X-Men ’97 Director Uses One Particular Word To Describe Season 3’s New Head Writer

X-Men '97 Director Uses One Particular Word To Describe Season 3's New Head Writer

Key Takeaways

  • X-Men ’97 Season 3 is in the works with a new showrunner, Matthew Chauncey, praised as a “genius” by the show’s Director.
  • Legal battle looms as former Head Writer Beau DeMayo hints at homophobia playing a role in his dismissal from the series.
  • X-Men ’97 Season 3 could diverge from Season 2, potentially introducing a fresh storyline to stand on its own.

As a fan with a heart full of nostalgia for the X-Men animated series, I can’t help but feel a mix of excitement and anticipation for what lies ahead. The announcement of X-Men ’97 Season 3 is like a beacon of hope, guiding us through the current season’s wrap-up.


Building on the achievements of X-Men ’97 Season 1, Marvel Animation is already planning beyond the second season’s premiere. In fact, preparations for X-Men ’97 Season 3 are underway, and a new showrunner will take over from Beau DeMayo. One of the directors from the first two seasons has provided sneak peeks into the innovative creative path that the Marvel animated series is set to take in its third iteration.

Despite not officially being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s continuity, X-Men ’97 serves as the first X-Men-centric project within the franchise and follows on from the ’90s X-Men: The Animated Series. Following Beau DeMayo’s early departure in March, Marvel Studios took their time before choosing Matthew Chauncey to be the showrunner for Season 3. Since DeMayo had already completed his work for Season 2, there was no immediate need to replace him. However, a potential legal dispute looms as DeMayo’s name has been removed from the Season 2 credits. In the meantime, production on Season 2 is coming to a close while Season 3’s development continues, with the show’s Director offering input on the new showrunner.

During a chat with Screen Rant, Emi/Emmett Yonemura, who directed several episodes of X-Men ’97 Season 1, including “Fire Made Flesh,” “Remember It,” “Bright Eyes,” and “Tolerance Is Extinction – Part 2,” had nothing but praise for the series’ new Head Writer, Matthew Chauncey. Although X-Men ’97 season 2 has not yet been released, the team behind the show was asked about the change in showrunners for season 3. Yonemura expressed his enthusiasm about collaborating with Chauncey, praising his work as exceptional and calling him a “genius.” In fact, he said, “He’s lovely, I absolutely love working with him.” The director continued by saying that Chauncey is a “super sweet, incredibly talented writer,” and that they are already having a great time together. Yonemura also expressed his excitement for fans to see what Chauncey brings to the table because it’s going to be amazing. Matthew Chauncey, who has worked on What If…? and Ms. Marvel, has taken over from DeMayo as Head Writer, and there is speculation that he may have even revised the scripts for the upcoming X-Men ’97 season 2, which could explain why Disney decided to remove DeMayo’s name from the project.

X-Men '97 Director Uses One Particular Word To Describe Season 3's New Head Writer

Previously, Beau DeMayo, who wrote for X-Men ’97 back in 1997, has implied that discrimination based on sexual orientation could have factored into his dismissal from the Disney+ series. He claims that Marvel erased his name from the season 2 credits following his sharing of LGBTQ+-themed fan art. In response, Marvel Studios issued an unusual statement, attributing DeMayo’s termination in March 2024 to serious misconduct. However, the exact details are still unknown; it’s reported that the firing involved accusations of sexual misconduct. It appears that DeMayo and Marvel reached a deal restricting his public comments about the show. Yet, he allegedly violated this agreement, leading to his removal from season 2 credits. Even though DeMayo left the team, he had already finished work for both seasons 1 and 2, which share a continuous storyline. The ending of season 1, with mutants scattered across time periods, indicates that much of season 2 will center around reuniting them. However, DeMayo’s departure has sparked concerns about the show’s future, especially regarding the plot direction for season 3.

Under new leadership by Chauncey as the showrunner, season 3 of X-Men ’97 might introduce a unique narrative that deviates from season 2. This could mean that season 2 may conclude without any major cliffhangers, giving way for season 3 to establish its own identity. The main query at hand now is when Marvel enthusiasts can expect the second season to premiere on Disney+. Since X-Men ’97 season 2 has been in production for some time, it might return as early as 2025. In the meantime, fans can rewatch season 1 while eagerly awaiting the forthcoming seasons. With popular characters like Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, and Wolverine, X-Men ’97 continues to be one of Marvel Studios’ most admired titles on Disney+.

X-Men ’97 is now streaming on Disney+.

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2024-08-27 21:24