X-Men ’97 has just dropped its initial episodes, and the reception is overwhelmingly positive. This series might just be a much-needed win Marvel, whose recent live-action releases haven’t been as positively received as this most recently aired animated series. But that’s a topic for another day. With the debut of X-Men ’97, Marvel Studios seems to be revisiting the past glory of one of its most beloved animated series. But could it be that the company is also strategically planting the seeds for a much broader and more ambitious endeavor?
As the animated series successfully picks up where its predecessor, the acclaimed X-Men: The Animated Series (abbreviated as X-Men: TAS) ended, we’re left wondering whether it can reignite a renaissance in Marvel animation. Could breathing a new life into an already vibrant Earth-92131 be one of Marvel’s first steps at setting up a new animated universe? To find an answer to this question, we might have to look at a broader picture.
The truth is that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is dying, and some believe that it died with the snap of Thanos (or Stark depending on your bookmark). While there have been good releases since the end of Phase 3, those have been few and far between, and the critical ratings of subsequent releases reflect our statement. Both Disney and Marvel need a torchbearer; a tool for both companies to continue telling all the comic book stories we know and love, or love and hope to discover more of. That’s where Marvel Animation, the studio behind recently released X-Men ’97, comes in.
Though the audience thinks of X-Men ’97 as an homage to and the continuation of its predecessor, Marvel, on the other hand, could be using the animated series as a proven narrative framework to explore new stories. Assuming that’s really the case, this revival of Earth-92131 could be viewed as part of a broader strategy to release several interconnected animated series, much like the MCU has done with its live-action offering.
As such, X-Men ’97 is a foundation for a new Marvel animated universe, and judging by the series’ current success, that particular foundation seems solid enough to build upon. Marvel isn’t wasting time on this either. The company’s ambition doesn’t end with X-Men ’97 since Marvel Animation already announced projects like Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and Eyes of Wakanda, both of which are scheduled for 2024 releases. It’s pretty clear that there’s a vision for a cohesive, expansive universe that mirrors the interconnected nature of the MCU.
Even the original X-Men: TAS was connected with the contemporary Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and considering just how successful both were, replicating their success 30 years later seems like a good business decision. This is especially true now, when the market for superhero movies has become saturated, and the audiences have begun losing interest in the MCU. This is partially due to overexposure to the superhero genre, and partially due to a decline in quality. But there are a few more things we’d like to mention as possible factors.
Due to poor reviews of many of its releases, including those released under the MCU banner, Disney announced that it’s putting its production efforts into a lower gear. A good portion of the projects were canceled or shelved, and many releases were purposefully delayed to ensure quality. However, by relying on Marvel Animation, both Disney and Marvel could continue pumping out high-quality content at a much faster rate compared to live-action releases. In other words, they could keep the quantity while maintaining quality.
Furthermore, thanks to the introduction of the Multiverse, those animated ventures don’t even have to adhere to the mainline continuity. Just look how successful What If…? has been. This could lead to the creation of a new animated universe where characters and storylines could cross over and influence one another, allowing Marvel to adapt many more rich and dynamic storylines from the world of comics.
Not only that, but this would allow Marvel Animation to continue the MCU beyond the conclusion of its live-action forebearers. WWith the MCU slowly approaching its 20th birthday, the conclusion of a cohesive live-action universe is slowly becoming more concrete than not. Once the MCU reaches its ending on the silver screen, its characters could easily live on in an animated universe, and their actors could return to voice their respective parts.
At the risk of sounding rude, Chris Pratt and Anthony Mackie certainly aren’t getting any younger, and while the technology has progressed sufficiently to use body doubles and deep fake face swaps, at some point, the actors just outgrow their roles. The introduction of a new animated universe solves these and many other issues Marvel is currently being plagued with. There really aren’t any limits here: Marvel could easily revive Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and complete the Kang Dynasty as animated releases.
Judging by everything taking place behind the curtain, it’s entirely possible that Marvel is using X-Men ’97 to sow the seeds of a new animated universe under its banner and transition the ailing and dying MCU onto a much more manageable and expansive medium.