X-Men ’97: How the Creators Perfected Classic Nostalgia for a New Generation
The return of X-Men in the form of X-Men ’97 has stirred up a wave of nostalgia among fans, but what’s the real secret behind the show’s success? The creative team didn’t just copy-paste the old look—they carefully balanced classic Marvel style with fresh tweaks to make the mutants shine for a new generation. If you’re curious about how they pulled it off and want a peek behind the curtain, keep reading!
- How X-Men ’97 revived the classic ’90s vibe
- Why the team focused on nostalgia and character-first design
- What changes were made to bring the show up to date
- Who was behind the iconic art and how they worked together
The Art of Revival: Classic Meets Modern
It’s been over a year since Marvel Animation brought back the legendary X-Men: The Animated Series with a bang—hello, X-Men ’97! This revival isn’t just a hit with Marvel fans; it’s one of the standout shows of the year. According to James Field’s new book X-Men ’97: The Art and Making of the Animated Series, the process was all about balancing faithfulness with smart updates. The team wanted to hit that sweet spot where old fans feel at home, but newcomers can jump right in.
Bringing in the Right People
Supervising Producer/Director Jake Castorena shared how personal the X-Men are to him, saying, “When the series ended in ’97, I was already fifteen years old. . . . At that time, I didn’t have too many friends. There was lots of drawing, cartoons, and comics. I wasn’t the most popular kid on the block, and I was called nerdy or childish, but I couldn’t care less. The X-Men helped me a lot through those times, not being ashamed of being a weirdo and feeling proud of being different.” This passion and understanding of the X-Men’s legacy shaped every decision.
Marvel Studios’ Brad Winderbaum summed up the mission: “The original pitch was about reviving the series, not about rebooting it and not about remaking it.” The team wanted to continue the story, not just rehash it, and that meant sticking with the classic look—even if it meant passing up on flashy CGI for that beloved 2D style.
Updating Iconic Designs for 2024
The ’90s were a golden age for the X-Men—both in comics and animation. The team knew the visual style had to stay true to that era, but not everything from the past worked for today’s animation standards. As Winderbaum explained, “When you look at the comics and you look historically at the X-Men, that late nineties period is one of the most iconic periods of the comics.” This meant lots of attention to detail and careful choices.
To make sure everything felt right, the crew brought on Ryan Meinerding, Marvel Studios’ Head of Visual Development. His job? Update and adjust the character models without losing what made them legendary. Meinerding revealed, “A lot of the designs from that era, from the nineties cartoon, are wonderfully iconic. Some of them are a little too complicated—the hair on Wolverine’s arms, different anatomical cues—they were trying to accomplish something so realistic and grounded with the character designs that they couldn’t quite carry out in the animation.”
So what did they do? They simplified things, focusing on what worked, like Magneto’s shadowy eyes—a quirky touch that fans adore. The process was all about stripping back, making everything a bit more functional and streamlined, but never losing that signature X-Men flair.
Fan Artists in the Driver’s Seat
After Meinerding’s initial designs, artists like Amelia Vidal joined the project. Vidal, a lifelong X-Men fan, said, “We wanted to maintain the essence of the original series, so when viewers watch the new show, they would get into this new story as seamlessly as possible. It was essential for me to maintain the elements that make the characters iconic and that the changes done are only to reinforce and enhance the original concept of the characters.” Her goal was always to make updates that served the story and respected each character’s personality.
What’s Next for X-Men ’97?
With season 2 already on the horizon, the excitement isn’t dying down anytime soon. If you want to dive even deeper into the creative process, the new book X-Men ’97: The Art and Making of the Animated Series lands July 1, packed with behind-the-scenes stories and stunning visuals. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just love great animation, this is one trip down memory lane you won’t want to miss!
