X-Men ’97 is coming to Disney Plus — everything we know so far
X-Men ’97 will pick up where X-Men: The Animated Series left off
X-Men ’97 demonstrates that Disney isn’t above using nostalgia as a marketing tool. Announced during Disney Plus Day amid a slew of other Marvel news, X-Men ’97 is an upcoming animated show that will pick up right where X-Men: The Animated Series left off more than two decades ago. Expect to see a lot of the old cast and crew along for the ride as well.
X-Men '97: Release window
Information comes directly from Marvel, which offers some additional details for X-Men ’97 in a post on its website:
“The animated series that made X-Men a household name will continue in Marvel Studios’ X-Men ’97, coming exclusively to Disney+ in 2023!” writes Robyn Belt, manager of editorial content for Marvel Unlimited. “A new generation, and fans of the original decade-defining cartoon, will enjoy this all-new animated series that revists the iconic era and cast of characters from 1992’s X-Men: the Animated Series.”
X-Men '97: Cast
Returning fans will be happy to hear that X-Men ’97 will include many voice actors from the original series, including Cal Dodd (Wolverine), Lenore Zann (Rogue), George Buza (Beast) and Alison Sealy-Smith (Storm). New voice actors include fan-favorite talent, such as Jennifer Hale (Mass Effect), Ray Chase (Final Fantasy XV) and Jeff Bennett (Batman: The Brave and the Bold).
Norm Spencer, who played Cyclops, sadly passed away last year, but X-Men ’97 seems like a good place to memorialize his contribution to the franchise.
Behind the scenes, Eric and Julia Lewald, who were showrunners for the original series, will act as consultants, as will veteran X-Men director Larry Houston.
X-Men '97: Background
For those of you who weren’t around in the early-to-mid ‘90s (or who were, perhaps, too old to watch Saturday morning cartoons), Belt does not overstate the X-Men’s popularity. Marvel’s ambitious cartoon took the world of children’s pop culture by storm, spawning everything from a massive toy line to its very own brand of fruit snacks. The show ran for five years, and maintained a cohesive, developing story from start to finish, just like the comics that inspired it.
Sign up to get the BEST of Tom's Guide direct to your inbox.
Here at Tom’s Guide our expert editors are committed to bringing you the best news, reviews and guides to help you stay informed and ahead of the curve!
There aren’t many more details to share about X-Men ’97 yet, but we’ll almost certainly hear more about the project between now and 2023. Since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, the X-Men movies have been in a state of limbo. That means there haven’t been many opportunities for fans to see the beloved mutant team outside of ongoing comic books. A new X-Men series seems like a sign that Marvel may be ready to reintegrate the team into TV and movie continuity.
Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom's Guide, overseeing the site's coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and technology. After hours, you can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi.