Ever since Marvel Studios got into the television business, courtesy of the Disney Plus streaming service, fans have been theorizing about which characters could headline their own TV shows. So far, we have seen the likes of Wanda Maximoff, Vision, Loki, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Echo, and Agatha Harkness all star in their own adventures. But there are more on the way and audiences couldn't be more excited to see who the Marvel Cinematic Universe chooses to spotlight next.
The X-Men got the spotlight on the small screen too. It might not have been part of the MCU, but X-Men '97 was one of the most anticipated shows that Marvel Studios ever produced - the first through their Marvel Animation banner. The 10-episode show is a revival series of the classic X-Men: The Animated Series and it was extremely successful, earning praise from fans and critics (as well as an Emmy nomination), along with a renewal for a second season.
The return of the animated X-Men has certainly been a "bucket list" moment for a lot of Marvel fans who spent years hoping it would happen. But it sounds like it might not be the only classic animated series that Marvel Studios is interested in reviving. It might not even be the only one in the same animated shared universe.
Spider-Man: The Animated Series revival discussed at Marvel Studios
According to veteran industry insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios has discussed a revival of Spider-Man: The Animated Series. This report comes after the monumental success of animated series X-Men '97 earlier this year, which was a Disney Plus revival of the classic X-Men: The Animated Series, and it's something that fans have been hoping for for a long time.
The hopes and dreams of a revival increased exponentially throughout X-Men '97's run, and not just because of the quality of that show. One episode actually features a look at Spider-Man himself while another features a cameo appearance from Peter Parker along with his beloved Mary Jane Watson, giving us all an idea of what Spidey and MJ would look like in the slightly modified Disney Plus design if Marvel were to revive the show.
Spider-Man: The Animated Series ran for five seasons between 1994 and 1998, consisting of 65 episodes. It shared continuity with X-Men: The Animated Series and had a number of crossovers with it, including a showdown (and eventual team-up) between Spidey and Wolverine. It too was considered among the greatest cartoons ever made, particularly when it came to the superhero landscape, serving as the definitive adaptation of Spider-Man for many kids growing up in the '90s. Also like X-Men, its opening music is considered one of the all-time great intro themes.
X-Men would occasionally acknowledge Spider-Man and other heroes whenever major world-changing events were taking place and that is one of the many reasons fans were thrilled to see the new series do the same. Could it have paved the way for Spidey's full-time return in a show of his own?
Ever since the webslinger's cameo in X-Men '97, fans have begun campaigning for what they have called Spider-Man '98 to happen. Given that the original series ended on a huge cliffhanger, it's not unreasonable of them to want a resolution to that after all this time. After all, it takes place in the same shared universe as X-Men so it shouldn't be too hard to make happen.
If the studio does opt to let Spidey have another swing around the city, it probably wouldn't be for a while as there is already a Marvel Animation Spider-Man series on the horizon. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man premieres on Disney Plus next January, and it's set in a timeline parallel to the MCU's, showcasing some of Peter Parker's early adventures as the wall-crawler.
The more Spidey, the better; let's just hope that there is a future out there where Spider-Man '98 comes to fruition.