X-MEN '97 Producer Says Fans Won’t Have to Wait Two Years for Season 3 After Season 2 Production Issues
If you're already counting down the days until the next chapter of X-Men '97, there's some reassuring news. After fans had to endure a wait of more than two years between the first and second seasons, it sounds like Marvel has figured out how to keep things moving.
Producer Larry Houston, who also directed the original X-Men animated series in the '90s, recently explained why the gap between Seasons 1 and 2 ended up being so long. The good news is that he doesn't expect history to repeat itself.
Speaking with The Direct, Houston said: "Luckily, the production problems won’t occur again. There was a huge gap of time between [season] one and two. They’ve learned their lessons. So with [seasons] three and four, that won’t happen again… That was a one-off."
When X-Men '97 premiered on Disney+ in March 2024, it instantly became one of Marvel Animation's biggest success stories. Critics and longtime fans embraced the revival, and it currently holds an incredible 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
With that kind of reception, Marvel quickly ordered more episodes. Unfortunately, Season 2 didn't arrive as fast as anyone expected. Instead, fans have had to wait until July 2026, which is a surprisingly long turnaround for an animated series.
Houston is confident the wait will pay off, though. He promised: "Trust me, as a fan, you will enjoy it."
Season 2 hasn't premiered on Disney+ just yet, but the story picks up immediately after the jaw-dropping Season 1 finale.
Cyclops, Jean Grey, Rogue, Beast, Nightcrawler, Charles Xavier, and Magneto find themselves scattered across different points in time.
As they struggle to reunite and make their way back to the '90s, the world they left behind continues to change. With the X-Men gone, dangerous enemies begin making their move while anti-mutant sentiment grows stronger.
Season 3 is currently in production, and Marvel has already given the green light to Season 4. That lines up with comments made earlier this year by Brad Winderbaum, Head of Marvel Television. He confirmed that both X-Men '97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man are expected to receive new seasons "every year moving forward."
If Marvel sticks to that schedule, fans shouldn't have to brace themselves for another lengthy hiatus between adventures.
After such an incredible first season and all the excitement surrounding what's coming next, that's welcome news. It looks like the production setbacks that slowed things down were a one-time issue, and if everything stays on track, X-Men '97 could become an annual event that Marvel fans can count on.
X-Men '97 Season 2 premieres on Disney+ on July 1.