X-Men '97

X-Men '97 is an American animated television series created by Beau DeMayo for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the X-Men. It is a revival of X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997) produced by Marvel Studios Animation, and continues the story of the X-Men from the earlier series. DeMayo was head writer for the first two seasons and Matthew Chauncey took over for the third, with Jake Castorena as supervising director.

Ray Chase, Jennifer Hale, Alison Sealy-Smith, Cal Dodd, J. P. Karliak, Lenore Zann, George Buza, A. J. LoCascio, Holly Chou, Isaac Robinson-Smith, Matthew Waterson, Ross Marquand, and Adrian Hough star as members of the X-Men. Sealy-Smith, Dodd, Zann, Buza, and Hough reprised their roles from the original series, as did Christopher Britton. Original series stars Catherine Disher, Chris Potter, Alyson Court, Lawrence Bayne, and Ron Rubin returned to voice new characters.

The revival was first discussed in June 2019 and formally announced in November 2021, with DeMayo and Castorena attached. It is the first X-Men project from Marvel Studios since the company regained the film and television rights to the characters. Animation was provided by Studio Mir and Tiger Animation, and is a modernized version of the original series' style. Original producers Eric Lewald, Julia Lewald, and Larry Houston returned to consult on the revival and were made executive producers with the second season. Chase Conley and Emi Yonemura also directed episodes. DeMayo was fired as head writer in March 2024 and Chauncey was hired to replace him that July.

X-Men '97 premiered on March 20, 2024, with its first two episodes. The rest of the ten-episode first season was released weekly until May 15. It received critical acclaim and various accolades. The second season is scheduled to premiere in mid-2026, and the third season is in production.

Premise

X-Men '97 continues the story of X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997). In both series, mutants are people born with superhuman abilities that generally manifest during puberty. The X-Men are a team of mutant superheroes founded by Professor Charles Xavier to protect mutants and humans alike. At the end of The Animated Series, Xavier nearly dies in an assassination attempt and is taken to space to be healed by the alien Shi'ar Empire. X-Men '97 begins a year later and sees the X-Men facing new challenges without Xavier, under the leadership of their former adversary Magneto. As with the original series, X-Men '97 combines action, soap opera-style drama, and exploration of serious topics.

Episodes

Season 1 (2024)

Season 2

Work on a second season began by July 2022. Initial head writer Beau DeMayo had finished writing for the season by the time he was fired in March 2024. Voice recording for the season had begun by February 2023, and animatics for the entire season had been created by March 2024. The season is set to premiere in mid-2026.

Season 3

A third season was in development by the end of March 2024. Voice recording started a year later, and animatics for most of the season were created by October 2025. The season is expected to be released a year after the second.