Sky-high expectations were riding on X-Men ’97, but the Disney+ series managed to hit all the right notes in its first season. What didn’t go quite as well was the fate of the beloved mutant crew, left in shambles and scattered across the past, present, and future, with the looming threat of Apocalypse adding to the danger.
As seen in an action-packed trailer for its upcoming season, things will pick up from the events of its predecessor, where Professor X (Ross Marquand), Magneto (Matthew Waterson), Rogue (Lenore Zann), Nightcrawler (Adrian Hough), and Beast (George Buza) ended up in Ancient Egypt, the start of Apocalypse’s reign. The Summers family, comprising Scott / Cyclops (Ray Chase), Jean Grey (Jennifer Hale), son Nathan / Cable (Chris Potter), and daughter Rachel (Gates McFadden), are in the future timeline of 3960 A.D.
As for Storm (Alison Sealy-Smith), Wolverine (Cal Dodd), and Morph (JP Karliak), their location remains a mystery, but Nightcrawler expresses faith that the X-Men can be saved, and the task of reuniting them falls to Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith) and Forge (Gil Birmingham). Wolverine is also set to return, joining a quick glimpse of not-Deadpool, whom Morph transforms into, and a host of newcomers, including Havoc, Polaris, Archangel, Strong Guy, and Psylocke.
“X-Men ’97 Season 2 continues with the heroic mutant team of X-Men, divided and thrown across different eras in time as they struggle to navigate their return home. Meanwhile, back in the 1990s, suspicious foes and new strains of mutant intolerance are on the rise in the wake of the X-Men’s absence,” reads the synopsis.
Spanning nine episodes, the sophomore outing is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, Julia Lewald, Eric Lewald, Larry Houston, and Beau DeMayo, with episodes written by JB Ballard, DeMayo, Bailey Moore, Antony Sellitti, Brian Ford Sullivan, and Mariah Wilson. It premieres on 1 July, and a fourth season is in the works (via Entertainment Weekly).
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
