Disney+ Revives X-Men: The Animated Series Right Where It Left Off
If you're reading this, it means that you're probably also hearing what might be one of the best theme tunes ever committed to a TV show playing in your head. Like every other "X-Men" fan, it's hard not to consider the animated series that follows Charles Xavier's team of mutants as one of the best iterations of Stan Lee's superpowered team. Clearly, the top dogs at Disney think the same, as they just announced the news that a brand-new series is set to start in 2023, right where the original show finishes off.
Debuting in 1992, "X-Men: The Animated Series" is held in the same high regard as Bruce Timm's "Batman: The Animated Series" for its mature subject matter and storylines. Initially planned for 65 episodes, the show struggled in 1997 following Marvel's bankruptcy, leading Saban Entertainment to cough up the coin for a budgeted final few episodes (via Digital Spy). Of course, times have changed since then, and Marvel is somewhat of a big deal now. So much so that Disney, as part of Disney+ Day, made the announcement (along with a million others) today that it will be returning to the original series' story with a revival called "X-Men '97," and bringing some of the original cast along with it.
X-Men '97 will bring back a lot of the original cast
According to The Wrap, voice artists Cal Dodd, Adrian Hough, Alison Sealy-Smith, Christopher Britton, Lenore Zann, George Buza, Catherine Disher, Chris Potter, and Alyson Court are all headed back to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Some are set to return to the characters they first brought to life 29 years ago, while some will be taking on new roles alongside new additions to the voice cast.
In terms of the talent tasked with penning the return of this beloved series, Beau DeMayo, who wrote Netflix's "The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf," is onboard as executive producer and head writer. Eric and Julia Lewald, scribes for the original series, and original director Larry Houston are also onboard "X-Men '97" as consultants. This new venture marks the first major project with mutants for Disney since obtaining 20th Century Fox. While only time will tell how Disney handles things, the old class is officially coming a new platform, when "X-Men '97" airs on Disney+ in 2023.