We have good reason to believe X-Men '97 was originally supposed to premiere on Disney+ in 2023. Instead, the X-Men: The Animated Series revival will reach our screen later this year after delays thought to be a result of a backlog in animation studios. We're sure the wait will have been worth it, though, as it's no secret Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is a big fan of the original show.
However, it's been a long time since the series ended in the mid-1990s, and we're anticipating at least some big changes (so far, that's consisted of an updated animation style and a few alterations to the voice cast).
Confirming that X-Men '97 will head down some exciting new routes is the fact we're reportedly getting a video game-inspired episode which, according to scooper @CanWeGetToast, sees "Jubilee and her boyfriend, Sunspot, get trapped in a 16-bit video game by Mojo on her birthday."
This instalment, supposedly titled "Motendo," will also "be animated in a 16-bit video game style."
That's appropriate for the time, of course, and shows us just one of the ways that Marvel Studios is using today's technology to take X-Men: The Animated Series' leads to the next level (pun intended) and unexpected new places in the animated realm.
While we still haven't seen season 1 (rumour has it the current plan is a late-March premiere), a few returning cast members have already confirmed they're working X-Men '97 season 2, including Wolverine himself, Cal Dodd, and Rogue actress Lenore Zann. Last August, we asked her about stepping back into the recording booth to play the fan-favourite hero again.
"It's fantastic to get this opportunity to re-inhabit the character of Rogue who is my favorite character I’ve played to date," she said, careful not to give anything away. "I’m grateful to the fans for their loyalty and support for our original series - and for my performance - which has made this possible."
"And I’m also grateful to Beau DeMayo and Charley Feldman from X-Men '97 for insisting I come back as Rogue."
As for what we can expect from the powerful mutant in this revival, Zann added: "As usual, Rogue will go through a lot in X-Men '97. Like me, she’s a passionate woman who can’t help wearing her heart on her sleeve. So, buckle up for a wild ride!"
X-Men '97 is currently scheduled to premiere on Disney+ later this year.