Sure, X-Men '97 has ended, but unlike other Marvel shows that serve as a 6-8 episode limited series, X-Men '97 is coming back for a second and third season. Which is great, because we can't imagine ending on a cliffhanger like that and never returning (or, in the case of flagship show X-Men: The Animated series, ending on a cliffhanger and then leaving for nearly 30 years).
While we don't know much about X-Men '97 season 2, we do have a pretty good idea of what the plot will be about – especially given the fact that the season 1 finale set up quite a few comic book-accurate plotlines. We also have some new information on the release window for the return of arguably one of the best shows on Disney Plus right now. So, don't worry; there's still plenty to unpack and learn about the mutants' next outing.
Below are some spoilers for X-Men '97 season 1, so if you haven't finished the show... we don't recommend scrolling down. If you have, however, feel free to read up on everything we know about X-Men '97 season 2 thus far.
X-Men '97 season 2 release date speculation
X-Men '97 was first announced in 2021, and it took a little over three years to get to our TV screens, officially landing on March 20, 2024. We don't have a release date for season 2 just yet, but during the D23 Expo 2024 event, it was revealed (via The Direct) that the series is deep in development and will take about 12 to 18 months to get ready.
With that in mind, we'd say it'll hit Disney Plus sometime in late 2025. However, that's just speculation, and we'll keep you updated as soon as more concrete information comes our way. In the meantime, you can check out our handy guide on how to watch all the X-Men movies in order, if you're after a quick mutant fix.
X-Men '97 season 2 plot
Let's recap X-Men '97 episode 10, shall we? After the UN fires their "Magneto protocol," it backfired majorly and threatened to send Asteroid M to Earth. Professor X is able to fix Magneto's psyche and guide him back to his body, which allows him to save the world from Asteroid M, but it throws Rogue, Storm, Xavier, Logan, Beast, Nightcrawler, and Magneto into Egypt circa 3000 BC. Jean and Scott end up somewhere in the Future, circa 3960 AD, with a teenaged, pre-Cable version of their son Nathan and a woman named Mother Askani (who is Rachel Summers, their time-lost daughter, in the comics).
We then fast-forward six months to find that Forge is 'the last X-Man' left on Earth. Jubilee, Sunspot, and Cable, though having survived the Blip-like ending, are marked "AWOL." Bishop, however, returns from his episode 2 stint in the future to help Forge 'rebuild' the X-Men. A post-credits scene takes us to Present Day Genosha, where a big bad named Apocalypse lifts Gambit's playing card out of the dirt.
This is ominous for two reasons: Before the credits roll, Bishop remarks, "This ain't our first time at the 'The X-Men are dead rodeo'" and a man named En Sabah Nur introduces himself to the X-Men trapped in Egypt BC. Well folks, En Sabah Nur is the mutant warrior known as Apocalypse, who is also leader of the Four Horsemen, which is a group that Gambit becomes part of in the comics.
In terms of plotlines for season 2, Jake Castorena, supervising producer and head director of X-Men '97 had this to say to Entertainment Weekly: "Oh, did something happen with Gambit in the comics? Oh, that's cool." In reference to the post-credits scene, he also said that, "Everything is meticulously planned."
Executive producer Brad Winderbaum has also stated that season 2 will have some new superhero teams. "There's many teams, in Marvel, that have the letter 'X' that are followed by a hyphen. I would put it to you like this… there's two other X teams in season 2," he explained.
Of course, we can also count on season 2 to pick up where the season 1 finale leaves off. It's likely that our beloved Gambit will return from the dead but in a scary zombie villain format. One of the plotlines will likely draw from the 1994 comic miniseries The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix, seeing as it follows Scott and Jean in the future with Nathan, Mother Askani, and Apocalypse in tow.
It's also known that series creator and former showrunner Beau DeMayo wrote part of season 2 before being let go by Disney. "I did write a lot of Season 2," DeMayo tweeted. "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."
Head of Marvel Animation Brad Winderbaumthe told EW that the team "will have a new head writer for season 3," but notes that they "are honoring Beau's ideas for the second season."
X-Men '97 season 2 cast
There hasn't been any casting news as of yet, but we can assume new additions to the cast will be announced as we get closer and closer to season 2. The original voice actors from X-Men: The Animated Series make up a good percentage of the season 1 cast, though some of them are voicing different characters than they did in the original show. Still, we put together our best guess as to who will return for season 2, including the core cast and the new voice actors introduced in the season finale.
- Ray Chase – Scott Summers / Cyclops
- Jennifer Hale – Jean Grey / Phoenix
- Allison Sealy-Smith – Ororo Munroe / Storm
- Cal Dodd – Logan / Wolverine
- J.P. Karliak – Morph
- Lenore Zann – Rogue
- George Buza – Beast
- A.J. LoCascio – Remy LeBeau / Gambit
- Holly Chou – Jubilee
- Isaac Robinson-Smith – Bishop
- Matthew Waterson – Magneto
- Ross Marquand – Professor Charles Xavier
- Adrian Hough – Nightcrawler
- Gui Agustini – Roberto da Costa
- Chris Potter – Nathan Summers / Cable
- Adetokumbosh M'Cormack – En Sabah Nur / Apocalypse
- Gates McFadden – Rachel Summers / Mother Askani
X-Men '97 is streaming now on Disney Plus. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows that you need to know about. Or, you can take a look at our list of the best X-Men comics of all time.
