X-Men ’92 has been an absolute smash-hit for Marvel Studios. But, some recent numbers make it clear that X-Men ’97 is the rising tide for the entire property. Disney released figures about the staggering 4 million views through the first five days on Disney+. However, even more impressive is the fact that X-Men: The Animated Series has experienced a 522% increase in streaming on the platform since the new show premiered. Across all 5 seasons of the Fox Kids favorite, people are leaping at the chance to go back to the 90s. Seeing as how the show is only just debuting, these are encouraging signs for the Marvel brand.
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Fans of the mutants have been waiting on their grand arrival to the MCU since Disney purchased 20th Century Studios years ago. While this is not exactly that moment, it is the first really big exposure to these iconic characters within the confines of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yes, there are mutants running around the live-action world. (Professor X, Ms. Marvel, Namor, Photon, Binary, and some version of Beast just to name a few.) Despite that fact, a lot of viewers weren’t going to be satisfied until they saw Wolverine, Gambit, and Storm running around too. The future is looking bright.
2024 Is Huge For The X-Men
While X-Men ’97 continues to rack up the views, there’s even more mutant mayhem on the way with Deadpool & Wolverine. During the recent Morgan Standley Dealbook conference, Disney CEO Bob Iger championed the MCU blockbuster. He said it, “will be one of the more successful Marvel movies we’ve had in a long time.” While you can quibble about the veracity of that claim, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 did fine. (Not a billion dollars, but more than enough to land it in the top-half of last year’s top 10 films at the box office.) Still, the company is reevaluating some things.
“A lot of people think it’s audience fatigue, it’s not audience fatigue. They want great films. And if you build it great, they will come and there are countless examples of that. Some are ours and some are others’. Oppenheimer is a perfect example of that. Just a fantastic film,” Iger told the press. “Focus is really important. We reduced the output of Marvel, both number of films they make and the number of TV shows, and that really becomes critical, but I feel good about the team. I feel good about the IP we’re making. I talked about a lot of the projects. We look years ahead, really. And it’s iterative.”
With so many spotlights on the X-Men, if the demand keeps up the way it has in the early-going of X-Men ’97, there will be an absolute crush at the box office to see Hugh Jackman be Wolverine again. So, as the weeks go on, look for more fans to check-in on the childhood favorite. It’s a lot harder to make critical YouTube videos of the highest-rated project that Marvel Studios has put out in years. (It also helps to have massive superstars like LeBron James openly asking his followers when episodes drop on social media.)
Want To Check Out X-Men ’97?
It’s now streaming on Disney+ along with X-Men: The Animated Series. Marvel Studios revealed a synopsis for the animated series: “X-Men ’97 revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.”
‘The voice cast includes Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, JP Karliak as Morph, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, AJ LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop, Matthew Waterson as Magneto and Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler.”
“Beau DeMayo serves as head writer; episodes are directed by Jake Castorena, Chase Conley and Emi Yonemura. Featuring music by The Newton Brothers, the series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and DeMayo.”
Are you surprised by this wild number? Let us know down in the comments!