“The best possible answer he could have given”: James Gunn Bluntly Reveals Why a Justice League Unlimited Reboot Will Fail to Replicate the Success of X-Men ’97
Justice League Unlimited, which aired from 2004 to 2006, was the concluding series for the DC Animated Universe. The animated series was a sequel to 2001’s Justice League and picks up two years after the original series. Warner Bros. produced the animated series, which was highly lauded by the audience and the critics.
Throughout its run from 2004 to 2006, Justice League Unlimited featured both serialized and episodic episodes. Actors Kevin Conroy and George Newbern voiced the characters of Batman and Superman, respectively. With DC Universe ready to kick off and Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97 doing well, fans have been wondering if there is a chance of getting Justice League Unlimited rebooted. James Gunn answers.
DC co-CEO James Gunn calls Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97 ‘unique’
Created by Beau DeMayo, X-Men ’97 is an animated series based on the Marvel Comics superhero team X-Men. The series is a revival of X-Men: The Animated Series and continues where the original series left off. The superhero team is facing new challenges following the death of their leader, Professor X.
The ongoing series premiered on March 20th, 2024, with two episodes on Disney+, and has received critical appreciation. The creators of X-Men: The Animated Series, Eric, and Julia Lewald joined the X-Men ’97 project as consulting producers on the show, along with original series director Larry Houston. In an interview with Justin Underwood, Eric Lewald mentioned them joining the project and said,
“They want it to be an extension of X-Men: The Animated Series. Whoever is doing this new show is going to make it their own, no matter who is involved in it. There is great love, affection, and respect from the entire group of people that are doing this show. Starting at the top with Beau DeMayo, who’s the show runner.”
The response to the series has been very positive from the audience and the critics, who have made DC fans wonder if a Justice League Unlimited reboot could happen. A user asked James Gunn about reviving the DC animated series with the title Justice League Unlimited ’07. To which Gunn said via X,
“X-Men ’97 is fun because it’s unique and not desperately trying to follow the trends of everything around it. So I’d rather just keep doing that.”
Since the success of X-Men ’97, DC fans have wondered and discussed whether the co-CEO, who is now gearing up for Superman, should revive the series or not. Well, he has noted that there are no such plans.
Fans praise James Gunn’s answer to the revival of Justice League Unlimited
While a section of fans want DC Studios’ co-CEO to revive the animated series, some fans praise the writer-director for his honest reply to not following the trends. A user mentioned, ‘The best possible answer he could have given,’ with another saying, ‘Good response. Stop following the trend of copying one another; just work on what’s going on.’
An X user explained that the Justice League Unlimited series, which came to its conclusion in 2006, had ended properly. They mentioned that the series does not need a follow-up, adding that it’s unfair to replace Kevin Conroy with another actor. A user further explained that Justice League 1 and 2 were perfect, and the continuation of JL Unlimited was a perfect story.
The best possible answer he could have given
— Zeus⚡️ (@MastormindZeus) April 27, 2024
Justice League Unlimited ended properly. It does not need a follow up series. And it's totally unfair to replace Kevin Conroy with another actor.
Besides, X-Men needed a follow up.
JLU built up and concluded the stories in season 2. Season 3 was mostly an extra but it ended well.— Kay (@DK_of_Gotham) April 27, 2024
Good response. Stop following the trend of copying one another and just work on what they have going on 👍🏽
— Immanuel Arriaga (@immy_future) April 27, 2024
Kevin Conroy fans also chimed in to say that they cannot imagine the show without him, so it’s better if there is no revival. A fan also stated that Conroy was such a huge part of the shows in the DC Animated Universe, so it does not fit right for them to bring back the show without the actor who was a huge part of its success.
Justice league 1 and 2 was perfect and the continuation JL unlimited was a complete perfect story
No need for any revisiting— Ufuoma Oboraruvwe👨💻 (@u4obo) April 27, 2024
Also Read: Despite Batman Beyond Movie Cancelation, Terry McGinnis Still Has a Way to Make His DC Comeback
Right decision. Can't revive JLU without Kevin Conroy.
— Bradley Nelson (@captain_Nelson) April 27, 2024
Talking about X-Men ’97, creator Beau DeMayo shared with The Direct that X-Men means something to a lot of people, adding that there is weight and responsibility that he is aware of.
X-Men ’97 is available to stream on Disney+.
