We're hearing that the first trailer for X-Men '97 will be released either today or tomorrow, but Empire Magazine appears to have jumped the gun by sharing the first official still from the highly anticipated Disney+ series.
In that, we see Gambit, Rogue, Jubilee, Storm, Wolverine, Beast, Morph, and Bishop hitting the basketball court in some 90s-era costumes.
The publication has also confirmed that X-Men '97 will premiere on March 20. That date has been floating around online for a couple of weeks now and it gives Marvel Studios only a month or so to build excitement for the show. For whatever reason, the marketing campaigns for all of the MCU's streaming offerings have been very last-minute over the past year or so.
It's hard to find fault with the animation style; by sticking with what worked in the 1990s and giving it a fresh lick of paint, Marvel Studios has delivered the best of both worlds. As a result, X-Men '97 should make longtime fans happy and be accessible to new viewers.
X-Men: The Animated Series is a beloved animated TV series that aired from 1992 to 1997. It follows Professor Charles Xavier and the X-Men as they protect a world that fears and hates mutants. The series was praised for its faithful adaptation of complex storylines, diverse character portrayals, and mature themes that often explored social issues.
Little has been revealed about X-Men '97; we expect it to serve as both a continuation of its predecessor and a series which introduces younger fans to the X-Men before they return to live-action in the MCU post-Avengers: Secret Wars.
The revival is set to feature the voice talents of several original X-Men: The Animated Series cast members, including Cal Dodd, Lenore Zann, George Buza, Alison Sealy-Smith, Chris Potter, Catherine Disher, Adrian Hough, and Christopher Britton. Some cast members will reprise their original roles, with others voicing entirely brand-new parts.
X-Men '97 will also welcome several new voices to the cast, including Jennifer Hale, Anniwaa Buachie, Ray Chase, Matthew Waterson, JP Karliak, Holly Chou, Jeff Bennett, and AJ LoCascio.
The head writer and executive producer for the series is Beau DeMayo. The supervising director is Jake Castorena and the supervising producer is Charley Feldman. Also consulting on the new series are X-Men: The Animated Series producers and showrunners Eric and Julia Lewald, plus original series director Larry Houston.
Check out this new look at X-Men '97 in the X post below.