Lately, X-Men '97 has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The series failed to win the "Outstanding Animated Program" Emmy (losing to Netflix's Blue Eye Samurai) and fired showrunner Beau DeMayo continues lashing out at Marvel Studios on social media sharing.
Regardless, the series was a critical hit and fans remain eager for season 2...unfortunately, a new report from Nexus Point News (via ComicBookMovie.com) claims that X-Men '97 won't return to the streaming platform until 2026.
This is said to be a result of "changes being made to the story and scripts." Matthew Chauncey has replaced DeMayo as Head Writer and is thought to have been reworking the drafts DeMayo penned before being dismissed from the show.
X-Men: The Animated Series executive producers Larry Houston and Eric and Julia Lewald will remain in their roles as consulting producers. The main voice cast will also return, though there's currently no word on any new additions.
As disappointing as this delay is, Marvel Animation fans won't be left wanting in 2025; Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and Marvel Zombies are both on the way, while we'd imagine What If...? season 3 will also premiere next year.
Back in August, Marvel Studios Head of Streaming, Television and Animation Brad Winderbaum appeared at a Q&A alongside supervising producer Jake Casterona and director Emi/Emmett Yonemura.
When Winderbaum was asked about what to expect from the upcoming second season, he teased, "There [are] many teams, in Marvel, that have the letter 'X' that are followed by a hyphen. I would put it to you like this...there [are] two other X teams in Season 2."
Emi/Emmett Yonemura (who helmed "Fire Made Flesh," "Remember It," "Bright Eyes," and "Tolerance Is Extinction - Part 2") has also shared high praise for X-Men '97's new Head Writer.
"Oh, he's lovely. I absolutely love working with him," the director enthused. "He hasn't even been on super long, and he's already a super sweet, incredibly talented writer, so we're already having a blast over here, and I'm really excited for fans to kind of see what he helps bring to the table because it's amazing, he's a genius."
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.
All episodes of X-Men '97 are now streaming on Disney+. Stay tuned for updates as we have them.