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 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. 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.

Cast and characters

Main

  • Ray Chase as Scott Summers / Cyclops:
The mutant field leader of the X-Men whose eyes emit powerful beams of concussive energy. Cyclops is prepared to lead the X-Men after the loss of Charles Xavier, before Magneto takes that role. Chase replaces Cyclops's original voice actor Norm Spencer, who died in 2020. Chase had not seen the original series when he auditioned, and was provided clips and references for the character's voice to base his performance on. After being cast, he watched the original series and listened to interviews of Spencer.
  • Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey:
A powerful telepathic and telekinetic mutant who is married to Cyclops, and was once the host of the cosmic entity Phoenix Force. Her relationship with Cyclops is complicated by Wolverine's feelings for her. Hale, who previously voiced the character in other Marvel media, replaces original series voice actress Catherine Disher, and based her performance on Disher's voice.
  • * Hale also voices Madelyne Pryor / Goblin Queen, a mutant clone of Jean created by Mister Sinister. Madelyne gives birth to Cyclops's son, Nathan, which further complicates his relationship with Jean. Hale used a slightly different tone when voicing Madelyne to separate her from Jean.
  • Alison Sealy-Smith as Ororo Munroe / Storm: A powerful mutant who can control the weather and is described as a "goddess". Sealy-Smith reprises her role from the original series.
  • * Sealy-Smith also voices the Adversary, a demon that feeds on negative emotions
  • Cal Dodd as Logan / Wolverine: A hotheaded mutant with a regenerative healing factor, heightened senses, retractable claws, and an adamantium-laced skeleton. Dodd reprises his role from the original series.
  • J. P. Karliak as Morph:
A mutant metamorph who can change their voice and appearance to that of any person. Morph's base design is updated from the original series to be "pale, hairless, and blankly-featured" similar to the version of the character seen in the "Age of Apocalypse" comic book storyline and the Exiles comic book. Morph identifies as non-binary, but the series does not explicitly use that term as it was not common in the 1990s. Characters that Morph shape-shifts into in the first season include Xavier, Jean Grey, Archangel, Blob, Lady Deathstryke, Colossus, Psylocke, Sabretooth, Spiral, Illyana Rasputina / Magik / Darkchylde, Quicksilver, Juggernaut, Hulk, Mister Sinister, Sauron, and Mister Fantastic. Karliak replaces Morph's original voice actor Ron Rubin.
A mutant who absorbs the memories, powers, and energy of those she touches. The series reveals that Rogue had a secret romantic relationship with Magneto when she was younger, causing friction in her current relationship with Gambit. Zann reprises her role from the original series.
  • George Buza as Dr. Henry "Hank" McCoy / Beast: A blue-furred mutant genius with superhuman strength and agility. Buza reprises his role from the original series.
  • A. J. LoCascio as Remy LeBeau / Gambit:
A mutant and former thief who can charge objects with explosive kinetic energy, including his signature playing cards. Gambit's actions in the early episodes—including wearing a crop top and taking his shirt off, and his relationship with Rogue—were intended to endear the audience to him before his death at the end of the fifth episode. LoCascio replaces Gambit's original voice actor Chris Potter.
  • Holly Chou as Jubilation Lee / Jubilee:
The youngest member of the X-Men who can create firework-like explosions. Chou replaces Jubilee's original voice actor Alyson Court, who previously said she would not reprise the role and would prefer that an Asian-American actor take it. Court instead voices Abscissa.
  • Isaac Robinson-Smith as Lucas Bishop: A mutant from a dystopian future with the ability to absorb kinetic energy and redirect it into concussive blasts. Robinson-Smith replaces original actor Philip Akin.
  • * Robinson-Smith also voices T'Chaka / Black Panther, the king of Wakanda. The character's appearance creates an apparent continuity error with the animated series Fantastic Four, in which he dies and is succeeded by his son T'Challa; while developing the first season in early 2021, Marvel Studios and creator Beau DeMayo felt it was too soon to feature T'Challa following the August 2020 death of Chadwick Boseman—who portrayed T'Challa / Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films—and chose to "put humanity before continuity" by featuring T'Chaka instead.
  • Matthew Waterson as Erik "Magnus" Lehnsherr / Magneto:
A powerful mutant who controls magnetism. Magneto is given control of the X-Men in the last will and testament of Charles Xavier. Waterson replaces Magneto's original voice actor David Hemblen, who died in 2020.
  • Ross Marquand as Professor Charles Xavier:
The founder of the X-Men who was taken to space to be healed by the Shi'ar Empire following an assassination attempt. Marquand replaces Xavier's original voice actor Cedric Smith. Coincidentally, both actors previously provided the voice for Marvel villain Red Skull in different projects.
  • * Marquand also voices Doctor Doom, the leader of Latveria who is a member of "Operation: Zero Tolerance" ; and Apocalypse, one of the first mutants who is thousands of years old and an enemy of the X-Men, replacing John Colicos and James Blendick who voiced the character in the original series.
  • Adrian Hough as Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler:
A Catholic, blue mutant with teleporting abilities and prehensile hands and feet. Hough reprises his role from the original series in X-Men '97, which includes the character's playfulness from the comics.
  • * Hough also voices Strong Guy, a mutant who can channel kinetic energy into physical strength

    Recurring

  • Gui Agustini as Roberto da Costa / Sunspot: A young mutant rescued by the X-Men who can channel solar energy
  • Catherine Disher as Dr. Valerie Cooper: A United Nations official. Disher voiced Jean Grey in the original series.
  • Gavin Hammon as Dr. Bolivar Trask: Creator of the Sentinel program. Hammon replaced Trask's original voice actor Brett Halsey.
  • * Hammon also voices Shi'ar chancellor Lord Araki
  • Eric Bauza as the Master Mold supercomputer and mutant-hunting Sentinels, replacing original voice actor David Fox who died in 2021
  • Donna Jay Fulks as Trish Tilby: A news reporter
  • * Fulks also voices the mutants Tommy and Amelia Voght, replacing Amelia's original voice actor Susan Roman.
  • Christopher Britton as Dr. Nathaniel Essex / Mister Sinister: A scientist from Victorian era-London who has enhanced himself using mutant DNA. Britton reprised his role from the original series.
  • Gil Birmingham as Forge: A mutant who can invent advanced technology. Birmingham replaced Forge's original voice actor Marc Strange, who died in 2012.
  • Christine Uhebe as Nina da Costa: Roberto's mother
  • Chris Potter as Nathan Summers / Cable: The son of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor who was taken to the future as an infant after being infected with a techno-organic virus. Potter voiced Gambit in the original series.
  • Theo James as Bastion: The anti-mutant leader of OZT, a human-machine hybrid created by Nimrod whose parents were background characters in the original series episode "One Man's Worth"
  • Ron Rubin as Robert Kelly: The U.S. president. Rubin, who voiced Morph in the original series, replaced original Kelly voice actor Len Carlson, who died in 2006.