The first season of Marvel Television's X-Men '97 animated series featured its share of shocking moments, most notably the death of Gambit in episode 5, "Remember It." The show wasn't particularly bleak overall, but it does sound like things are going to get a lot darker when we return for the long-awaited second season next year.
Collider asked The Walking Dead alum Ross Marquand, who voiced Professor X in season 1 and will also take on the role of Apocalypse in season 2, if he could tease anything about the sophomore season of X-Men '97 during a recent appearance at FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention.
“I play Apocalypse next season too, so there’s a lot of scenes for myself as Apocalypse. I’m dressed in rags, which is kind of weird, but yeah,” he began, before adding that he was “amazed Disney greenlit it because it’s so dark. It’s very, very dark. A lot of people die, and so many people don’t talk about it. Just being honest.”
In the season 1 finale, the team managed to defeat Bastion and prevent Asteroid M from destroying the planet, but the heroes somehow ended up being transported through time in the process, where some of them encountered a younger En Sabah Nur. It was heavily implied that Apocalypse will ultimately assemble his Horsemen, which could certainly result in a few casualties.
Marvel's Brad Winderbaum recently confirmed that the revival series will return to our screens in 2026.
"Season 2 of X-Men ‘97 is going to be in ‘26. We're working on it now," he told Collider. "It's exciting. That world of the ‘90s is just… Honestly, I can't believe they let me make it. I grew up at Marvel, as you know, clocked a lot of time here, and I feel like I used a lot of currency to revive this thing that I loved watching after school. So, the fact that we get to play in that universe with those actors is honestly why I went into this business in the first place."
X-Men '97's voice cast includes Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, JP Karliak as Morph, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, AJ LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop, Matthew Waterson as Magneto and Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler.
Beau DeMayo, who was fired as showrunner prior to the premiere, serves as head writer, while episodes are directed by Jake Castorena, Chase Conley and Emi Yonemura. Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and DeMayo executive produce.
What did you think of the first season of X-Men '97? Drop us a comment down below.
"A band of mutants use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them; they're challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future. New Episodes, New Era," reads the official synopsis.