The highly-anticipated X-Men ’97 on Disney+, a continuation of the popular X-Men: The Animated Series that originally aired on Fox in 1992 and ran for five seasons, has finally had some of its storyline revealed, thanks to an appearance by showrunner and head writer Beau DeMayo at the X-Men: 60 Uncanny Years Live Virtual Event via Marvel Unlimited. DeMayo revealed some of the most substantial information about the show yet, including how long after the original series it will take place, early plot details and two new members who will be joining the X-Men team full-time.
According to DeMayo, X-Men ’97 on Disney+ will take place “several months” after the last episode of the animated series, and in a change of pace, the X-Men, mutants who are usually reviled by the public, will be experiencing a “wave of increased sympathy towards mutants and understanding.”
(Warning: Spoilers for X-Men: The Animated Series ahead.)
“Okay, we’re gonna be picking up about several months after Professor X left Earth after being shot by Henry Gyrich and had to return to the Shiar homeworld to be with Lilandra,” DeMayo said. “And what ends up happening is that assassination attempt has led to this wave of increased sympathy towards mutants and understanding.”
DeMayo reveals that the X-Men certainly “weren’t expecting” such a reaction from the general public, which prompts many members of the team, including team leaders Cyclops and Storm, to deeply consider what the future holds in store for them.
“Despite the Friends of Humanity [Editor’s Note: A pro-human hate-group founded by Graydon Creed] still having their mullets and getting all up in it, things are really starting to look up for mutants,” DeMayo added. “And this is gonna kind of come to a head and leads our X-Men to say, ‘What does our future hold for us? We weren’t expecting this.’ And you’re gonna have Cyclops and Storm really wanting to carry on the dream. And they’ve recruited Morph and Bishop to actually become full-time members of the team.”
Previous reports for X-Men ’97 on Disney+ have mentioned that Cable, Forge, Sunspot and Nightcrawler will also make appearances on the show, although their status as full-fledged members or guest-stars is still uncertain at this time. Opposition for the X-Men will include the Hellfire Club, led by the White Queen Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw, and long-time X-Men nemesis Mr. Sinister.
DeMayo went on to briefly relate the reactions from some of the other X-Men to their newfound public reception, including Jean Grey, Gambit, Rogue and even longtime X-Men arch-nemesis Magneto.
“Other X-Men like Jean,” DeMayo continued, “and the will they/won’t they couple Gambit and Rogue are starting to begin to question, ‘Maybe there is a life… we’ve been fighting for this life of acceptance, can we just go out there and enjoy it for once, maybe?’ And then, of course, somebody shows up who shouldn’t show up and it’s Magneto, who’s also kind of feeling like, ‘You know, Professor X, he did a solid for mutantkind. I’m going to try to walk in his footsteps. I’m going to try to be a force of good for mutantkind.’”
DeMayo concluded by sharing one of X-Men’97 on Disney+’s biggest overarching themes: what does the future hold in store for mutants? And can they finally peacefully coexist with humanity?
“But then, of course,” DeMayo said, “as the X-Men are kind of looking at the future and, we’re going to be talking a lot about this, ‘How do you face the future? How do the X-Men do what they’ve been telling humanity to do for decades, which is embrace the future?’”
The tentative release date for X-Men ’97 on Disney+ is sometime in 2023. Are you looking forward to X-Men ’97 on Disney+? Do you think that the favorable public reception for the X-Men and mutantkind will last or is it too good to be true? Let us know in the comments.
Fan of X-Men: The Animated Series? Check out the X-Men: The Animated Series – The Adaptations Omnibus hardcover.
Or watch X-Men: The Animated Series on Amazon Prime.
