Over two decades ago, X-Men: The Animated Series wrapped up its five season run on Fox. That show is widely credited for introducing the X-Men to non-comic fans, and paving the way for the eventual movie. Now, if the creative team behind the series has their way, the original X-Men series could get a comeback.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the X-Men creative team is planning a pitch for Disney about “an onscreen continuation of the series, perhaps a season of TV that’d keep the aesthetic of the show.”
“The one thing we’d like to do more than anything else is to continue where we left off,” said Larry Houston, a writer, producer, and artist who was one of the driving creative forces behind X-Men: The Animated Series.
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Unlike several other animated shows of the era, X-Men was given the chance to have a real series finale. In the final episode, the X-Men and Magneto joined forces to save Professor Xavier before he was sent away into space to be healed. If the revival actually happens, it would presumably follow up on that thread. Given that twenty two years of new X-Men stories have been published since 1997, a jump forward in time is another possibility.
The last X-Men animated series, Wolverine and the X-Men, was cancelled after only a single season in 2009. An X-Men anime series was released in Japan and the U.S. in 2011. Since then, Marvel’s mutant heroes have largely been absent from the animated realm. When 20th Century Fox held the film rights, Marvel appeared to intentionally downplay the X-Men franchise. If Disney and Marvel want to reintroduce the characters to a new generation of fans, they may prefer to make a fresh start rather than revisiting the past.
Another potential strike against the X-Men revival is that Marvel’s current animated series tend to skew a lot younger than that show. Perhaps Disney+ would be a more viable outlet than Disney XD, if the parent company is amenable to a revival.
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However it plays out, THR does have some good news for fans of the series. On October 12, cast members Cal Dodd (Wolverine), Lenore Zann (Rogue), George Buza (Beast), Chris Potter (Gambit), and Chris Britton (Mr. Sinister) will reunite at Los Angeles Comic Con for an X-Men: The Animated Series reunion panel. It will be the first time that the cast has shared a stage since the end of the show.
Do you want to see a revival of the X-Men become a reality? If so, which outlet is the best home for it? Share your thoughts and your favorite X-Men animated memories in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Previously on X-Men: The Making of an Animated Series
