Marvel Studios is expected to reuse the classic X-Men animated series theme for the upcoming X-Men '97 Disney+ follow-up, but we've already heard snippets of the iconic tune in a couple of live-action MCU projects.
In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the theme plays when Professor Xavier is introduced, and we also heard a more subtle refrain during the season finale of Ms. Marvel when Kamala Khan's mutant origin comes to light.
Fans very much appreciated hearing the unmistakable theme again, but it sounds like Kevin Feige and co. had to dedicate a lot of time - and money - to gaining the permission to use it.
X-Men: The Animated Series writer/developer Eric Lewald explained how difficult it was for the studio to secure the rights while speaking at Pennsylvania’s Steel City convention (via The Direct).
“[The X-Men: The Animated Series theme song] wasn’t a done deal, necessarily, when they were producing the new show. The rights were all over the place. I think a secondary person had the rights to the music, so it was a negotiation for them. Obviously, you can’t do the new show without that song. But the guy selling it knew the same thing, so I’m sure it was a heavy price.”
We're sure Marvel Studios is not hurting for a few bucks, so we'd say it was well worth it!
This report follows a recent rumor that the studio may not be able to introduce established X-Men characters such as Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm etc, to the Marvel Cinematic Universe until 2025. Nothing has been confirmed, but this would explain why we still haven't heard anything about their plans for a reboot featuring the popular super-team.
Hopefully, we'll get some updates on the status of the Children of the Atom in the MCU during D23 later this month.
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Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.