Boyd Kirkland was best recognized for his work not only as the producer of X-Men: Evolution but also for his incredible direction on Batman: The Animated Series. The late director once revealed in an interview that he would love to make his own universe with his dream team.
Kirkland was a veteran of animation whose name was highly regarded in the industry. Unfortunately, the famed figure passed away in 2011 while awaiting a lung transplant. Still, his legacy remains seen in his works featuring the X-Men.
X-Men: Evolution Producer Wanted A Thor Animated Feature
While catching up with Marvel Animation Age via The Dork Review, Boyd Kirkland responded to the question regarding his desire to build his own universe in the style of X-Men: Evolution. The producer already assumed the interviewer meant characters from the Marvel realm.
“Well, as a kid, I was initially drawn to Marvel comics because of Jack Kirby’s art, so am partial to the Fantastic Four, including the Inhumans, as well as Thor and the Tales of Asgard. I have always been convinced that the story of Ragnarok would make a great big-budget animated feature!”
It would have been something to see how Kirkland would put his own touch to an animated Thor film but with a hint of X-Men: Evolution. The franchise has grown so much over the years, from its humble beginnings in 2011 up to its recent installment released in 2022.
Despite the mixed critical reviews, the Thor franchise is a raging success for Marvel Studios, acquiring over $2.71 billion as per Box Office Mojo for all four movies. Ragnarok was the highest-grossing Thor installment with $853 million in worldwide ticket sales, so it’s no mystery why Kirkland was eyeing the story to craft as an animated feature.
In another conversation with Marvel Animation Age via Anime Superhero, Kirkland echoed his love for Jack Kirby’s aesthetic. The artist’s work has been constantly noticed by many in the projects of the producer.
“I don’t remember specifically how that came about, but I had been a fan of the Kirby era X-Men, and thought it would be cool to pay tribute to that.”
Thor was created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Larry Lieber so it’s quite evident that Kirkland has so much admiration for the artist that he wanted to bring one of his famous works to life through an animated film.
Was X-Men: Evolution Canceled?
X-Men: Evolution was reportedly canceled despite its high viewership ratings due to management conflicts. An article from Knows Why explained why the producer decided to end the series:
“Boyd Kirkland thought of canceling X-Men: Evolution because there was a conflict between the management and their financing partner regarding the finances involved in the production of the series. Although the show was able to attract a lot of viewers, especially teenagers and adolescents, the predicament faced by the producers and the management led them to cancel the show.”
X-Men: Evolution comics were also reportedly halted as the sales were found to be significantly low. On the bright side, the series has become part of the X-Men animated saga.
X-Men: Evolution is available to watch on Disney Plus.
