X-Men ’97 series directors Chase Conley and Emi Yonemura say they are open to bringing their talents to a live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe reboot of the mutants if Marvel Studios is interested.
“If that’s a call that we get, at some point, I’m gonna pick the phone up, for sure,” Conley said during an interview with ScreenRant when asked about getting involved with the X-Men reboot which Marvel Studios is actively accepting pitches from potential screenwriters.
“I would never say no to that phone call because I love a good challenge, and I love trying new things,” Yonemura added.
Since its debut on Disney+ in March, X-Men ’97 has received universal acclaim from critics and fans of the original ’90s animated series. Much of the praise has gone towards the stylized animation and the depths of its character development that the live-action movies from Fox often lacked. Such advantages in the small-screen medium are some of the reasons why Conley and Yonemura feel blessed to be working on the series as opposed to directing a big-screen blockbuster.
“Certain things that you can do in animation, I feel, speak to the subconscious because of your ability to manipulate hand-drawn frames and things of that nature you can do a little bit more in terms of [the] emotional impact of, even if it’s with action,” Conley said. “What our animated series is proving is that animation is a medium, but it should be almost held as in as higher regard as live action,” Yonemura said.
When will the X-Men arrive in the MCU?
While a new X-Men movie in the MCU is several years away, fans will get their fix of the mutants when Deadpool & Wolverine hits cinemas on July 26th. The third installment of the Deadpool franchise sees Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) enter the multiverse as part of a mission from the TVA while crossing paths with Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). Additionally, several cameos from the Fox-era X-Men movies will appear, including Aaron Stanford as Pyro.
The first five episodes of X-Men ’97: Season One are now streaming on Disney+. New episodes drop every Wednesday.
