The X-Men '97 Trailer Made One Big Spider-Man Mistake
Marvel fans have just been hit with a hefty wave of nostalgia via the stunning first trailer for "X-Men '97." Following the events of the original animated series, which gave us that theme tune we're still not tired of hearing, the latest preview is rife with things to pick apart. One issue fans might be quick to notice, however, is the misspelling of another iconic Marvel hero that's there in black and white on the front page of a tattered Daily Bugle. Above the inside scoop of the Mutant Fashion Show, the paper asks, "Is Spiderman a mutant?" While the jury might still be out on whether the webslinger falls into the same group as Wolverine or Cyclops, one thing he most certainly is is hyphenated.
To quote the late Matthew Perry's Chandler from "Friends" Season 3, Episode 19, "The One with the Tiny T-Shirt," "It's not like Phil Spiderman." As straightforward a statement as it might be, it's probably the way even the most casual fans remember how to write the old web-head's name, which begs the question of why, in a Marvel show, he's had it smushed together here. Could this be the work of regular Spider-hater J. Jonah Jameson, or might this refer to Pete Spiderman from Earth-91279? Either way, the biggest thing to take away here is that Spider-Man exists, and "X-Men '97" could be teeing up an appearance.
Could Spider-Man drop in to X-Men '97, and which one would he be?
It's understandable that mentioning Spider-Man in "X-Men '97" as early on as the trailer will spark curiosity about the wall-crawler making an appearance, but it wouldn't be a first for this particular iteration of Marvel's mutant superteam. Not only did Spider-Man lend a web in "X-Men" Season 3, Episode 7, "The Phoenix Saga, Part V: Child Of Light," in a brief cameo, but the mutants also dropped in to two episodes of the animated "Spider-Man" series that ran from 1994 to 1998. Considering that, could there be a chance of Spider-Man returning to this animated area of Marvel stories, and more importantly, which one would he be?
Besides "X-Men '97" on the way, there's also "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man," an animated show following Peter Parker as he prepares for his high school orientation. It would make sense that this version might appear in "X-Men '97" and continue Marvel's effort to build out these universes they love so much.
Alternatively, there's also a possibility that Christopher Daniel Barnes, who voiced Spider-Man in the beloved animated show that ended in 1998 and crossed over with the original "X-Men" series, could return too. Would it make for a nice cameo? Certainly. Would it make the Marvel multiverse all the more confusing? Definitely. We'll see if such a brain-melting moment occurs when "X-Men '97" arrives on March 20.