X-Men ’97 Showrunner Talks About Man of Steel Influence
X-Men ‘97 showrunner Beau DeMayo loves Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. Some scenes in X-Men ‘97 were inspired by this Superman reboot. The fight between Rogue and Bastion in Episode 10 is a big example. Rogue attacked Bastion on Asteroid M, saying ‘His name is Gambit. Remember it,’ and punched him hard, thinking of her lost friend. DeMayo said he thought of Superman defending his mom Martha when writing this scene. For him, this moment was driven by emotion, not the plot.
I was likely subconsciously influenced by this when writing the #xmen97 finale beat of Rogue punching Bastion. That’s not Superman hammering Zod. It’s Clark, a son furiously defending the woman who raised and protected him. The action is driven by emotion not plot. #manofsteel pic.twitter.com/KiZSJcRXAZ
— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) May 29, 2024
There are other Man of Steel references in X-Men ‘97. In Episode 8, we see Bastion’s origin story. It looks a lot like young Clark Kent discovering his powers. From the ticking clock to the scared kid running to his mom, it felt the same. DeMayo even joked that Bastion’s mom is also named Martha.
Man of Steel, 2013
— kgcrossov3r (@kgcrossov3r) May 1, 2024
X-Men '97 Episode 8 pic.twitter.com/OV5jN6GVjU
Another reference is in Episode 6 when Storm flies again after regaining her powers. Fans asked if this was a nod to Superman’s first flight in Man of Steel. DeMayo confirmed it was.
It is
— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) April 17, 2024
People love how DeMayo brought Man of Steel vibes to X-Men ‘97. Even though he’s not with Marvel Studios anymore, he wrote much of X-Men ‘97 Season 2. We can expect more cool references in the next season.
All episodes of X-Men ‘97 Season 1 are on Disney+. There’s no news yet on when Season 2 will come out.
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