Marvel has just released the highly anticipated trailer for “X-Men '97,” reviving the now nearly three-decade-old ‘90s classic, “X-Men: The Animated Series,” for modern audiences. It’s set to premiere on Disney Plus on March 20.
“X-Men '97” will pick up from the events of where its five-season predecessor left off back in 1997 — hence the title. The trailer even features several circumstances in that fateful finale, called “Graduation Day,” which saw the death of Professor X, otherwise known as Charles Xavier.
The events this time will seemingly bring the mutant X-Men team back together under the leadership of Magneto. Cyclops tells the group with solemn clarity, “We have to stay vigilant, the professor entrusted us with his dream,” over bits of the trailer highlighting anti-mutant protests, battles with Sentinel robots, and the lifeless body of Professor X.
There’s even a quick glimpse of Gambit riding on the back of Wolverine as his adamantium claws alight in Gambit’s purple energy. The new “X-Men '97” trailer culminates in a somewhat somber tone, as Magneto hands over the last will and testament of Professor X to the mutant group, explaining his newfound role as the head of the school and owner of Charles's mansion.
Marvel’s new animated series will seemingly stay faithful to the original show, not merely in its animation style but also in its cast, bringing back many of the same voice actors, including George Buza’s Beast, Catherine Disher as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith’s Storm, and Cal Dodd as the Wolverine. New faces to the cast include Ray Chase (Cyclops), Matthew Waterson (Magneto), AJ LoCascio (Gambit), and Adrian Hough (Nightcrawler).
The new Disney Plus series will be helmed by writer Beau DeMayo with direction from Chase Conley, Emi Yonemura, and Jake Costorena across its 10 total episodes. A second season is already in development, which was announced at last year’s San Diego Comic Con.
“We have to stay vigilant. The professor entrusted us with his dream."
Cyclops
The original “X-Men: The Animated Series,” which first premiered in 1992, proved to be one of Marvel’s most beloved projects. The 76-episode animated show brought Marvel comics to the forefront of pop culture, igniting a new generation of superhero and comic book fans well before the live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe took center stage.
Born from Disney’s $71.3B buyout of 21st Century Fox, this new series will finally allow Marvel to leverage the X-Men characters to their fullest potential and fans are seemingly quite excited for their animated return. The trailer release comes on the heels of the official casting of Marvel’s upcoming “Fantastic Four” project, which is set to debut on July 25.
If there’s ever a time to get into Disney Plus and experience the forthcoming magic that is animated X-Men mutants in the throes of keeping the world safe, it’s certainly the present.
