EP Brad Winderbaum said that Kevin Feige had a few mandates for creating X-Men '97.

It was due to bringing back the appeal of the original '90s beloved animation, THR reports. X-Men: The Animated Series ran from 1992 to 1997, and X-Men '97 will pick up where it left off.

When it came to creating X-Men 97, only two conditions had to be met per Feige.

Conditions for X-Men '97

Winderbaum said, “Following the success of What If…?, when we were able to make more animated shows, [X-Men '97] was my first idea out of the box. And Kevin [Fiege] was like, ‘Alright if we can get the [original] cast and we can get the song, let's do it.' And fortunately, we were able to do that.”

Luckily, the original showrunners, Eric and Julia Lewald, and producer/director Larry Houston returned. Plus, original voice talents and the same catchy song is back.

With the rise and burst bubble of the MCU's presence on Disney+, the executive had some thoughts.

Article Continues Below
More Entertainment News
Hulu logo in front of beach to represent June.
New to Hulu in June 2025Andrew Korpan ·
General view of the TNT court side broadcast table before a game between the Phoenix Suns against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena.
Inside the NBA signs off TNT era with literal mic dropsJaren Kawada ·
Paramount+ logo in front of beach to represent June.
New to Paramount+ in June 2025Andrew Korpan ·
General view of a TNT broadcast camera before game between LA Clippers against the Denver Nuggets during five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena.
Shaq, Kenny Smith drop F-bomb warnings to ESPNZachary Weinberger ·
Max
New to Max in June 2025Burtland Dixon ·
Cowboys, Netflix
New to Netflix in June 2025Burtland Dixon ·

“Certainly, the world has shifted,” he added. “The original idea was that we can create whatever we wanted to launch Disney+ and to have a home for new Marvel ideas to take place. And now we do have to be a little bit more judicious with our choices.”

The new series has had some controversy, with the ex-showrunner, Beau DeMayo, fired days before its premiere in Hollywood. Toonado reports that he may have been fired due to “unsettling” OnlyFans activity. It raised concerns for Disney higher-ups, who found his conduct “unsettling” and “creepy.”

DeMayo also deleted his Instagram account, where he posted a lot of behind-the-scenes teasers about what was to come for the MCU animated series.

Going forward, knowing how much heart was put into this series and that it will stay true to its roots is good.

X-Men '97's first season will consist of 10 episodes. Episodes one and two will be available for streaming on Disney+ on March 20.