Marvel Unveils the Next Era of “X-Men” Comics at SXSW

Krakoa is gone…but the X-Men remain, always. Just now at the Future of Marvel Comics' X-Men and Digital Comics panel at South by Southwest (SXSW), Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski and VP, Executive Editor Tom Brevoort were joined by writers Jed MacKay and Gail Simone to announce what's coming next for Marvel's line of X-Men comics. In the wake of their acclaimed Krakoan Age, witness the X-Men’s latest evolution this summer in X-Men: From the Ashes.

  • This new era of X-Men will be centered around three flagship titles written and drawn by some of today’s most influential and acclaimed creators:
    • Jed Mackay and Ryan Stegman’s “X-Men”
    • Gail Simone and David Marquez’s "Uncanny X-Men”
    • Eve L. Ewing and Carmen Carnero’s "Exceptional X-Men.”
  • Each series will offer different explorations of the mutant mythos as they take Marvel’s Merry Mutants into bold and untrodden territory.
  • Over their 60-year history, the X-Men have been many things. Outcasts. Teachers. Revolutionaries. Heroes. Above all, they’re a species, and the future is still theirs for the taking! Krakoa showed the world what homo superior is truly capable of, and now, the X-Men have to fight harder than ever to keep Professor X’s dream alive. These three core series will approach the X-Men’s vital mission with distinct and relevant perspectives while remaining faithful to the storytelling power of the mutant metaphor!
  • Check out the thread below for the announcements as they happened.

X-Men

  • Written by Jed MacKay
  • Art by Ryan Stegman
  • From their new base in Alaska, the X-Men raise a flag of defiance! Join Cyclops, Beast, Magneto, Psylocke, Kid Omega, Temper (formerly Oya), Magik and Juggernaut as they assemble against new forces, battling for the destiny and philosophy of the mutant species. Mutant business is their business.
  • Writer Jed MacKay: “It’s not just those three titles in this relaunch, there’s a lot! [My X-Men title] is where we'll see the first inklings of what the X-Men will look like in 2024. I’m very excited for you guys to see it when it comes out. If you look at that line-up, they’re a group of people who are not well suited to integrating into the world. And in these books, we’ll see what that means and what it looks like going forward.”

Uncanny X-Men

  • Written by Gail Simone
  • Art by David Marquez
  • Making themselves at home in the Big Easy, the X-Men protect a world that hates and fears them! Join Rogue, Gambit, Nightcrawler, Jubilee and Wolverine on explosive super hero adventures. Uncanny as ever, the X-Men are back to saving the day mutant-style!
  • Writer Gail Simone: "I think X-Fans are special in that we identify with having something different about us…and you're going to feel that in this book, and what it means to have that thing about you that's different, or exceptional. We go deep into the emotional part of that. David Marquez is the perfect artist for this book. He does amazing action, amazing character work, and he’s really excited about getting into the characters appearing in this book. I knew from the very first panel that this book was going to be super exciting and gorgeous. He just knows how to knock it out of the park!”

Exceptional X-Men

  • Written by Eve L. Ewing
    Art by Carmen Carnero
  • Kate Pryde has returned home to Chicago following the war with ORCHIS. Having stepped away from the world of mutantdom, she is nevertheless called back into action as she crosses paths with a trio of new young mutants, Bronze, Axo and Melee, who clearly need training and guidance. Unfortunately for Kate, Emma Frost thinks so as well!
  • Writer Eve L. Ewing: “Long-time fans of Kitty Pryde can count on the kinds of adventures you expect from her as a classic favorite, while I hope new and old readers alike will get to love this all-new team of young mutants. Kitty, the one-time kid sister figure of the X-Men, has to reckon with her own memories—good and bad—of being a child of Xavier as she navigates a role as leader and mentor for a new generation of mutants who are trying to make their way in a time of crisis. I always try to strike a chord between appealing to veteran comics fans and new readers, but since so many people fell in love with the X-Men as teens and this book is about a team of young folks, that feels especially important to me here. I hope that for some 13- or 14-year-old readers, this might be the first comic book they pick up. Working on this series has been a ton of fun already, as Carmen Carnero's art is bringing so much dynamism to these pages and the entire X-team of writers is in a flurry sharing scripts and feedback and ideas.”
  • Marvel Comics VP Executive Editor Tom Brevoort: “The X-Men are fractured in the aftermath of the end of Krakoa, scattered across the globe without a central base of operation. What that means in practice is that all three titles carrying the name X-Men are core X-Men series—they all center around one of the major aspects of what the team has been about at different points. This is very much by design. We want to field a wide assortment of X-titles with different styles and tones and approaches, an X-Men book for virtually any taste.”

  • This is only the beginning, and fans shouldn’t fret if they don’t see their favorite mutant icons just yet! In the coming weeks, get ready for more X-Men title announcements including new ongoing team books, solo series, and more.
  •  Check out all three cast lineups on Ryan Stegman and Marte Gracia’s “X-Men: From the Ashes” promotional image and get a sneak peek at what’s to come in the “X-Men: From the Ashes” trailer above, featuring never-before-seen artwork that teases new villains and the mystery of Inmate X!
  • And don’t forget to take your first steps into the new era on May 4 with a special prelude tale by Gail Simone in “Free Comic Book Day 2024: Blood Hunt/X-Men #1″ and in June’s “X-Men #35,” the 700th issue of "Uncanny X-Men,” which will feature stories by both Simone and MacKay.
Mike Mack
Mack is the Editorial Director for Marvel and ESPN content and he has covered comic cons, theme park events, video game showcases and other fun events. He is a fan of theme parks, sports, movies, Marvel Comics and is a self-proclaimed "nerd."