Forget Live-Action MCU, X-Men ’97 Deserves Standalone Blockbuster
There’s no doubt that X-Men ’97 is a victory for Marvel. It is one that was very much needed, considering that the company has faced waves upon waves of criticism for its recent live-action releases, which were subpar—to put it mildly. This got me, and probably someone else, thinking: X-Men ’97 definitely deserves a standalone blockbuster. Could the future of Marvel lie in both animated blockbusters and serialized releases?
A Marvel Fan Favorite
X-Men ’97 quickly became a fan favorite among Marvel fans, following in the footsteps of its predecessor, 1992’s X-Men: The Animated Series, which was good but not quite as popular. The animated series has become so popular that many fans now debate whether X-Men ’97 should be given a standalone X-Men ’97 movie, given that the live-action X-Men are having a hard time reaching the MCU.
Live-Action Won’t Be As Good As Animated
Considering just how successful the animated series is, they’re likely to fight an uphill battle at being as embraced as the animated versions.
The idea of an X-Men ’97 movie isn’t a bad one, but there’s really plenty to unpack there, and the production would have to tread lightly for the project to work.
The arrival of the live-action version of X-Men to the MCU isn’t a matter of “if” but “when,” especially with the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine introducing Logan to the MCU universe.
X-Men ’97 At Its Peak
While it stands to reason that other X-Men will follow in the upcoming releases, the arrival of a live-action X-Men to the big screen is now more a game of waiting and thumb-twiddling than anything else.
X-Men ’97 is currently at its peak; the animation is great, and the series excels in adapting various narratives from the comics rather faithfully.
In short, it’s better than all of the X-Men movies combined, and given a rather noticeable dip in quality the MCU is currently struggling with, I’m pretty sure that it would be better than any live-action X-Men movie the MCU and Disney could possibly produce.
Much Easier To Make
So, any idea of an X-Men ’97 movie should be framed as an animated release rather than live-action, and for several reasons.
Animated releases are much easier to make; the X-Men ’97 series has already laid a solid foundation for a new Marvel Universe, and animated X-Men ’97 movies could significantly expand the said animated universe.
A Blockbuster Of Its Own
This is something Warner Bros. has been doing with DC Comics characters for quite some time now. And unlike its cinematic universe, which is undergoing another reboot, the animated universe is booming. We get at least one animated movie per year.
So, while I believe that X-Men ’97 deserves a blockbuster of its own, I also believe that such a release should be animated rather than live-action. They would be easier to make, they would fit nicely within Disney’s streaming strategy.
X-Men ’97 Renewed For Season 2
The folks at Marvel could expand the narrative of the X-Men ’97 series, which has been renewed for a Season 2.
Plus, we only have one Wolverine, and Hugh Jackman isn’t getting any younger, but an animated version wouldn’t age, so that’s another point toward making future releases animated.
