X-Men ’97 finally has a trailer and Marvel snuck in Spider-Man and Krakoa references for good measure. In the new clip that re-introduces members of the classic team, there is some fun stuff involving Peter Parker and the mutant island. An issue of the Daily Bugle flies by during the trailer and there’s an article asking if Spider-Man is a mutant. (Written by Eddie Brock with pictures by Peter Parker… That sound you hear is all the Spider-Man: The Animated Series fans getting their hopes up for the same good fortune X-Men fans just got.) Also, a “mutant fashion show is mentioned,” which seems to be a nod to Krakoa’s Hellfire Gala.
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Head writer Beau DeMayo clearly loves the X-Men a great deal and X-Men ’97 is making every effort to showcase that wide history. It’s basically been 30 years since the series dropped a “previously, on X-Men.” So, the goal has to be to appeal to a wide range of mutant fan. Part of the fun here is that, for however popular the X-Men movies are, the animated show is still so prevalent in the comic book zeitgeist. Managing to echo that older animation style, and bringing back a ton of the voice cast to render their characters goes a long way to earning some trust from the fans. Check out the trailer up above!
Trying To Honor The Original Show Creators
A lot of the cast and crew behind X-Men ’97 are grateful to have this opportunity to help finish their story. It’s been years since the animated series left off in 1997. Multiple cast members are back and some of the producers. Eric and Julia Lewald talk to Justin Underwood (Spideyjeu09 on YouTube) about the new version of the beloved X-Men show. During their conversation, the consulting producers pointed out that most reboot or continuation efforts don’t make the time to call the previous creative teams and inform them of their plans. Marvel studios went even further in this regard by bringing back so many of the familiar faces that made X-Men: The Animated Series tick.
“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,’” Lewald mused. “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).”
What’s Coming In X-Men ’97?
Marvel describes the animated revival: “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.”
How are you feeling about the trailer? Let us know down in the comments!
