It’s only aired for one season, but X-Men ’97 has already joined the ranks of Marvel Studios’ best projects in recent years. Featuring Madelyne Pryor’s reign as the Goblin Queen, Storm losing her powers, the destruction of Genosha, and the death of Gambit, this season revived and rebuilt the series to reinvigorate the X-Men and Marvel Universe as a whole.
Overall, the series blew away fans and newcomers alike, and audiences would very much like to see these seven things in season 2.
Madelyne Pryor returns
Madelyne Pryor has long been a tragic villain in the Marvel Universe. Having been revealed to be a clone of Jean Grey, Madelyne saw her world and sanity fall apart, and she eventually fell under the influence of Mister Sinister. Though Madelyne left for Genosha on good terms with the X-Men, she sadly perished in the Sentinel attack on the island.
However, like Jean, Madelyne has died and been resurrected before in the comics, so hopefully, audiences will see her come back from the dead as an ally to the X-Men. If she does come back, she should probably bring in her own team of heroes, similar to the Dark X-Men seen in 2023.
The New Mutants are born
The show’s reboot began with Sunspot being offered a home with the X-Men, and the young mutant has since taken residence with them and begun a romance with Jubilee.
However, given that he is a founding member of the New Mutants in the comics, perhaps the next season will show him branch off with a league of his own now that the X-Men have been scattered across time. Perhaps he can even take Jubilee with him. Let’s just hope it turns out better than their 2020 film.
Magik appears
Illyana Rasputin, aka Magik, was first seen in the X-Men: The Animated Series episode Red Dawn, which had her and her brother, Colossus, stay in Russia to rebuild their farm. Unfortunately, fans never saw her become the iconic superhero they know her as, with Morph only appearing as her in one of his shape-shifting cameos.
But considering she was a major part of the New Mutants and the Inferno storyline adapted for this reboot, audiences may finally see the mutant sorceress take up her Soulsword and eldritch armor in the next season. The show already teased her debut, with Morph appearing as her in the third episode.
Emma Frost joins the X-Men
This season saw the return of Emma Frost, who, after fighting the X-Men as part of the Hellfire Club, has become a leading figure of the island Genosha. However, many fans now know Emma as a vital member of the X-Men, whom she once led alongside Cyclops in the comics.
Frost already seems to be following the same path as her comic book counterpart, who, after surviving a Sentinel attack on Genosha with her new diamond form, took up a position at Professor X’s school as a teacher and member of the X-Men. With the absence of Jean Grey and Professor X from the present day, Emma should join the remaining X-Men as the team’s new psychic powerhouse.
Rachel Summers joins the X-Men
Cable isn’t the only future child Scott and Jean have. In the comics, Rachel Summers originated from a dystopian future ruled by Sentinels and sent Kitty Pryde’s mind back in time to change the past. She even became a host of the almighty Phoenix Force, making her one of the strongest mutants in history.
An older version of Rachel appeared as a slave in Cable’s timeline, and her “Mother Askani” persona greeted Scott and Jean when they landed in the far future. Perhaps the show will introduce the younger version of this gifted telepath next, and have her join her family as a new member of the X-Men.
A Spider-Man crossover
With the announcement of X-Men ’97, fans have hoped that Marvel Studios will also reboot the 1990s Spider-Man cartoon helmed by actor Christopher Daniel Barnes, as they’re both set in the same universe. Given that the latter show also ended earlier than expected, having the web-slinger appear with the X-Men could allow the writers to continue where the original show left off.
Rumors suggest that Marvel Studios is already considering expanding X-Men ’97’s animated universe with a reboot of Spidey’s classic cartoon. The webhead made a surprise cameo at the end of episode 8, so it looks like the House of Marvel is already gearing up to make this crossover happen.
Avengers vs. X-Men
Though Rogue had a brief clash with Captain America this season, it feels like this argument should lead to something bigger. Long before X-Men ’97 dropped on Disney+, multiple Avengers appeared in the universe it’s set in, creating an animated prototype of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The reboot has since seen Avengers like Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and Black Panther appear, leaving fans hoping for more than just brief cameos. Since Marvel Studios seems keen on expanding the world of the series, having the Avengers come to blows with the X-Men seems like the best next step after they witnessed the chaos Magneto left behind.
