There are very few Marvel franchises that are as popular and beloved as the X-Men, since they have had a strong grip over quite a few mediums in the past several decades. With that said, most fans fondly remember their numerous animated shows, especially X-Men: Evolution.
X-Men ’97 might be the latest show featuring everyone’s favorite mutants, but many fans truly believe X-Men: Evolution deserved a reboot instead, especially considering the huge steps the show took back in the day.
X-Men: Evolution‘s Incredible Step Shows It Deserved A Reboot Instead of X-Men ’97
When X-Men: Evolution premiered in 2000, it faced daunting odds. Not only did it have to follow the beloved X-Men: The Animated Series, but it also had to carve out its own identity. However, over its 52-episode run, the series defied its critics by consistently delivering compelling stories.
It also introduced new elements and characters that left a lasting impact on X-Men lore. While it may not have attained the same level of cultural prominence as its predecessor, X-Men: Evolution is still revered as one of the finest animated shows of its time.
X-Men: The Animated Series stays true to its comic book roots, faithfully adapting iconic storylines like The Dark Phoenix Saga and Days of Future Past with remarkable fidelity. In contrast, X-Men: Evolution takes a different approach, catering to a younger audience and deliberately diverging from the established canon. Producer Boyd Kirkland emphasized the creative team’s desire to offer fresh narratives rather than rehashing familiar comic book plots where outcomes were already known.
While speaking to Looper, Kirkland also highlighted the influence of network requests and the show’s Saturday morning timeslot on its departure from comic book canon. He explained that the series needed to be “X-Men light” to suit the younger demographic of Kids’ WB, limiting the inclusion of certain comic book material deemed inappropriate for the target audience.
“Since Kids’ WB asked us to make ‘X-Men light’ keeping their young audience in mind, much of the comics material wouldn’t be appropriate for the show, and they would never let us do it,” he said. “Again, if this show were in prime-time rather than on Saturday morning, it would have much more of the stuff fans of the comics would like to see.”
Nevertheless, despite not including every gritty detail from the comics, X-Men: Evolution manages to carve out its own distinctive identity by putting unique spins on cherished X-Men stories.
Executive Producer of X-Men ’97 Can’t Wait For Future of MCU Animated Shows
X-Men ’97 is already getting a lot of great reviews from all across the board, with executive producer Brad Winderbaum discussing the process behind the show and the challenge of living up to the legacy of the original animated series, which is a very big task, as he said in an interview with Men’s Health.
Winderbaum also hinted at other exciting animated projects in the works, including The Eyes of Wakanda, which shares details about Wakandan history and mythology. He teased the potential for crossovers with other animated projects in the future, along with the upcoming third season of What If…? and the high school ensemble series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and Marvel Zombies. All in all, there are a lot of things fans can sink their teeth into in the future.
“We’re exploring so many amazing avenues on the animated side. Eyes of Wakanda, more than any other show, fits right into our sacred MCU timeline continuity. It’s about Wakandan history and mythology. There’s also a third season of What If…? with Bryan Andrews leading the charge, whose been there from the beginning.
And without spoiling anything, that’s where we start to feel crossover potential with animated projects. We’ve got Marvel Zombies coming down the road. And Jeff Trammell’s Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, which I’m going into a sound mix for in a couple of hours. It’s so great”
The announcement is definitely something that MCU fans will be happy about as they want something fresh from the brand since it has become stale now. With promising projects on the horizon, excitement is high for their premiere on Disney+.
