Marvel Studios/Marvel Animation’s “X-Men ‘97” is out in the world now—it has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes currently (read our review)—and the face of the series, given that the showrunner was fired just days before release, has been Marvel Executive Brad Winderbaum who is the Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation at Marvel Studios. Winderbaum has done all the press for the series, has been everywhere, and, in a new Men’s Health magazine interview, has shed more light on all things animated in the Marvel universe.
First off, Winderbaum enlightened much about “The Eyes Of Wakanda,” a series that was a surprise when it was suddenly announced last last year. Other than a title, audiences haven’t known what to expect until now, as the exec calls it a show about the history of Wakanda that very much is part of the MCU’s sacred timeline.
“We’re exploring so many amazing avenues on the animated side. ‘Eyes of Wakanda,’ more than any other show, fits right into our sacred MCU timeline continuity,” he explained. “[‘Black Panther’ director Ryan Coogler] is a producer on it, Todd Harris is one of our long-time storyboard artists who directs it. It’s about Wakandan history and mythology, and it’s really cool. It looks amazing. And it feels like, ‘Okay I’m getting an animated look into the MCU.’”
If anything those comments dispel some notions fans had about the series, and that it could be the stand-in for the live-action “Wakanda” show that was previously announced or a substitute for an Okoye-centered show that was also announced in the past. What’s the status of those two series? Well, it’s unknown, but if “Eyes Of Wakanda” is telling stories about its history and mythology in the past, then it’s probably a very different thing. There’s been some speculation that both the Wakanda live-action series have been canceled, but so far, that’s just conjecture based on Disney’s recent scaling back comments. In the past, it has been suggested that multiple series were in the works with “completely new” chararcters.
Finally, Winderbaum also teased a little bit about the upcoming “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” series.
“[We’ve also got showrunner] Jeff Trammell‘s ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ [coming], which I’m going into a sound mix for in a couple of hours,” he said. “It’s so great. He and his team over there, they know how to make you invest in characters. It’s a very high school, ensemble-driven show with Peter Parker at the center. It’s just so much fun.”
While Marvel is light on feature films this year, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” their only theatrical release in 2024, Marvel Animation is going to have a busy year with at least two more shows this year in addition to the newly released “X-Men: ’97.”