A version of Deadpool will be making his way onto screens sooner than you expected, it seems. The Merc With A Mouth is one of the most attention-grabbing characters in all of Marvel Comics but it's only within the past decade that he has become a household name with mainstream audiences too. Ryan Reynolds' role as the character in the Fox movie series turned the antihero into a global phenomenon and this ultimately kickstarted the journey that brought him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (as Marvel Studios gained the rights to the character when Disney purchased Fox).
Reynolds will be back as the character in the MCU down the line, but it turns out that Marvel Studios plans on surprising fans of the irreverent character in a very different project. Needless to say, Marvel fans didn't see it coming.
Deadpool's X-Men '97 season 2 look revealed in first trailer
The first official trailer for X-Men '97 season 2 has been released online by Marvel Studios and it promises a heck of a season. It also unexpectedly features a cameo appearance from none other than Wade Wilson himself, a.k.a. Deadpool. This marks the first time that the animated series has featured the character's look and it comes as we see Morph transform into the character, allowing us to see what Deadpool actually looks like in this particular series.
First look at Deadpool in ‘X-MEN ‘97’ Season 2. pic.twitter.com/zF7tYIlfA7
— That COMICBOOK Guy (@Culture3ase) May 27, 2026
Although X-Men '97 isn't considered canon to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's main continuity, it is featured under the franchise's "Multiverse Saga" banner on Disney Plus, which makes sense considering that it is produced by Marvel Studios Animation. It also happens to be a sequel series to the critically-acclaimed X-Men: The Animated Series, which Deadpool actually did make a cameo appearance in. Or, well, Morph transformed into the character in that show, too.
So, technically, this marks the second time that we have seen Deadpool in the X-Men The Animated Series world, but it's the first time that he appears via the reboot's character designs. And it certainly opens the door for a more significant role in the future - which would make sense considering his Marvel Comics history with Wolverine and the X-Men.
It's worth notig that season 1 showrunner Beau DeMayo revealed via social media two years ago that the Merc With A Mouth is off-limits for the show (which might explain why he didn't appear in the first season). However, if having Morph transform into the character is the loophole here, we might see a lot more of him.
Deadpool is also expected to return to the MCU in the near-future
As for the live-action iteration of the sword-wielding antihero, Ryan Reynolds is set to reprise his role at some point in the MCU's future, as a fourth Deadpool movie is seemingly in the works. However, it will reportedly be another team-up movie like Deadpool and Wolverine instead of another solo role considering that the character plays well with other Marvel heroes and villains.
That film is expected to be a part of the MCU's next Saga, which currently has a working title of "The Mutants Era". However, he's expected to return earlier than that, as Deadpool is also rumored to be appear in at least one of Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. There have been differing reports on the former, with some of the bigger outlets seemingly confirming his return in the upcoming movie (which arrives in theaters this December). However, that has since been thrown into question due to the multitude of reports which have suggested otherwise.
If he doesn't appear in it, he and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine are expected to have bigger roles in 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars. And honestly, either one would make sense considering that Deadpool's official introduction into the MCU's multiverse came during the Multiverse Saga. Deadpool and Wolverine was also one of the few films throughout that saga to officially address the multiverse as a concept, making it one of the most pivotal heading into Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
If anything, it would be more suspicious if Reynolds' Merc With A Mouth didn't appear. Deadpool is a major element of the Multiverse Saga and he brought Marvel Studios one of its biggest success stories of the whole saga. We'll definitely be seeing him again in the not-too-distant future.
In the meantime, Deadpool fans can experience a cameo appearance in X-Men '97 season 2, and we're looking forward to finding out the context of that very moment!
X-Men '97 season 2 arrives on Disney Plus on July 1, 2026. Avengers: Doomsday arrives in movie theaters on December 18, 2026.
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