‘X-Men ’97’ Proves Marvel’s Mutants Need a Live-Action Show — Not Another Movie
X-Men ’97 landed the comeback. Despite the fears it wouldn’t do justice to the original animated series, the revival captures the magic of what’s become the quintessential version of Marvel’s marvelous mutants. It also places the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in a tough predicament, because what happens if the big-screen introduction of the Children of the Atom doesn’t match the lofty standard of the Disney+ show? Maybe that’s the wrong way to look at it, though. The stellar reception to X-Men ’97 could have given Kevin Feige and his conspirators some food for thought here. What if the solution isn’t to make more X-Men movies but to explore a live-action series instead?
A live-action ‘X-Men’ show allows for more characters to shine
There have been a lot of X-Men movies – some good, some bad, and some downright average. What’s clear, though, is that not everyone on Professor Xavier’s team has had the chance and time to shine on screen like they do in the comic books. Heroes such as Storm and Gambit have sat on the sidelines for the most part as the likes of Wolverine, Jean Grey, and Mystique (of all people) take up the lead roles of these stories. It’s understandable, because an X-Men film needs to tell a condensed version of a multi-part comic book storyline that could run anywhere between six to 12 issues (not including all the tie-ins). A movie won’t be able to cover every intricacy or character arc, so there will be natural omissions.
As X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men ’97 have demonstrated, it’s possible to shine the light on an ensemble cast and let individual characters have their special moments, too. A Wolverine-centric episode such as “Repo Man,” which explores his past with the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight, will be followed by “X-Ternally Yours” that’s all about Gambit’s previous life as a thief and his relationship with his ex-fiancé, Bella Donna. Yet, the beauty is the whole team can be brought together for a two-part epic such as “Till Death Do Us Part” in the same season. It’s the best of both worlds, really, as there are episodes dedicated to pure character development and others that are all-out superhero team-up spectacles.
‘Gen V’ has shown how it can be done at a budget
The Boys‘ spinoff series Gen V tells the tale of young superheroes who learn how to use their powers at an institution designed for the gifted. Yes, it operates as a deconstructive parody of the genre by showcasing how the supes are often the villains, but it’s also the closest example to a live-action X-Men show. There’s Andre Anderson who can control metal. There’s Cate Dunlap who’s a telepath. And there’s even Jordan Li who can shapeshift.
Equally important, Gen V looks good on screen. Like The Boys, it never comes across as cheaply produced. In fact, most people may be surprised to learn the first season of The Boys only cost $11.2 million per episode, according to BuzzFeed. By comparison, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and WandaVision cost $25 million per episode.
What Gen V and The Boys illustrate is how a series rife with different superpowers and dazzling special effects can be created at a contained budget. $11 million a pop isn’t chump change by any means, but if these two shows can look so good at half the price of an MCU show, surely a live-action X-Men series could achieve the same without breaking the bank.
Disney+ needs another MCU hit
The launch of Disney+ heralded a new era for Marvel Studios in 2019. Not only would it be able to dominate the box office, but it would also be able to stamp its authority in the streaming world. Initially, programming such as Loki and WandaVision proved to be popular and garnered significant attention from the fandom, though the interest in Disney+’s MCU shows started to wane. A big reason for this can be attributed to the ever-growing superhero fatigue and simply too many shows and movies for people to keep up with. However, there’s no disputing that series like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Secret Invasion aren’t exactly must-watch television either, so why should people care about the all-filler-no-killer content?
Apart from Daredevil: Born Again, the upcoming slate of MCU shows doesn’t inspire anyone to sign up/stay subscribed to the service. Disney+ needs a major hit to keep the MCU fans – desperately. A live-action X-Men series could demonstrate that everyone means business on the platform, and that it’s not only used for stop-gap storylines and to tide fans over until the next big movie. Sure, it would be a risky gamble, but it sends out a significant statement of intent that Marvel Studios is willing to shake things up for the better and invest in the television side of the business. With the MCU no longer producing billion-dollar movies in its sleep like it used to, now might be the time to experiment and try something else. The X-Men ’97 template is already there and showing enormous success, so why not adapt it for a live-action show too?
