Marvel Confirms Their Best TV Show Is Finally Going to Release New Episodes Every Year

Even Kevin Feige has admitted Marvel overdid it when it came to producing TV shows for Disney+ (all in an effort to meet the Mouse House’s demands for more streaming content), but some of those series proved to be very successful. Arguably the best show is X-Men ’97, a continuation of the beloved X-Men: The Animated Series, which ran for five seasons in the ’90s. The first season of X-Men ’97 received widespread praise when it debuted last year, and fans are eagerly awaiting the show’s return. A second season is currently in the works, though it doesn’t have a release date yet. Fortunately, it sounds like extended waits between outings could be a thing of the past.

Marvel Studios head of streaming, television, and animation Brad Winderbaum outlined the future plans for shows like X-Men ’97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. “What’s exciting about the next few years is that we’re going to get subsequent seasons of X-Men ’97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man on an annual cadence,” he said (via Discussing Film). “So every year there’ll be a new season and we can map out a longer arc to those stories.”

Marvel’s Changing Strategy for TV Shows

In wake of the Multiverse Saga’s uneven reception, Marvel Studios is implementing some key changes to its operations moving forward. In addition to scaling back on output on both the big and small screens, Marvel is embracing more of a traditional television model, targeting series that can sustain multiple seasons that release on an annual basis. This is a major difference from the initial wave of Marvel’s Disney+ shows; many of those were limited series that were essentially feature films spread thin over the course of a TV season. The live-action Loki and the animated What If…? were the only ones of this bunch to be renewed past their first seasons.

We’re already seeing Marvel’s new strategy in action with the studio’s handling of Daredevil: Born Again. Even though Season 2 doesn’t premiere until next year, it’s already been confirmed that Season 3 has the green light and will shoot in 2026. Presumably, that will put it on track for a 2027 debut. It seems Marvel is looking to do the same thing with its animated series, which should only be a boon for projects like X-Men ’97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man moving forward.

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By releasing seasons annually, Marvel can ensure its TV shows maintain forward momentum. Too often, streaming series fall victim to extended gaps between seasons, which can have a negative impact on interest and demand. For instance, some Stranger Things fans have expressed apathy about Season 5 because it’s taken so long to release. X-Men ’97 was a bona fide hit, delivering a compelling revival of a beloved program that simultaneously honored what came before and put a fresh spin on things. The last thing Marvel wants is for X-Men ’97 to fall off the radar, so yearly releases are for the best. In the entertainment industry, sometimes the smartest thing to do is strike when the iron is hot.

Knowing the plan calls for annual seasons should also help the X-Men ’97 creative team, as it will allow them the storytelling real estate needed to properly flesh out characters and plot threads. There won’t be a sense to rush something to an uneven conclusion because the fate of the show is up in the air. The writers can take their time and let things grow organically, just like a normal TV show. If Season 1 was any indication, X-Men ’97 has the potential to rival or exceed its predecessor’s greatness. The X-Men property is full of so many rich characters and storylines that they deserve this kind of treatment.

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