- For the 2000–2003 animated series, see X-Men: Evolution [[{{{3}}}]].
X-Men: Evolution '03 is an American animated television series created by Beau DeMayo for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the X-Men. It is a revival of X-Men: Evolution (2000–2003) produced by Marvel Studios Animation, and continues the story of the X-Men from the earlier series. DeMayo was head writer for the first two seasons and Matthew Chauncey took over for the third, with Jake Castorena as supervising director.
David Kaye, Venus Terzo, Neil Denis, Scott McNeil, Kirsten Williamson, Meghan Black, Maggie Blue O'Hara, Brad Swaile and Michael Kopsa reprised their roles from the original series. Other cast members include Andrew Francis as Cyclops (previously voiced by Kirby Morrow).
The revival was first discussed in TBA and formally announced in November 2028. Animation was provided by Madhouse, and is a modernized version of the original series' style.
X-Men: Evolution '03 premiered on TBA, 2030. TBA
Premise[]
- See also: List of X-Men: Evolution and X-Men: Evolution '03 adaptations
X-Men: Evolution '03 continues the story of X-Men: Evolution (2000–2003). In both series, mutants are people born with superhuman abilities that generally manifest during puberty. The X-Men are a team of mutant superheroes founded by Professor Charles Xavier to protect mutants and humans alike. At the end of Evolution, TBA. X-Men: Evolution '03 begins a year later and TBA.
Cast and characters[]
- See also: List of X-Men: Evolution and X-Men: Evolution '03 characters
- Professor Charles Xavier (voiced by David Kaye) is the telepathic founder and pacifistic leader of the X-Men. Nicknamed "Professor X" by his students, he remains somewhat secretive to protect the young mutants in his care. Although he often emphasizes the importance of keeping their powers hidden from the rest of the world, Xavier remains hopeful that mutants and humans can one day coexist peacefully.
- Scott Summers / Cyclops (voiced by Andrew Francis) is the disciplined and responsible field leader of the X-Men. His eyes constantly emit powerful energy beams known as "optic blasts", which can only be controlled by his ruby-quartz glasses and visor. Scott harbors romantic affections for his best friend Jean, but only confesses his feelings for her in the third season, after which they begin dating.
- Jean Grey (voiced by Venus Terzo) is a popular girl with powerful telepathic and telekinetic abilities. She finds herself romantically torn between Duncan Matthews and Scott, until she and Scott begin dating in the third season.
- Evan Daniels / Spyke (voiced by Neil Denis) is Ororo's playful and stubborn nephew and the youngest member of the X-Men. He has the ability to project bone-like protrusions from his skin. Evan leaves the X-Men to join the Morlocks when he loses control of his powers in the third season.
- Logan / Wolverine (voiced by Scott McNeil) is the "gruff uncle" of the X-Men and the strict instructor in charge of the young mutants' combat and survival training. He possesses heightened senses, a regenerative healing factor and an indestructible adamantium skeleton with retractable hand claws. Logan has also shown a softer side as a protective surrogate father to both his clone X-23 and Rogue after she loses control of her powers.
- Ororo Munroe / Storm (voiced by Kirsten Williamson) is Evan's aunt and a wise mentor to the X-Men who can harness the forces of nature and manipulate the weather. She was previously worshipped as a goddess in Africa due to her ability to summon the rains.
- Rogue (voiced by Meghan Black) is a sullen and reclusive goth girl who can absorb the life force, attributes, memories, and powers of anyone through physical touch. She is Mystique's adopted daughter and Kurt's foster sister. Rogue is initially tricked into joining the Brotherhood of Mutants before defecting to the X-Men. She develops an unrequited crush on Scott but eventually becomes attracted to Gambit, an Acolyte working for Magneto. Rogue's real name is never revealed in the series.
- Kitty Pryde / Shadowcat (voiced by Maggie Blue O'Hara) is an upbeat and cheerful valley girl who can become intangible and a mother of Nocturne. She is the second youngest member of the X-Men and develops a close friendship with Kurt over the course of the series.
- Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler (voiced by Brad Swaile) is the blue-furred prankster of the X-Men with the ability to teleport and a father of Nocturne. He is Mystique's biological son and Rogue's foster brother. Kurt develops a close friendship with Kitty and his penchant for excessive goofiness initially clashes with Scott's rule-abiding leadership. He is insecure about his appearance and given a holographic image inducer that allows him to blend in at school, though he comes to embrace his true self over the course of the series.
- Hank McCoy / Beast (voiced by Michael Kopsa) is a mild-mannered intellectual with a repressed, feral alternative mutant personality. He initially works as a gym coach and chemistry teacher at Bayville High School before his latent transformation forces him to retire and join the X-Men as a mentor in the second season.
- Talia Wagner / Nocturne (voiced by Abigail Howard) is Kitty and Kurt's daughter.
Episodes[]
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| 2 | "TBA" | TBA | TBA | Incorrect required parameter 1=month! 2030 | |
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| 10 | "TBA" | TBA | TBA | Incorrect required parameter 1=month! 2030 | |
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Production[]
Development[]
TBA, the producer and director of X-Men: Evolution (2000–2003), said in TBA that he and that series' creative team were discussing a potential revival with Disney. They wanted to continue the story from where the original series ended. The first idea considered was a revival of X-Men: Evolution, which was suggested by Brad Winderbaum. The head of streaming, television, and animation at Marvel Studios, Winderbaum was a fan of the series, and said several filmmakers who had met with Marvel Studios in the past had cited that series as a touchstone.
In TBA, one of these was announced to be X-Men: Evolution '03, a revival and continuation of X-Men: Evolution. Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, VP of animation at Marvel Studios, said many of the people involved with the revival were fans of the 2000s series and "knew —" what the continuation should be.
Writing[]
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Casting and voice recording[]
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Animation and design[]
Animation was provided by Madhouse. The 2D animation style of the original series was retained, but "slightly modernized" to improve the quality and reflect advances in animation since the 2000s. TBA
Music[]
One of Feige's stipulations for reviving X-Men: Evolution was ensuring Marvel Studios was able to use that series' theme song, which was composed by Ron Wasserman. Wasserman composed the theme while under contract with producer Haim Saban, giving legal ownership of the song to Saban. Following legal battles over the use of the theme, Marvel Studios paid a large sum to secure the rights to it in TBA. This was done on the condition that it be re-recorded for future projects and credited to the original series' music executives, Saban and Shuki Levy. Wasserman was set to meet with Marvel about his involvement in the revival by early TBA, but John Andrew Grush and Taylor Newton Stewart—known professionally as the Newton Brothers—were announced to be the composers for X-Men: Evolution ' 03 that TBA.
The Newton Brothers were hired while Marvel was still in the process of securing the rights for the original theme. On revisiting the original series, the composers realized that the music did not match with their childhood memories and many of the original synthesizer sounds would now sound dated to modern audiences. They chose to modernize the score with an orchestra, choir, and some modern synthesizers. However, they felt the theme song should remain more true to the original style, to not "ruin the nostalgic vibes" and embrace the sincerity of the original series. They produced eight different versions of the theme, each with a different amount of orchestral music versus synthesizer music, before settling on the final version. The main melody is played on a synthesizer and an electric guitar, the latter performed by Nili Brosh. The X-Men: Evolution '03 version of the theme, credited to Saban and Levy, was first heard in the MCU film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) and then the series Ms. Marvel (2022) when those projects referenced mutants.
After discussing the score's tone with DeMayo, the Newton Brothers decided to begin closer to the original series and modernize the music more with each episode. They began by experimenting with ideas separately and then came together to write musical suites for each main character, defining sounds and instruments which could be their "calling cards". For instance, Storm's music uses woodwind instruments, choir, and chanting to reflect the wind aspect of her powers, while a waterphone and other metallic sounds were used for Magneto. To ensure the music did not become too modern, the composers took influence from 2000s musicians such as TBA particularly inspired the third episode, which "got the Gothic treatment" and includes an organ. The song "TBA" by TBA, which was released days after X-Men: Evolution premiered in 2000, is used prominently in the series in relation to the nation of Genosha and the Sentinel attack on it.
