Spider-Man: Freshman Year and Beyond is going all out on Marvel Animation with X-Men 97

While Marvel’s live-action projects were a big part of this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, the studio’s Hall H showcase today made it clear that animation is going to be a big part of the MCU’s future.

In addition to announcing the I Am Groot series, Marvel Studios head of streaming, TV and animation Brad Winderbaum and head of visual development Ryan Meinerding took the stage in Hall H to discuss new details on Spider-Man: Freshman Year, X-Men. ’97, the upcoming seasons of Marvel Zombies and What If…

Like its first season, the second and newly announced third season of What If…?will once again focus on the Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) as he looks across the multiverse to the various realities that now make up the MCU. Given how the Watcher was actively involved in people’s lives in the first season of What If…?, the rules will be a little different as the series progresses, and it’s likely to continue reimagining key moments from previous MCU films.

What if following…? With Season 2 premiering in early 2023, X-Men ’97 will likely make the universe of the original X-Men animated series technically part of the MCU and explore “new stories” in the iconic ’90s timeline. Original Series,” according to a press release. Like What If…?, X-Men ’97 has already been renewed for a second season, which isn’t surprising given the series’ nostalgic appeal and the impending arrival of mutants in Marvel’s films.

The news from executive producer Jeff Trammell that Marvel’s upcoming animated Spider-Man: Freshman Year series will follow Peter Parker through his first few years (plural) of “becoming Spider-Man in the MCU” is surprising but still interesting. Because Peter’s journey to becoming a full-on Avenger has already been well-documented in Marvel’s previous live-action films, freshman and sophomore years are often set in alternate realities where important details are presented in wildly different, compelling ways.