomeToast (@CanWeGetToast) September 11, 2023
The upcoming X-Men ’97 cast includes a talented lineup of voice actors, many returning to their roles from the original, beloved series. The promising ensemble includes names such as Ray Chase as Scott Summers / Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Lenore Zann as Anna-Marie Raven / Rogue, George Buza as Henry McCoy/Beast, Holly Chou as Jubilation Lee/Jubilee, Christopher Britton as Nathaniel Essex/Mister Sinister, Alison Sealy-Smith as Ororo Munroe/Storm, Cal Dodd as James “Logan” Howlett/Wolverine, AJ LoCascio as Remy LeBeau/Gambit, and more.
With a new style allegedly refreshing the older, more “dated” look, it’s not far-fetched to assume that animators would be willing to experiment with approaches like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023). Whether older series fans will be as enthused might be a totally different matter.
Are you excited to see the new X-Men ’97 TV series? Share your thoughts in the comments below!