Disney’s D23 Fan Event continued Saturday with Marvel Animation’s turn to razzle and dazzle anticipating viewers. Held on the Premiere Stage, Marvel Studios EP Brad Winderbaum (Agent Carter, Item 47) was joined by Comicbook.com’s Brandon Davis to reveal the latest news on several upcoming series.
First up was the latest on the second season of X-Men 97, the breakout hit featuring everyone’s favorite mutants. The Emmy-nominated first season saw a devastating cliffhanger split Charles Xavier’s X-Men into the future and the past. Voice actors Cal Dodd (Spider-Man, X-Men: The Animated Series) and Lenore Zann (American Nightmare, Visiting Hours) – Wolverine and Rogue respectively – joined Winderbaum and Davis on stage with previews for season two.
They detailed a new look for the X-Men inspired by Grant Morrison’s (Batman R.I.P., The Filth) comic run. And a litany of new characters are set to appear including Sabertooth, Lady Deathstrike, Polaris, Havoc, and Warlock. Season two was written by Beau DeMayo (The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf), the original head writer who unfortunately departed the series before the season premiere. Matthew Chauncey (Thor: Love and Thunder, What If…?) will lead season three.
Elsewhere Ryan Coogler (Creed, Fruitvale Station) and Todd Harris (Bullet Train, Black Panther) revealed details about the long-awaited animated series set in the African empire of Wakanda. Eyes of Wakanda was described to explore yester years of the secluded country through four episodes. Harris and Coogler also detailed the animation will be 3D CGI, a testament to Marvel’s exploring different animation styles across its projects.
Next, we learned more about the previously announced Marvel Zombies. A spinoff of an episode featured in the comic-influenced series What If…?, the new series will be a daring project for Marvel, with a rating of TV-MA. The four-episode series is said to feature Mad Max-esque chase scenes and fatal situations for our heroes. One scenario highlights Shang-Chi being bitten, and the Mandarin giving him the Ten Rings to prevent the spread of infection.
Finally, we received news on the next Spider-Man project, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. The animated series will follow Peter Parker in high school, with an animation style inspired by the comics 1960s era. Hudson Thames (The A-List, Malibu Country) will return to voice Peter, and Colman Domingo (Sing, Sing, Euphoria) will lend his talent as Norman Osborn. Parker and Osborn’s relationship mimics Peter and Tony Stark’s in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We also learned Dr. Strange will appear in the show with a symbiote, who will battle the sorcerer supreme.