X-MEN ’97 Season 2 Trailer Unleashes Apocalypse as He Declares War on the Mutants
Marvel Animation just dropped the first trailer for X-Men ’97 Season 2, and it looks like the mutant chaos is about to crank up to another level.
The footage is loaded with massive action, deep-cut comic book surprises, fresh costumes, and the return of some very dangerous enemies. We also finally know when the Emmy-nominated animated series is heading back to Disney+.
The new season premieres on July 1, and after the incredible reception to the first season, expectations are sky-high. The series became a huge success for Marvel Studios when it debuted in 2024, earning rave reviews and currently sitting at 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. Disney has also touted it as “the most-watched Disney+ Original animated series (based on hours streamed globally).”
The trailer wastes none of its runtime showing how bad things are about to get for the X-Men. Apocalypse appears to be the central threat this season, striking while the team is fractured and vulnerable after the fallout of Season 1. The footage teases an all-out war that spans timelines, massive battles, and some very cool comic-inspired visuals.
But Apocalypse isn’t the only problem the mutants are dealing with. The trailer also reveals the return of the Brood, and comic fans will instantly recognize another major addition to the series with the arrival of Danger, the sentient embodiment of the Danger Room.
The character originally debuted in Joss Whedon and John Cassaday’s Astonishing X-Men run, and seeing her finally brought into the animated universe is a pretty awesome surprise.
Then there are the cameos. There are appearances from X-Factor, Colossus, Rama-Tut, and even Deadpool. Well… technically a transformed Morph version of Deadpool, but it still counts, and it looks gloriously ridiculous in the best possible way.
One of the biggest reveals in the trailer is the updated costumes worn by the team. The X-Men are suited up in designs pulled directly from Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s legendary New X-Men era from the early 2000s.
That raises questions about where the story is heading and whether the series may start pushing beyond its original 1997 setting.
The official synopsis teases: “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.”
Season 2 will consist of nine episodes and features an excellent returning voice cast including Ross Marquand as Professor X, Matthew Waterson as Magneto, Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, Lenore Zann as Rogue, and George Buza as Beast.
The series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, Julia Lewald, Eric Lewald, Larry Houston, and Beau DeMayo. Jake Castorena serves as supervising producer.
Episodes are written by JB Ballard, Beau DeMayo, Bailey Moore, Antony Sellitti, Brian Ford Sullivan, and Mariah Wilson, with Emmett Yonemura and Chase Conley directing.
After seeing this trailer, it definitely feels like Marvel Animation knows exactly why fans connected so hard with the first season. It has the heart of the classic animated series, the wild energy of the comics, and the kind of mutant insanity longtime X-Men fans have wanted to see on screen for years.
Enjoy the trailer!