Marvel Animation's X-Men '97 has returned to screens for its long-awaited second season. The 10-episode first season of the series was a major fixture of Disney Plus' line-up in 2024 so it goes without saying that there was a lot of anticipation for its second season, which sees the iconic super-team of mutants once again battle their archenemy Apocalypse - this time across multiple different timelines. And for fans who watched the original X-Men: The Animated Series in the 1990s, Apocalypse's reputation precedes him.
The second season has officially arrived on the streamer with a triple-episode premiere, which officially kicked off that new, ambitious storyline. However, the first of those three episodes closed out with a touching tribute to Karen Hathaway, featuring a dedication card on the credits which reads: "In Loving Memory of Karen Hathaway".
Karen Hathaway was the First Assistant Animation Editor at Marvel Studios who sadly passed away in 2025. According to her IMDb page, she was born on May 14 1966 and had a lengthy career working as an editor and producer on projects such as The Wedding Singer, Suburban Commando, Despicable Me, Pump Up The Volume, Hotel Transylvania, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, and The Tigger Movie, as well as episodes of Recess, Timon and Pumba, House of Mouse (among other various other Mickey Mouse video game and TV projects) and so much more. From high-profile blockbusters of the '90s and the 2010s to direct-to-video sequels and legendary animated TV shows, she quite literally did it all in her respective field. She and the editorial team of 2014's Planes: Fire & Rescue were honored with an Annie Award nomination for Best Editing in an Animated Feature.
With over three decades of experience to her name, she began working with Marvel Studios on What If...?, specifically being credited as the First Assistant Editor for three episodes of the second season in 2023. She also worked on spinoff series Marvel Zombies, which aired in 2025, as well as the second season of X-Men '97. She is specifically credited for working on the second and third episodes of the season, which were made available alongside the season premiere "Days of Past Future" (which featured her moving dedication). She sadly passed away on August 27, 2025.
Hathaway was also a member of The Motion Picture Editors Guild for 33 years and received an in memoriam tribute from the guild in the Q4 2025 issue of the CineMontage magazine. A touching tribute to a titan of the industry and just one of the many examples of the impact that she made on it.
On behalf of us at Bam Smack Pow, we send our condolences to Karen Hathaway's family and loved ones, as well as all of the legendary, beloved Editors colleagues over the years. May she Rest In Eternal Peace.
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