Posted in: Disney+, Marvel, Preview, streaming, TV, YouTube | Tagged: beau demayo, marvel, preview, x-men, X-Men '97

X-Men '97: [SPOILER] There From The Start; DeMayo Assigns "Homework"

Beau DeMayo revealed [SPOILER] has been in every X-Men '97 episode but two and recommended revisiting this TAS arc before next week.

If you haven't watched Marvel Studios' X-Men '97 S01E07: "Bright Eyes" (directed by Emi-Emmet Yonemura and written by Charley Feldman & JB Ballard)… there are MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD so you might want to turn back now. Ready? Cool – here we go! After watching Rogue go off before General Thunderbolt Ross and Captain America gave her the information she needed to redirect her rage, Gyrich gets killed by a mysterious figure – as does Trask -except Rogue's kill move results in Trask becoming a human-Sentinel hybrid. Thankfully, Cable showed up to take down the threat and offer the team a heads-up that Sinister is working with someone who is looking to deal the team some serious pain. And that's when we learned that Bastion was Sinister's partner – revealing to Sinister that Xavier is on his way back to Earth and showing us that he has the very-much-still-alive Magneto in custody. Even after all of that, series creator/writer Beau DeMayo warned/teased fans that the "table is set" heading into what's expected to an intense three-episode season finale.

But DeMayo wasn't done there. Returning to social media to quiz the fans on how well they know the series by revealing that Bastion has been in every episode this season so far except Episode 3 ("although he is HEAVILY referenced by Sinister") & Episode 6, DeMayo asked fans if they could find him in the previous episodes:

In addition, DeMayo suggested that fans might want to rewatch Season 4, Episodes 9 & 10 of the original animated series – "One Man's Worth Parts 11 & 2" (directed by Larry Houston, with Part 1 written by Richard Mueller and Part 2 written by Gary Greenfield). Without giving too much away, let's just say that there's a lot of timey-wimey stuff in play that resulted from a time-travel assassination of Xavier back in 1959:

Back in October 2022, DeMayo and Brad Winderbaum, head of streaming, television & animation for Marvel Studios, shared their feelings on the impact that the animated series had during an interview with Marvel.com in honor of the 30th anniversary of X-Men: The Animated Series.

"You can't overstate what the Lewalds and Larry Houston did with 'X-Men: The Animated Series.' Thirty years ago, this underdog cartoon did in real life what Professor X's students did in the comics: saved people," DeMayo explained. "I've always said I owe my life to the show, and many on 'X-Men '97' feel the same. The show just 'went there.' It didn't care that it was a cartoon. It knew that we all know what it feels like to be an outsider, to feel misunderstood, or like we don't belong. But 'X-Men: The Animated Series' showed us how anyone can use empathy, grace, and teamwork to build a family that can withstand whatever the world throws at them. And thirty years later, its message of hope remains as relevant as ever."

Winderbaum added, "As a kid, 'X-Men: The Animated Series' was my gateway into comics, and now as a producer, it's amazing to see just how influential the show was. It is by far the most-referenced touchstone for filmmakers, writers, and directors who come in to work with us at Marvel Studios."

Previously, DeMayo fielded some questions on social media that included shedding some light on the upcoming animated series revival. Here's a look at two highlights offering some insight into just how much the creative team wanted the new series to stand on its own and respect what came before it:

DeMayo Only Wanted Fans Working on "X-Men '97": "My general rule was you had to be a fan. No questions," DeMayo explained. "I've been on [a] show, namely '[The] Witcher,' where some of the writers were not or actively disliked the books and games… even actively mocking the source material. It's a recipe for disaster and bad morale. Fandom as a litmus test checks egos and makes all the long nights worth it." As DeMayo sees it, "You have to respect the work before you're allowed to add to its legacy."

DeMayo Has "Mixed Feelings" on Rogue Controlling Her Powers: "I am aware that Rogue learned to control her powers, and I have mixed feelings on the shift. However, trust me when I say Rogue fans have plenty to be stoked about… in no small part due to [Supervising Producer] Charley Feldman being a massive advocate for her character."

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