The Beloved '90s X-Men Animated Series Returns With Marvel's X-Men '97 Trailer
Grab your boombox and meet me at the skatepark, because we're throwing it back to the '90s, folks! Despite all the warm and fuzzy feelings that that decade inspires in Millennials like me, it wasn't exactly a golden age for superhero media ... on the big screen, that is. For comic fans and loyal viewers of Saturday morning cartoons, well, animated shows were simply the place to be. We had "Batman: The Animated Series" and "Spider-Man" at our fingertips, but we're here to talk about one beloved series over all the rest: "X-Men: The Animated Series." The pop-cultural legacy of this show simply can't be overstated, acting as a gateway to comic books for an entire generation of young fans.
Now, over three decades later (good God, we're old), Marvel is returning to the small screen with a Disney+ revival titled "X-Men '97." The project was first revealed back on Disney+ Day in 2021, but we've heard very little about it since. That finally changes today, as Marvel has released a bevy of new looks at the series continuation, including a new trailer, poster, images, and the voice cast reveal. Oh, and there's also an official release date, too. Get ready to relive your childhood when the 10-episode series comes to Disney+ on March 20, 2024. But until then, check out the new trailer above!
The X-Men are back and better than ever
Feeling nostalgic yet? Or is that just the crushing weight of time, rearing its terrible head to make us all want to crumble into dust? Whatever the case may be, the X-Men are back and are looking better than ever before. "X-Men '97" has always been billed as a revival or continuation of the original series from the 1990s, picking up right where "The Animated Series" left off in the finale titled "Graduation Day." The beloved Professor X had succumbed to his injuries in his hospital bed and left his team of mutants to fend for themselves. Although one final tease hinted at the idea of bringing him back, the new trailer footage continues on as if he were truly dead and gone.
Everybody's favorite characters are back, featuring a talented (and very familiar) voice cast led by Ray Chase as Cyclops (yes, the same Ray Chase who provided the voice of Gabriel in "Malignant"), 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, and Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler. In the trailer's final moments, we even get to meet Matthew Waterson as Magneto. Taking on head writer duties on the series is Beau DeMayo ("Moon Knight," "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds") while the episodes will be directed by Jake Castorena, Chase Conley, and Emi Yonemura.
Marvel Animation
"X-Men '97" revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.