Last night on a podcast, some nice folks from upstate New York asked us all sorts of questions about X-MEN:TAS. I had answers to most of them, but one eluded me. “Is there an X-Man you hope to see in a solo film one day?” After serious thought, I responded: “No. I always think of them together.” That’s weird, but it’s true. I can enjoy The Avengers in individual movies — Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Captain America, etc. — because their stories started with them as individuals. Joss Whedon’s masterful job in the first movie at getting them to work together for a few hours was just that — an effort. They aren’t a natural team (which is half of the fun watching them try to be). They aren’t a family. Does Thor care how Tony Stark’s day is going? The X-Men came into being as a group. They live and work together. In looking back at the team we chose, I believe that losing just a couple of them could have really hurt the stories. I know and enjoy them in relation to each other. I believe that’s why they have lasted, off and on, for over 50 years. So even though I look forward to the “Logan” movie (great trailer), half of the pleasure in that movie will be seeing him interact with Charles Xavier. They have 35 years of books and 76 episodes-plus of TV history together. They “grew up” toegether. That’s why I didn’t have an answer for Tom & Kimber’s podcast. I just don’t think of the X-Men apart — which to me means they have achieved something special.
