Superhero fans are thoroughly enjoying the new X-Men ’97 animated series. The show is a continuation of the original X-Men: The Animated Series that launched in 1992. However, this recent release from Marvel Studios Animation has also got comic-book buffs wondering if they could soon get a long-awaited Spider-Man animated show.
Spider-Man’s animated cartoons have been a fan favorite over the past five decades. The first cartoon featuring the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler came out in 1967 and the superhero has been on a roll ever since. However, the character’s complicated TV rights have made it rather difficult to adapt the long-awaited Spider-Man ’98 show on TV.
Spider-Man’s Complicated TV Rights Will Make Your Mind Boggle
Spider-Man’s popularity has dominated the small screen since the first show was released in 1967. Since then, nine more shows featuring the superhero have come out. Given the animated shows’ popularity, when Sony purchased the rights to the character in the ’90s, they also wanted to be able to make an animated TV series featuring the superhuman New Yorker.
After inking the deal, Sony put out two shows Spider-Man: The New Animated Series in 2003 and the Spectacular Spider-Man. The latter became popular among fans but had to be discontinued when Disney purchased Marvel as they wanted to create their own Spider-Man animations.
However, as reported by Screenrant, a copy of the Marvel-Sony deal leaked in 2014 showed that Sony still had the right to make animated Spider-Man movies and series. One of the stipulations was that the episode duration had to be longer than 44 minutes for the latter.
Disney later began making their own Spider-Man animated shows. As per the Sony deal, both Marvel and Disney can make animated TV shows about the web-slinging superhero, as long as their episodes aren’t too long. Hence came the Marvel animated show Spidey And His Amazing Friends in 2021. Disney and Marvel also own the distribution rights for multiple Spider-Man shows of the past including, given reports Spider-Man 1981, Spider-Man: The Animated Series 1994, and Spider-Man Unlimited 1999.
Meanwhile, Sony is working on its own Spider-Man shows. Although many fans have loved Sony’s shows as well as live-action films featuring the friendly neighborhood superhero, Marvel famously hated Andrew Garfield’s Amazing Spider-Man movies.
Sony reportedly also locked horns with current Marvel head Kevin Feige over Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire’s MCU roles.
Lead TV Writer Is Willing To Return For Spider-Man ’98
While the fate of Spider-Man 98 hangs in the clouds, the Spider-Man: The Animated Series head writer John Semper Jr. has expressed an interest in working on the project.
In February 2024, a fan asked him his thoughts on making Spider-Man ’98 continue the story, like X-Men 97 is doing for the original series. He made his stance clear saying that he would consider it if Marvel Studios gave him a call.
All they have to do is call me. I'm here, and I'd certainly consider doing it.
— John Semper Jr. (@johnsemper) February 28, 2024
His exact words were,
“All they have to do is call me. I’m here, and I’d certainly consider doing it.”
Semper Jr. also has worked on films and shows like The Incredible Hulk, The Bionic Six, The Pink Panther, and the Green Lantern: Beware My Power animated feature.
Why X-Men ’97 Raised Fans’ Hopes For Spider-Man ’98?
The newly released X-Men ’97 trailer showcased a copy of The Daily Bugle. The fictional New York City tabloid mentioned Spider-Man in a headline.
Fans were quick to catch on how the new animated show had acknowledged that both Spider-Man: The Animated Series and X-Men: The Animated Series were a part of the same universe. Moreover, hardcore comic fans may remember how the X-Men were featured in an episode of Spider-Man: The Animated Series.
Hence, the easter egg in the X-Men ’97 trailer has fans hopeful to see Spider-Man make an appearance on the show. It has also filled them with hope of seeing the web-slinger star in Spider-Man ’98. But for now, the puzzling TV rights of the superhero character have cast a shadow on the show’s future.
