Disney Plus’s sequel to the beloved animated series, X-Men ’97, has an episode count and a release window to look forward to.
Announced back in November as a Disney Plus production, not much was known for sure about X-Men ’97 except that the House of Mouse was finally bringing the Children of the Atom into the fold after gobbling up Fox’s studios.
Additionally, most of the original voice cast was returning and it was clear we were being treated to a direct follow-up. Producers Eric and Juia Lewald are also coming back as consultants and the former recently revealed more of what to expect, including how many episodes the season will have, when approximately it debuts, and where it will pick up.
Granted an X-tension for the X-Men
Eric Lewald explained “They want it to be an extension [of X-Men: The Animated Series],” in a lengthy interview with YouTuber Justin Underwood, while adding that it will have its own identity. “Whoever it is doing this new show is going to make it their own, no matter who is involved in it,” Lewald said.
That last bit might alarm casual listeners but Lewald assuaged their fears, stating “love” will be brought to the project by its makers. “There is great love and affection and respect from an entire group of people that are doing this show, starting at the top with Beau DeMayo, who’s the showrunner,” he said.
Lewald then divulged DeMayo is spreading that love across a nice and official episode count that promises to dig deeper into what the mutants did after they watched their fearless leader and mentor Charles Xavier get carried off to a different star system in a spaceship.
O, Professor, where art thou?
“I believe they’re looking at 10 episodes for the first season that’s going to come out mid-next year [2023],” Lewald said. “They’re starting it soon after ours ended… ‘Where is [Professor X?]'”
So in probably 2023, we shall find out how the team copes with Xavier, felled by a psionic attack, receiving emergency recuperative care in a galaxy far, far away. Going from there, DeMayo and his crew “build off of that,” with or without the Prof. returning to Earth.
Wherever X-Men ’97 goes is ultimately DeMayo and Disney’s decision though they are keeping the Lewalds in the loop, respectfully, just in case, Eric Lewald says:
"“They could have just said, ‘We’re just going to do a new show.’ We have friends that were part of other very successful shows, and when they get rebooted, not a phone call, not a card, not a bit of recognition, just, ‘We’re going to do a new show.’ In this case, they were all nice and respectful enough. We said, ‘It’s your show. We’re here if there’s a red flag,’ but we’re on for that, or maybe some ideas of things we’d like to see. But really, it’s their show. You can tell by the design. It’s the same but slightly modernized, slightly a bit more beautiful, five times the money spent on it. Not that we’re bitter (laughs).”"
Far from bitter, are you energized there is more X-Men officially on the way, and no less from Marvel? Shout out to us on social media and down in those comments.