X-Men ’97 directors Emi Yonemura and Chase Conley share the details of working on episode 5 and how it carries the rest of the season for the Marvel animated series. X-Men: The Animated Series is back bigger than ever in the form of the X-Men ’97 TV show, serving as a proper sequel to the beloved Marvel adventure. However, for both longtime viewers and the next generation of fans, the middle of the season will, without a doubt, never be forgotten as it changed the mythology forever.
While it appeared that a new beginning was upon the mutants, little did they know of the attacks that were coming as a Wild Sentinel arrived on Genosha. What became a mutant genocide will set the X-Men ’97 characters on a whole new path, as they had to witness death and destruction. However, more tragedies struck the leading characters in X-Men ’97 episode 5 as core players became casualties in their attempt to save Genosha.
Following the events of X-Men ’97 episode 5, Screen Rant interviewed Emi Yonemura and Chase Conley, who have directed several episodes for season 1, and have episodes coming up that have yet to air on Disney+. Throughout the interview, Yonemura and Conley discuss what it was like having to lead up to X-Men ’97 episode 5, what viewers can expect to see transpire in upcoming installments, as well as their own personal attachment to the source material.
Screen Rant: How on Earth will you guys outdo the events of Genosha?
What was your initial reaction to reading this? Were you like, ‘How are we going to do this? How deep are we going with this?’
Chase, where do we find the X-Men in episode 6?
We all assume that Storm will get her powers back, but will she have to pay a cost to get back to where she once was?
As I’ve been watching this first half of the season and, as a comic book fan, I always love the Easter eggs and little nods. Who has the final say on Easter eggs you guys can or cannot use, is there a council for that? Because there’s so much in Marvel that you’re able to tap into.
Do you guys each have like a personal X-Men that is your favorite that you get to handle in your episodes? Because when I see Nightcrawler, he’s my favorite, how’s it working with these type of characters that we’ve all grown up with that we’ve seen in comics for all these years, and now actually getting to work in that world?
Was there a specific reason why Erik spoke German for his final words, or are we reading too much into it?
Given that you have taken on the X-Men in animation, would you want to take on them in live action – as directors, would you want to tackle their stories outside the world of animation?
X-Men ’97 revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.
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