Credit: AMCThe iconic leader of the X-Men band of mutants has recently been replaced in Marvel Studios’ latest show, and now the telepath will be played by a returning Marvel Cinematic Universe actor.
Marvel Studios is currently on fragile ground. With two of the worst-performing feature films debuting in 2023, as well as a polarizing live-action Disney+ television series, Kevin Feige’s industry-leading superhero machine is experiencing all kinds of turbulence. Long gone are the days when Marvel fans would crowd movie theaters for the next installment. Instead, the seemingly decreasing quality has left audiences saving their money and catching it on Disney+ when it releases on the streamer.
Following the commercial failure of Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels (2023), the latest movie entry in the MCU, Marvel will next release the highly-anticipated Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). The R-rated MCU movie will drop in July and stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as the titular characters of Wade Wilson/Deadpool and Logan/Wolverine, respectively. There are high hopes for the third Deadpool movie, not least because it will be the MCU and Disney’s first R-rated superhero movie. Could Reynold’s Merc with a Mouth be the savior of the MCU? Deadpool himself thinks so, being “Marvel Jesus” and all.
But before Deadpool and Wolverine transition into the MCU, fans can see a different Wolverine each week in the critically acclaimed X-Men ’97 on Disney+. Debuting on Disney+ on March 20, X-Men ’97 is created by Beau DeMayo and is a direct continuation of the beloved X-Men: The Animated Series, which aired from 1992 through 1997.
DeMayo’s series, which is executive produced by the likes of Marvel Studios heavyweights Brad Winderbaum and Louis D’Esposito, sees the return of a number of memorable characters, including Scott Summers/Cyclops (Ray Chase), Jean Grey (Jennifer Hale), Ororo Munroe/Storm (Alison Sealy Smith), Henry McCoy/Beast (George Buza), Morph (J. P. Karliak), Rogue (Lenore Zann), Remy LaBeau/Gambit (A. J. LoCascio), Jubilation Lee/Jubilee (Holly Chou), Logan/Wolverine (Cal Dodd), Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (Matthew Waterson), Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler (Adrian Hough), Roberto Da Costa/Sunspot (Gui Agustini), Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith), and Professor Charles Xavier/Professor X (Ross Marquand).
While a lot of those names seem familiar–many of the X-Men: The Animated Series cast did reprise their roles for this series–one notable change is that Ross Marquand, star of The Walking Dead, is playing Professor X, replacing Cedric Smith. Marquand is no stranger to the world of Marvel, having voiced a number of characters in many projects.
For the MCU, Marquand recently voiced the likes of Red Skull and Ultron in What If…? He previously voiced the Red Skull in both Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Marquand is best known for playing Aaron on AMC’s The Walking Dead, where he appeared as the character from 2015 through 2023.
X-Men ’97 debuted on The Walt Disney Company’s streaming service with a two-episode premiere and will now shift to a one-episode weekly release schedule. The series broke MCU records when it received 100% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. The Marvel Studios Animation project has Beau DeMayo serving as head writer and Jake Castorena as supervising director.
While X-Men ’97‘s release has been a success, just days before the premiere, Marvel Studios fired Beau DeMayo in what Brad Winderbaum called a parting of the ways. However, rumors of DeMayo being difficult to work with and his activity on an adult subscription site have also been floated as the reason DeMayo was removed from the studio and not able to take part in any promotion for the series. DeMayo had finished writing the second season of the show, and now Marvel will look for a replacement to write the episodes for the already announced third season.
As for Professor X, the telepathic mutant was last seen in live-action in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness by director Sam Raimi. The character, played by Patrick Stewart–who starred as Charles in Fox’s X-Men movies–appeared as part of the Illuminati alongside other heroes like Captain Marvel (Lashana Lynch) and Reed Richards (John Krasinski) but was swiftly killed by the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). James McAvoy has also played Professor X in other X-Men movies.
Related: Marvel Star Quits Series, Speaks Out on the Future of MCU
The future of the X-Men in live-action looks promising. With Wolverine appearing in Deadpool 3 and Emma Corrin playing Cassandra Nova, the evil twin sister to Charles Xavier, as well as Ms. Marvel’s (Iman Vellani) status as a mutant, the band of heroes first established in the pages of Marvel Comics may soon dominate Kevin Feige’s MCU. Before that time comes, though, the First Family will officially arrive in The Fantastic Four next year.
The Fantastic Four stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing.
Related: Disney Completely Dismantles ‘Avengers’, Franchise in Jeopardy: Report
Episode 3 of X-Men ’97, “Fire Made Flesh,” will release on Disney+ on March 27, 2024. There will be ten episodes in the first season.
Are you watching X-Men ’97 on Disney+? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!