What would you want in this version that wasn't in the other 'toons?
Even though I didn't get into X-Men until the late 90s, I'd love an animated series based on the original five, but have them all as full on adults, and serving as faculty for Xavier's School. I'm of the mind now that any X-Men animated series should have a focus on the X-Men teaching other mutants when they're not on missions. Of course I'd make concessions for characters like Beast, who would probably split his time even more between missions, teaching, and being a renowned scientist. And Angel, since he'd also probably have to deal with executive duties for Worthington Industries.
What would you want to improve from previous versions?
I'd push the sci-fi elements as much as possible, not focus so much on "superheroics". The X-Men would of course have the usual battles with other mutants and enemies of mutants, a lot of missions would be more about investigation.
What would you want to see more of?
One advantage X-Men Evolution had over the 90s series was that it didn't try to adapt specific comic book stories. Not to mention, the 90s series had horrible continuity. Characters would introduce themselves in present day certain episodes, then later episodes revealed in flashbacks that these characters knew each other. Angel never seems to have any acknowledged past relationship with the X-Men in all his appearances, but any flashback with the original five, and there he is.
Basically, I want tighter continuity in the context of the series itself. I don't want the show tripping over itself, because it feels compelled to adapt pre-existing stories.
What would you want to see less of?
Of course, I'd want to see Wolverine, but I do agree with fans who have had enough of him. I'd let the whole first season play out without him, then maybe introduce him "interlude" style. Little snippets of him, maybe in the woods, you wouldn't see him fully, but eventually, you'd know it's him.
What characters would you include?
Xavier and the original five. There'd be about as many students as there are in the film series, but the focus would be on Jubilee, who's just starting out, Kitty and Colossus, who'd be on the verge of graduation.
What stories would you want to focus on?
They'd be a lot more politically-driven, the president would be in a position where he's not sure what stance he wants to take on mutants. Naturally, Senator Kelly could factor into this.
Sinister would play a big part in the series from day one. In disguise, he'd be working with Beast in some capacity, with Beast confiding in him about being a mutant and working to cure his mutation. At which point Sinister would take it as an opportunity to use Hank as a guinea pig for whatever private experiments he'd be conducting, thus resulting in the "blue fur" Beast we know now. Magneto would be there, of course, but he wouldn't be the X-Men's main through until further down the line. In fact, I'd start off the series with him already in custody after facing off against the X-Men in the past. The X-Men would face indivudual mutants, and ultimately discover that they were all working separate pieces of one plan, which is to release Magneto.
What stories would you not want to focus on?
X-Men . . .IN SPACE!!!! I usually don't like the X-men space stories, because they tend to run very long, and draw you away from the fundamental themes.
Is there anything that you would change that has never been done before?
Hard to say. The 90s series really ran the gammut of comic stories from the late 70s through the 90s. And Evolution focused on them as teenagers, harkening back to the original 60s comics. It's hard to think of something that's "never" been done on an X-Men series before.
