EXCLUSIVE: X-Men 97 Director Addresses Time Travel

*Spoilers ahead for episodes 3-5 of X-Men 97*

Episode five of X-Men ’97 left fans with a whirlwind of emotions. The heartbreaking deaths of Gambit and Magneto sent shockwaves through the fandom, while the surprise appearance of a grown-up Nathan Summers, aka Cable, opened up a whole new can of worms. Cable’s arrival has sparked debate among viewers, particularly concerning the show’s approach to time travel. After all, the lessons learned in Avengers: Endgame established a non-linear view of time, seemingly contradicting the (so far) more linear approach in X-Men ’97. We sat down with Jake Castorena, the supervising director of X-Men ’97, to get his insights on how the series will handle the complexities of time travel.

The Movie Blog:  You already broke my heart and put a little more salt in the wound, telling me that Gambit and Magneto are gone because I had a theory. I’m thinking Cable can fix this, right? Which leads me to my other question. The original series always dealt with time travel with Bishop and Cable and they used Back to the Future rules. Obviously, the MCU is more multiversal with a different approach. Brad Winderbaum already said that X-Men 97 is not on the Sacred timeline, but I’m wondering how should we anticipate time travel to be handled in this series?

Jake Castorena: Great question. I can absolutely promise it will be addressed. I know everybody is asking that right now. I dare not give anything away.  What I will say is the facet of time travel, and what it may or may not be able to do, that will be addressed. So I think I personally feel like we address it strongly and smartly.

While Castorena remains tight-lipped on specifics, his promise to address the time travel inconsistencies is reassuring. His confidence in the show’s approach – described as “strong and smart” – suggests a well-thought-out plan to integrate Cable’s arrival into the established timeline. Whether this involves a new understanding of time travel’s mechanics or a unique twist on the existing rules, one thing’s for sure: X-Men ’97 promises to deliver an engaging exploration of time travel’s impact on the characters and the X-Men universe. Be sure to tune in every Wednesday on Disney+ to see where the X-Men go next and prepare for even more excitement along the way!

Director: Jake Casterano

Writer(s): Beau DeMayo

Stars: Jennifer Hale, Ray Chase, Alison Sealy-Smith, Cal Dodd, George Buza, A.J. LoCascio, Holly Chou

X-Men ’97 comes to Disney+ on March 20, 2024. Be sure to follow E-Man’s Movie Reviews on Facebook, Subscribe on YouTube, or follow me on Twitter/IG @EmansReviews for even more movie news and reviews!