Watching the first season of X-Men '97 felt like a fever dream. The Disney Plus series was able to recapture the glory of the '90s classic X-Men: The Animated Series within just a few bars of the opening theme and it brought all of our favorite memories of Professor X, Cyclops, Wolverine, Jean Grey, Beast, Storm, Gambit, Jubilee, and Rogue's adventures back to us.
However, it didn't take long for us to be reminded that the original series could be quite mature and, with the censorship that it faced no longer a problem in the sequel series, it was clear that we were in for a thought-provoking ride that was as haunting as it was beautiful. And when the dust settled on that impeccable first season, all anyone could do was appreciate the grandeur of the 10 glorious episodes they witnessed. And, well, wonder when the second season might be coming.
One of the show's stars has recently shed some light on what fans can expect from the upcoming sophomore outing and, well, it's a lot.
X-Men '97 season 2 will feature a lot of deaths according to star
X-Men '97 star Ross Marquand promises that the second season of the show is going to be even more traumatic than the first. As reported by Collider, the actor recently spoke at FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention as part of a Walking Dead panel (alongside his TWD co-star Cooper Andrews) and revealed that season 2 is "very dark", adding that he was "amazed" that Disney and Marvel greenlit the project.
"... 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."
Needless to say that's a pretty frightening update for fans of the show because, well, season 1 was immensely dark as it was. It also featured one of the most traumatizing, shocking death sequences in any Marvel project ever when an upgraded iteration of Master Mold unleashes its power on Genosha, resulting in countless deaths. It's capped off by Gambit's noble sacrifice, which was a moment that left fans heartbroken.
That moment also changed the course of the season, as the first half had been relatively optimistic compared to the second. With the X-Men grieving their fallen friend and the thousands of people who shouldn't have died on Genosha, and Magneto coming very close to destroying mankind for good in response to the heinous act, it was an emotional rollercoaster - and that's really quite the understatement.
Marquand had previously confirmed that season 2 would be darker than its predecessor but he didn't explicitly say how it would do that. This takes it to a whole new level, as it suggests that the next season will take the single most heartbreaking moment of the first season and magnify that. The X-Men aren't known for holding back, but it sounds like this will be something else altogether.
As for when we can expect our next round of trauma from Marvel's Mightiest Mutants in the beloved animated series, season 2 is expected to premiere on Disney Plus next year. Yes, a two-year wait between seasons wasn't the most ideal of circumstances, but a more recent update from Marvel's Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation Brad Winderbaum suggests that the show will be pivoting to annual season releases from next year onwards.
While the plot details of X-Men '97 season 2 are scarce right now, it will officially introduce Apocalypse - or, well, an earlier version of him - after the season 1 finale featured the first appearance of the legendary X-Men villain prior to his villainous days. Marquand will be voicing the character alongside his regular role of Professor Charles Xavier.
X-Men '97 season 2 premieres on Disney Plus in 2026.