X-Men '97 Season 2's Biggest Threats May Have Been Revealed

X-Men '97's rogues' gallery expands with five villains joining the fold. Most of them were already teased in Season 1, but the update is still a welcome confirmation.

X-Men fans can possibly expect Wolverine to square off with his arch-enemies, Lady Deathstrike and Sabretooth, in X-Men '97 Season 2. Marvel Leaks (via X) teased the characters' debuts in the animated series, and they look comic-accurate, based on their cameos in the episode intros. Revealed alive in Season 1, Episode 7, Magneto is also a confirmed villain in Season 2. His surprise return was only bested by Apocalypse's introduction in the Season 1 finale.

The most intriguing potential addition to the roster is Danger, the sentient incarnation of the X-Men's Danger Room. Reminiscent of the MCU's Vision and Ultron, Danger offers a way to incorporate AI into X-Men '97's storyline. Lady Deathstrike, Sabretooth, Magneto, Apocalypse and Danger's roles in Season 2 were first teased in a sizzle reel at D23 last August. While it appears that the odds are stacked against the X-Men, showrunner Brad Winderbaum confirmed that other X-teams will also debut.

More X-Teams Appear in X-Men '97 Season 2

Image via Marvel Studios Animation

"There's many teams, in Marvel, that have the letter 'X' that are followed by a hyphen," he said, per Collider. "I would put it to you like this… there's two other X teams in Season 2." X-Factor and X-Force are the prime candidates for that, considering some of their members have already appeared in Season 1. Weapon X-Men could also debut full force, Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike being joined by Mystique, Warpath and Domino. Winderbaum's statement also leaves room for wild fan theories, stoking anticipation for Quicksilver, Wolfsbane and Havok.

Apocalypse is the expected Big Bad of X-Men '97 Season 2. The Season 1 finale split and scattered the team into different time periods, and Apocalypse could be their link to the past, present and future. Series supervising director Jake Castorena hinted as much in an IGN interview.

"With the X-Men, for better or for worse, all roads usually end up leading to Apocalypse, right? It's either Apocalypse, Sinister, or Magneto," he said. "What I will say is we do things on purpose. Everything is meticulously done for a reason. For those looking to see where Apocalypse goes with the tattered card in his hand, just have to watch Season 2 to find out. But I guarantee you we wouldn't plant stuff if it wasn't going to go on."

Teasing Apocalypse's origin, the villain was introduced as En Sabah Nur in the Season 1 finale's post-credits scene. "What's really compelling about Apocalypse is that he lives for so long," Winderbaum said. "So whether you go to the distant past or the distant future, he's there. His ideas do change over time, like anyone's. So being able to compare his way of thinking at different eras is something that's really exciting to explore."

Marvel Studios Animation has yet to announce a release date for X-Men '97 Season 2.

Release Date March 20, 2024

Directors Jake Castorena

Writers Beau DeMayo

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