Marvel’s X-Men Revival Officially Breaks A 3 Year Old Marvel Studios Record

Marvel’s X-Men ’97 is primed to break a record set by Marvel Studios WandaVision in 2021. The Marvel Cinematic Universe series is a revival of X-Men: The Animated Series, recommencing the narrative nearly two decades later. Given there isn’t a precedent for this kind of return, the show is already prompting much excitement, even earning a second season before its release. As such, X-Men ’97 is set to surpass even more Marvel milestones.

X-Men ’97 will reunite several cast members and bring back members of the original production crew, reviving much of what made the classic 1990s cartoon X-Men: The Animated Series work. The series is not considered part of the MCU timeline, though it will be produced by the Marvel Studios subsidiary, Marvel Studios Animation. While the X-Men ’97 trailer revealed some exciting features of the impending show, another aspect of the series has already broken a Marvel record.

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X-Men ’97 Will Be The Longest Marvel Studios TV Show Season To Date

X-Men ’97 Season 1 Will Consist Of 10 Episodes

The first season of Marvel’s X-Men ’97 revival will be composed of 10 episodes, the longest series Marvel Studios has produced. While some Marvel series have been longer than 10 episodes, none of these were produced by Marvel Studios and remain canonically ambiguous. Though X-Men ’97 is also not considered part of the MCU’s timeline, it is produced by Marvel Studios Animation, under the umbrella of Marvel Studios. As a result, it has beaten the record for the longest Marvel Studios series, many of which were either nine or six episodes.

Before Marvel Studios began releasing shows on Disney+, several other Marvel series were produced by Netflix, ABC, and Hulu – many featuring more than 10 episodes. These were, at least upon release, considered MCU canon. However, the majority of these have now been removed from the MCU timeline – though certain select aspects are being retained.

Prime examples of assets being reconsidered as MCU canon are Charlie Cox as Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin. These performances originated in Netflix’s The Defenders Saga, which was seemingly removed from the official MCU timeline, only to have major figures return in later official MCU series. Regardless, X-Men ’97‘s Marvel Studios record break is good for both the show and the studio, especially as Marvel tries to test further how to present TV series to its audience.

Why X-Men ’97’s Episode Count Is Good News For The Show

X-Men Is Perfect For A Long-Form Series

X-Men ’97 is the perfect Marvel Studios series for a longer season for several reasons. Firstly, the original X-Men: The Animated Series produced much longer seasons, including season 4 – which consisted of 21 episodes – demonstrating the show’s potential longevity. Moreover, the show’s predilection for adapting sagas and stories across multiple episodes would not function with less than 10 episodes. Marvel’s X-Men is particularly suited to long-form series, because of its wealth of characters and stories. An X-Men television series could function like a soap opera, focusing on a handful of characters across several episodes, before rotating them out for others.

X-Men ’97 is also in a unique position, by having an established and highly successful foundation with X-Men: TAS. This is presumably why X-Men ’97 has been given more episodes than other series, as X-Men ’97 can hit the ground running with a captive audience. Additionally, as X-Men ’97 is not considered MCU canon, it might escape the superhero fatigue phenomenon that is plaguing many Marvel releases, enjoying multiple episodes of action that bear no impact upon the wider franchise.

Will Marvel Studios Ever Experiment With Longer TV Show Seasons?

Marvel Have Announced Numerous More Disney+ Series

It’s unclear whether Marvel Studios will continue experimenting with longer seasons, as this will likely depend on how new longer series like X-Men ’97 and Daredevil: Born Again are recieved. The studio is facing budget constraints across the entire franchise, so longer seasons will likely only occur if episode budgets can be reduced greatly. This is handy for X-Men ’97, which is not saddled with expensive MCU talent and cinematic expectations.

X-Men ’97 could prove the inexpensive option needed in the MCU’s future. Daredevil: Born Again is scheduled for 18 episodes – which would set a new Marvel Studios record. However, unconfirmed reports suggest the show will be split into two parts (via JoBlo).

Other Marvel shows produced by other networks have proven that longer season lengths can yield positive results. ABC’s Agents of SHIELD boasted full-length seasons, some of which consisted of 22 episodes. Meanwhile, Netflix’s The Defenders Saga mostly produced seasons that were 13 episodes long. These provided the perfect amount of space to explore over-arching narratives and interconnected stories. Daredevil: Born Again will recommence this, hopefully setting a new precedent for Marvel Studios. Regardless, X-Men ’97 will navigate this territory first, and seemingly, with success.

X-Men ’97

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

Jennifer Hale , Chris Potter , Alison Sealy-Smith , Lenore Zann , Cal Dodd , Catherine Disher , Adrian Hough , Ray Chase , Chris Britton , George Buza

Release Date

March 20, 2024

Seasons

1

Streaming Service(s)

Disney+

Writers

Beau DeMayo

Directors

Jake Castorena

Where To Watch

Disney Plus