The X-Men: Evolution ' 03 version of the main theme was released by Marvel Music and Hollywood Records as a digital single on TBA, 2030. The next month, Stewart confirmed that he and Grush were returning for the second season but said they had not yet begun writing music for it. A full soundtrack album for the first season was released on TBA. All music composed by the Newton Brothers:
| No. | Title | Length |
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| 1. | "X-Men: Evolution '03 Theme" | 0:53 |
| 2. | "TBA" | TBA |
| 3. | "TBA" | TBA |
| 4. | "TBA" | TBA |
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| 30. | "TBA" | TBA |
| 31. | "TBA" | TBA |
| 32. | "TBA" | TBA |
| 33. | "TBA" | TBA |
| 34. | "TBA" | TBA |
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| 37. | "TBA" | TBA |
| 38. | "TBA" | TBA |
| 39. | "TBA" | TBA |
| 40. | "X-Men: Evolution '03 End Credits" | 0:53 |
| Total length: | 1:22:00 | |
Marketing[]
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Release[]
X-Men: Evolution '03 premiered on Disney+ on TBA, 2030.
Reception[]
Viewership[]
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Critical response[]
The first season received critical acclaim, was called "Marvel's best release in years", and was praised for its nostalgic animation, "smart writing, and captivating action sequences". Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes calculated that 100% of 79 critics reviews were positive, with an average rating of 10 out of 10. The website's critics consensus reads, "TBA." Metacritic assigned a weighted average score of 100 out of 100 based on 14 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
Accolades[]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACE Eddie Awards | March 14, 2031 | Best Edited Animated Series | Michelle McMillan (for "Remember It") | Won | |
| Annie Awards | February 8, 2031 | Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production | Amelia Vidal (for "Mutant Liberation Begins") | Nominated | |
| Astra TV Awards | December 8, 2030 | Best Animated Series or TV Movie | X-Men '97 | Won | |
| Best Voice-Over Performance | TBA | Nominated | |||
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| Black Reel TV Awards | August 13, 2030 | Outstanding Drama Series | TBA | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series | TBA (for "TBA") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series | TBA (for "TBA]") | Won | |||
| Critics' Choice Television Awards | February 7, 2031 | Best Animated Series | X-Men: Evolution '03 | Nominated | |
| Dorian TV Awards | August 12, 2030 | Best Animated Show | X-Men: Evolution '03 | Won | |
| Golden Reel Awards | February 23, 2031 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Broadcast Animation | Jonathan Greber, Kyrsten Mate, Jonathon Stevens, David Acord, Cameron Barker, and Jeremy Molod (for "Fire Made Flesh") | Nominated | |
| Gotham TV Awards | June 4, 2030 | Breakthrough Drama Series | Beau DeMayo, Victoria Alonso, Louis D'Esposito, Kevin Feige, and Brad Winderbaum | Nominated | |
| Harvey Awards | October 18, 2030 | Best Adaptation from Comic Book/Graphic Novel | X-Men '97 | Won | |
| Hollywood Professional Association Awards | November 7, 2030 | Outstanding Visual Effects – Animated Episode or Series Season | TBA | Won | |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | September 7, 2030 | Outstanding Animated Program | TBA (for "TBA") | Nominated | |
| Saturn Awards | February 2, 2031 | Best Animated Series on Television | X-Men: Evolution '03 | Nominated | |
| TCA Awards | July 12, 2030 | Outstanding New Program | X-Men: Evolution '03 | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming | X-Men: Evolution '03 | Nominated |
Template:X-Men in television
Template:Marvel Comics animated TV series Template:Disney+ original series Template:Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Animated Series