Can X-Men ‘97 Move On Without Its Controversial Showrunner?
Regardless of who’s in charge, the animated revival needs to maintain course.
Shortly before X-Men ‘97 debuted its first season, the series lost its head writer and executive producer, Beau DeMayo. Marvel never revealed why it decided to part ways with the filmmaker, but once X-Men ‘97 officially premiered — and became the best series Marvel had put out in years — fans wondered if the studio would reconsider its choice.
DeMayo may not have been the sole key to X-Men ‘97’s success, but he definitely did something right. The animated series defied many issues plaguing Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, delivering a comic adaptation with grit, heart, and guts. Can future seasons do the same? DeMayo reportedly contributed substantially to Season 2 before his departure, so his influence may still be felt there. As for Season 3, Marvel has chosen a new writer, but his presence doesn’t exactly put our worries to rest.
Per Deadline, What If...? and Ms. Marvel alum Matthew Chauncey will take over as head writer for X-Men ‘97. He’ll team up with director Jake Castorena, who worked on the series’ first and second seasons, to continue the elite mutant squad’s adventures. Season 2 was written before Marvel parted ways with DeMayo, and Deadline reports that those scripts were recently revised. Season 3 scripts are now in development.
Can X-Men ‘97 retain what made it so great?
This is obviously better than getting no more X-Men ‘97 at all. Marvel’s new choice also makes sense on paper, as Chauncey is familiar with the studio’s animation and television efforts. Regardless, it’s hard not to worry about the future of X-Men ‘97. The first season was so fantastic because it subverted expectations and took big risks with its source material. It wasn’t perfect, but it struck a rare balance between crowd-pleasing nostalgia and truly challenging themes.
What If, on the other hand, generally played things safe despite its experimental premise. The anthology is one of the rare Marvel shows that can actually push the envelope and explore weird, niche territory by turning a beloved hero into a villain or presenting a radically different timeline. It has Marvel’s entire multiverse at its disposal... but it rarely strays far from surface-level tweaks of the MCU’s biggest live-action moments, and never feels like it’s taking a risk.
You can’t place the issues of an entire series on the shoulders of one writer, and Chauncey could very well prove himself a fine successor to DeMayo; we won’t know for sure until X-Men ‘97 debuts its third season in a few years. That said, it’s hard to give Marvel the benefit of the doubt. The franchise is stuck in neutral, and it can’t afford to ruin one of its biggest wins in years.
