Fans of X-Men: The Animated Series are in luck as the episode count of the revival show, alongside a release window, was revealed by the original writers.
Speaking during an interview on Justin Underwood's YouTube channel, writers Eric and Julia Lewald opened up about what audiences can expect from the highly-anticipated X-Men '97 series. "There is great love and affection and respect from an entire group of people that are doing this show, starting at the top with Beau DeMayo as the showrunner. And they have this challenge, I believe, looking at 10 episodes for the first season that’s gonna come out mid-next year, and they’re starting it soon after ours ended." While Marvel Studios already confirmed that the show would release in 2023, this is the first mention of a more specific window.
The writers of the original X-Men: The Animated Series also confirmed that '97 will have clear links to their series, with many references that fans will undoubtedly recognize. The long-awaited revival will seemingly pick up where the first series concluded, building on what came before.
Despite its announcement at Disney+ Day 2021, little is known about X-Men '97. The series is helmed by Beau DeMayo, known for their work on Netflix's The Witcher and The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, and will feature the return of many of the original voice cast. Confirmed actors include Cal Dodd, Lenore Zann, George Buza, Adrian Hough, Christopher Britton, Catherine Disher, Chris Potter, Alison Sealy-Smith and Alyson Court, all of whom will reprise their roles.
Production on X-Men '97 is already underway as Dodd, who plays James "Logan" Howlett/Wolverine, recently shared a behind-the-scenes photo of himself in a recording booth. "Guess what I was doing in the studio today? SO great to be back!!!" wrote Dodd, while holding up three fingers in a manner reminiscent of Wolverine's claws.
X-Men: The Animated Series is widely recognized as one of Marvel's best adaptions, faithfully capturing the magic of the mutants with storylines that appealed to both younger audiences and fans of the comics. The show ran for five seasons, ending in 1997, hence the name of the revival show. It's currently unknown if X-Men '97 plans on following the blueprint of an established arc or whether it will focus on telling an original story.
X-Men '97 will stream exclusively on Disney+.
Source: YouTube