'X-Men ‘97' Finds New Head Writer In Matthew Chauncey
The 'What If…?’ veteran comes in for Beau DeMayo, who was fired after completing work on season 2
Production on Marvel Animation’s X-Men ‘97, the highly-anticipated turned highly-acclaimed revival of the Fox Kids X-Men: The Animated Series underwent an unexpected mutation in early March. Two weeks before the series was set to premiere, head writer Beau DeMayo was suddenly fired after completing his work on the second season. Official reasoning hasn’t been given, but Head of Streaming Brad Winderbaum has since downplayed it as a parting of the ways. Still, that means the third season already in-development needed a new head writer had to be found, and they have, in Matthew Chauncey.
Chauncey has been as much a Marvel Animation veteran as one could be for this new iteration of the studio/banner. He has been a writer-producer on What If…? since the beginning, and ascended to head writer replacing A.C. Bradley for season three. This third season is sounding more and more like its last while it awaits a release date. He will work alongside Jake Castorena, who has been series director since season one. Larry Houston and Eric and Julia Lewald, executive producers of the original X-Men: The Animated Series, continue in their roles as consulting producers. The second season’s scripts have been revised while the third continues being worked on.
Not only was X-Men ‘97 critically acclaimed, but it had the ratings to back it up. It debuted with four million views across the first two episodes in their first five days on Disney+. The finale drew 3.5 million views in its first five days, becoming the platform’s most-viewed full-length animation season finale since the first season of What If…? two and a half years earlier. The series stars Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, JP Karliak as Morph, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, AJ LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop, Matthew Waterson as Magneto, Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler, and more. Some were recasts and some were reprisals, and those who were recast and lived to see, or in one case initiate, them were given new roles.
DeMayo could no longer promote the series as part of his firing, and thus none of whatever he may have filmed behind the scenes, whether for featurettes or the show’s Assembled episode, was included. However, he didn’t stay silent for long, breaking his silence on episode 5, the devastating “Remember It”, going in depth on his mindset and its hard-hitting allegory. He would continue to give his insights for the remainder of the season and give praises to his crew.
Source: Deadline