Is ‘X-Men ’97’ in the MCU? Showrunner Beau DeMayo Weighs In

X-Men ’97 is on its way, and Beau DeMayo is answering fans’ questions on Instagram! The showrunner has hit on topics ranging from Jean Grey’s playlist to whether the show takes place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

X-Men ’97, which hits Disney+ on March 20, continues the saga of the X-Men that began in the original animated series in the ’90s. Wolverine, Storm, Jubilee, and the rest of the cast will make their return in a season that picks up where the original series left off.

So what questions did DeMayo answer? Let’s see!

Good news about Jean Grey, Jubilee, and Emma Frost

DeMayo has spent the past couple of days answering fan questions in his Instagram stories. Unfortunately, stories are archived after 24 hours, but The Mary Sue and other outlets were able to grab some nuggets of wisdom before they disappeared.

X-Men had a robust roster of female characters in an era when comic book media was dominated by men, and fans are expressing excitement at the return of some of their favorites. One fan asked DeMayo if Jubilee will get “the power and recognition she deserves.” Beau’s answer: “Def.”

Another fan asked if Emma Frost will be in the new series. His answer to this one was simple: “Yes.” (Emma also appeared in the original X-Men series, in which she was voiced by Tracey Moore.)

Here’s one that should make any ’90s girl especially happy: when asked if he had a playlist for Jean Grey, DeMayo responded with “lots of Tori Amos.” I am so down for this.

Morph’s pronouns are they/them

Last week, Empire Magazine revealed that the character Morph is nonbinary. Not all nonbinary people use the same pronouns, but DeMayo confirmed that Morph will go by they/them in the new series. We can’t wait to get to know them!

Does X-Men take place in the MCU?

Comicbook.com caught the answer to this question before Instagram archived it. When asked if the new series takes place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DeMayo replied, “We are our own thing.”

Of course, it’d be hard to make the show take place in the MCU proper, since there have never been any mutants in it before (besides Kamala Khan and Namor). However, with all the different realities of Marvel’s multiverse starting to merge, it’s not unreasonable to wonder if the characters in X-Men ’97 will make the jump to the MCU at some point. DeMayo’s answer seems to indicate, though, that the show will stay self-contained.

If you’re craving more mutants in the MCU, though, don’t worry! You can catch a familiar character in the post-credits scene of The Marvels, and Wolverine will be clawing his way into the MCU in Deadpool & Wolverine, out this summer.

(featured image: Disney+)