Fox Sued Marvel Over This Now-Forgotten Mutant TV Show
The company that owned the television rights to the X-Men at the time was not amused by this program about a heroic team of superpowered mutants.
In 2001, Marvel Studios faced legal action from 20th Century Fox over the creation of a live-action TV show titled "Mutant X." The source material reports that Marvel developed the series without utilizing Wolverine, Magneto, or any other X-Men characters. The lawsuit stemmed from Fox's concerns over licensing rights, as the show was set to air shortly after the release of their first X-Men film.
"Mutant X" followed a team of superpowered individuals, discovered and protected other mutants, and thwarted the efforts of an evil agency named Genomex. Despite the lack of any direct connection to a Marvel comic, Fox accused Marvel of breach of contract and false advertising. The two companies reached an amicable settlement in 2003, allowing "Mutant X" to continue airing for three seasons.
The show's production companies later disbanded, and the series concluded with a cliffhanger. Today, "Mutant X" is often regarded as one of the worst superhero TV shows. Fox has since produced two other live-action shows based on the X-Men franchise, "The Gifted" and "Legion," both concluding in 2019. If a similar dispute arose today, Marvel would not face any legal challenges, as Disney acquired both Marvel and Fox in 2009 and 2017, respectively.
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