WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS from X-Men ’97 season 1, episode 10.
X-Men ’97 may lead to the beginning of a new shared Marvel animated universe, according to a Marvel Studios executive. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie timeline keeps expanding, it appears that Marvel Studios may have another continuity growing in the near future. As seen throughout X-Men ’97 season 1, the mutants are surrounded by a world with various Marvel heroes and villains.
Following X-Men ’97 episode 10, Screen Rant had an exclusive interview with Brad Winderbaum, who is Marvel Studios’ Head of TV, Streaming, and Animation, about the season 1 finale and what is next for the series. Given all the cameos that were showcased in X-Men ’97 season 1, Winderbaum was asked if this could mark the birth of a so-called Marvel Animated Cinematic Universe (MACU) as he teased the following:
Well, I think to me, X-Men ’97 is the window into the 90s and into that universe. We can see how much that window expands over time perhaps. But there is a value to focusing on that era because it unlocks you from any other show. You get to explore this universe from this one perspective, which is basically what every episode of What If…? does to a certain degree. But those are one-and-done ones, an anthology, this is actually a universe that gets to exist for multiple seasons, which is one of the things most exciting about it.
Related
Every Cameo In X-Men ’97 Ranked
X-Men ’97 season 1 features a swathe of incredible Marvel cameos, from the shared 1990s animated universe and the pages of X-Men comics.
What Spinoff Shows Could Happen After X-Men ’97?
As the world waits patiently for X-Men ’97 season 2, there are a lot of spinoff ideas that could spawn out of this universe. The one that many have been asking for is Spider-Man ’98, serving as a sequel to Spider-Man: The Animated Series, as that version of Peter Parker made a cameo twice in the season. With Marvel Studios having the rights to this version of Spider-Man, a series revival is more than possible at this point.
As major heroes like Captain America, Iron Man, and Hulk were also seen throughout the season, it would be intriguing to see a ’90s-themed Avengers spinoff and bring those characters together. With Daredevil: Born Again set to happen in 2025, Disney+ could also invest in an animated Daredevil TV show, as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen also made a cameo in X-Men ’97 and has already appeared in Spider-Man: The Animated Series.
With the MCU also rebooting the Fantastic Four, an animated offshoot series from X-Men ’97 could allow Marvel Studios to explore Marvel’s First Family during the ’90s era, too. Whether X-Men ’97 season 2 will plant any ideas for potential spinoffs remains to be seen. Hopefully, as X-Men ’97 continues to grow more popular, it will lead to some fun and exciting spinoff series and give Marvel Studios an animated MCU as a parallel to their live-action franchise.
X-Men ’97
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
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X-Men ’97 is the direct continuation of the popular 1990s animated series X-Men: The Animated Series. Taking up where the third season left off, Marvel’s revival brings back famous mutants such as Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Gambit, Cyclops, Beast, Magneto, and Nightcrawler, who fight villains like Mr. Sinister, the Sentinels, and the Hellfire Club.
- Cast
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Jennifer Hale
, Chris Potter
, Alison Sealy-Smith
, Lenore Zann
, Cal Dodd
, Catherine Disher
, Adrian Hough
, Ray Chase
, Chris Britton
, George Buza - Release Date
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March 20, 2024
- Seasons
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1
- Streaming Service(s)
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Disney+
- Franchise(s)
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X-Men
- Main Genre
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Animation
- Creator(s)
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Beau DeMayo
- Where To Watch
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Disney Plus
- Writers
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Beau DeMayo
- Directors
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Jake Castorena
Upcoming Marvel Movies | Release Date |
---|---|
Deadpool & Wolverine | July 26, 2024 |
Captain America: Brave New World | February 14, 2025 |
Thunderbolts* | May 2, 2025 |
The Fantastic Four | July 25, 2025 |
Blade | November 7, 2025 |
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty | May 1, 2026 |
Avengers: Secret Wars | May 7, 2027 |