X-Men: TAS - Are we ever getting box sets?

[ryche]

Does anyone know if Fox and Marvel are planning on releasing the original X-Men cartoon in season box sets? I don't understand why this has not happened yet. With poor quality versions selling illegally for alot of money on ebay it is obvious that there is a demand for these sets. Someone with connections please let Avi Arad know that we are dying for this.

Here is how I see it:

Season 1 - 13 episodes (two discs) $19.95
Season 2 - 13 episodes (two discs) $19.95
Season 3 - 20 episodes w/"No Mutant Is An Island" (three discs) $29.99
Season 4 - 17 episodes (three discs) $29.95
Season 5 - 13 episodes w/"Lost Episodes" bonus disc (three discs) $29.99

So what does everyone think?

Tim

[Evil Villain]

I almost bought the whole series on ebay, but I figure it will come out officially soon anyway...I hope!!!

[Simon Trent]

I don't think you've earned the right to get official box sets. So, no, you must suffer in agony for a few more hours.

[Stu]

I truly believe if anyone but Disney owned the series, we would've had a box set by now. But currently, the chances aren't looking too good. Hopefully Marvel will win thier lawsuit and require the rights back and release them in sets. X-Men simply doesn't work in random single disc releases.

[Mynd Hed]

Someone with connections please let Avi Arad know that we are dying for this.

I'm sure Avi Arad would like nothing more than to cash in. It's Disney that needs convincing, since they have the distribution rights. And unfortunately, if they haven't seen the demand by now, with X-Men 3 just about to be released in theatres and still no plans announced, they're clearly brain-damaged and will never see the light.
As Stu mentioned, Marvel has a pending lawsuit against Disney regarding Disney's misuse of certain Marvel properties. If Marvel wins, or the two companies come to some sort of out-of-court settlement reverting the X-Men: TAS distribution rights to someone who, err, umm... doesn't suck, then there might be hope. As of right now, though... yeah, no hope. No hope at all.

[Jon T]

Someone with connections please let Avi Arad know that we are dying for this.

You know, IGN claimed that they'd try to get word from Avi Arad on potential Marvel animated DVDs back in July 2005 (http://dvd.ign.com/mail/2005-07-21.html). Since nothing's been heard since then, the current stagnated situation doesn't look like it's going to change soon.

One thing to think about is that when Disney acquired Saban's programming, they got 6500 half-hours of television, with the Marvel cartoons consisting of roughly only 5% of that total. The main problem as I see it is that Disney doesn't have any real consistent position on the Marvel shows since they never specifically sought them out; they were simply part of a far larger deal.

[Stu]

I've been checking IGN every week since they announced that they were trying to get ahold of Avi Arad... maybe when he starts overhyping X-Men 3 we'll hear from him, and God willing, we'll hear something.

It seems criminal that one of (the?) most popular cartoons of the 1990's is gathering dust and being hacked up and ran in no paticular order on TV. The show deserves much better.