X-MEN '97 Star is "Amazed Disney Greenlit" Season 2 Because It’s "Very, Very Dark" and "a Lot of People Die"
Fans are still reeling from the shocking finale of X-Men ’97 Season 1, and it sounds like Season 2 is going to push things even further into dark territory.
Ross Marquand, who voices Professor X in the hit animated series, recently teased that the upcoming episodes are far more brutal than fans might expect.
Speaking to Collider, Marquand revealed:
"I'm 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."
That’s a pretty intense tease considering how Season 1 already left audiences stunned with the devastating Genosha massacre, which claimed the lives of major characters like Magneto, Dazzler, and Gambit.
Of course, with the mutant power of Leech in play, there’s still a chance Magneto may have survived, but it’s clear the show isn’t shying away from high stakes.
Season 2 of X-Men ’97 is currently set to premiere in 2026, with Marvel Studios already confirming that season 3 is in development. Earlier this year, Marvel’s head of streaming, television, and animation, Brad Winderbaum, shared just how big things are getting for the mutants:
"Right now, we are still working on X-Men '97 season 2. It's coming together amazingly, and the scripts for season 3 are insane. That is certainly scratching the X-Men itch for me on television. And there is an X-Men feature in development right now, so that is the focus of X-Men currently."
While fans wait for the animated series to return, the X-Men are also making their way into the MCU in a big way. Avengers: Doomsday is set to bring back some familiar faces from the Fox era, including James Marsden as Cyclops, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, and Ian McKellan as Magneto.
If Season 1 of X-Men ’97 was any indication, the creative team isn’t holding back. Our review of the first season gave it 4.5 stars, praising it as "a seamlessly connected revival season that serves as a near-perfect reintroduction to one of Marvel’s best superhero teams. If the theme song doesn't make you cry, the character arcs will."
With Marquand warning that things are only getting darker and deadlier, fans better brace themselves. Season 2 sounds like it’s going to test both the heroes and the audience in some heartbreaking ways.