All eyes are now on X-Men ’97 Season 2 now that the first season has officially wrapped up. While many fans were excited for X-Men ’97 before its premiere, it’s safe to say nobody expected it to be the massive hit it became.
The show has become one of Disney+’s most-watched shows (though, surprisingly, not the most watched). Now the first season has drawn to a close, leaving fans waiting with anticipation for a new season.
While fans may have had to wait a while for the show to debut, all signs point to more X-Men ’97 sooner rather than later. Read on to learn more about X-Men ’97 Season 2 and where the show is expected to go in future seasons.
Is X-Men ’97 Season 2 happening?
X-Men ‘97 Season 2 is already in production, along with Season 3. X-Men ’97 Season 2 was confirmed way back in 2022 when the series was still expected to debut in 2023. Following the roaring success of Season 1, Marvel reportedly greenlit a third season.
Season 1 ended on May 15, 2023, with 10 episodes. It’s not known yet if further seasons will include a longer episode order or if Marvel is happy with the 10-episode structure.
Is there an X-Men ’97 Season 2 release date?
At this time, there is no release date for X-Men ‘97 Season 2. However, it may not be too long of a wait.
While it feels like X-Men ‘97 took a long time to release, it’s important to remember the show suffered several delays. It was first showcased in 2022 and announced for Fall 2023 but was eventually delayed to 2024 to accommodate new scheduling after the Writer’s Strike ended.
Marvel Studios are reportedly extremely satisfied with the results of 'X-MEN '97', and want the show to continue for as long as possible They want to air Season 2 ASAP so fans don't have to wait (via: @DanielRPK) pic.twitter.com/Sln21bz08b
— ScreenTime (@screentime) May 7, 2024
That being said, it’s worth remembering that Season 2 has been in production for some time already. While Marvel has yet to announce a timeline for a release, noted leaker DanielRPK has claimed that Marvel Studios intends to release Season 2 ASAP and intends to continue the series as long as possible.
Speaking to Comic Book, Marvel’s head of streaming Brad Winderbaum revealed that Season 2 is in the “animatic phase.”
“Animation takes so long to make as I’m sure you know. There was a great bit about this in Invincible Season 2. They just nailed it so hard, it is the greatest. And it takes a long time. Because the studio wants to see how successful the first season is before they greenlight the second season there’s a lag. We were lucky enough to get the greenlight before we aired so there’s maybe less of a lag. People are just going to have to be patient with us.”
Is Beau DeMayo involved in X-Men ’97 Season 2?
No, Beau DeMayo won’t be involved in X-Men ’97 Season 2 after he was fired from the series.
Details regarding why Beau DeMayo was fired from X-Men ’97 remain unclear, with neither the writer or Marvel addressing his exit from the creative team. However, he has clarified his involvement in Season 2.
“I did write a lot of Season 2. However, unlike Season 1, I will not be heavily involved or leading production, cast records, design, editorial, post, music, etc., nor doing any production rewrites as it relates to the creative vision of the show,” he wrote.
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Winderbaum also confirmed: “We are honoring Beau’s ideas for the second season.”
What will happen in Season 2?
We don’t yet know what Season 2 will feature, but we can see the set-up in the plots of Season 1 episodes.
Much of the season sets up distrust between Cyclops and Professor Xavier and drives an even further wedge between Xavier’s ideal world and Magneto’s dark reality. There’s also the potential fallout for the mutant race and humankind after Xavier is revealed to have faked his death.
The Season 2 finale also cribs from a classic storyline where Cyclops and Jean Grey are briefly sent to the future. The story serves as a sort of redemption arc for the two, as they get the opportunity to raise their displaced son.
It also certainly seems like Apocalypse will be a major threat in Season 2. In addition, the finale’s post-credits tease hints at the return of Gambit, potentially revived as Apocalypse’s Horseman of Death.
One notable plot element that is sure to have fallout is Wolverine losing his adamantium. The event from the comics set up more than a decade of stories as Wolverine coped with no longer being the invulnerable tank he had been for decades. After Wolverine spent much of the animated series as an unstoppable weapon, future stories may feature a more humanized, vulnerable version of the character.
It’s also possible Wolverine is another candidate to become a Horseman of Apocalypse, considering that was how he got his adamantium back in the comics.
Which X-Men characters will be in Season 2?
The X-Men ’97 season 1 finale teases a bunch of returning X-Men. Not the least notable of which is Bishop, who was last seen taking Cable to the future, returning to help Forge find the time-displaced X-Men. While Jubilee, Sunspot, and Cable are established as AWOL in that same scene, the fate of the rest of the team is up in the air.
That same scene features a number of teased mutants who may return, including Cyclops’ brother Havok, original team member Iceman, Colossus and his sister, Magik, and Emma Frost. Kitty Pryde and Dust are also on the board, potentially setting them up to debut in the next season.
The finale sets up Cyclops and Jean Grey stranded in the future alongside a younger Nathan. Meanwhile, Rogue, Nightcrawler, The Beast, Magneto, and Xavier are stranded in ancient Egypt.
Notably absent from the finale’s final moments are Morph and Wolverine. In the final moments of the episode, Morph was tending to Wolverine, who was grievously wounded after Magneto ripped the adamantium from his skeleton. Where the two wound up is a mystery for Season 2 to answer.
X-Men ’97 Season 1 is available to watch now on Disney+. While you’re waiting for Season 2, be sure to read about the comic books that inspired X-Men ’97 Season 1, all the Easter eggs we found throughout the series so far, and the 10 best X-Men comics.