30 Years Later, ’X-Men ‘97’ Is Finally Getting the Chance to Do What the Original Series Couldn’t [Exclusive]

Marvel has released so many projects in the last few years that many have been lost in the shuffle. Many fans tuned in for shows like Moon Knight or movies such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but they haven’t had as much effect on the overarching story of the MCU as some projects. One show that doesn’t have a definitive spot on the MCU timeline is X-Men ‘97, but that didn’t stop it from becoming the highest-rated Marvel project of all time.

X-Men ‘97 premiered its first season back in early 2024, but it was confirmed long before then that the show would receive a second season. Marvel has revealed that X-Men ‘97 Season 2 will begin streaming this summer, and voice recordings for the third season began last year. Not much is known about X-Men ‘97 Season 2 at this time, but stars and creatives involved with the making of the show have promised that it will be worth the wait.

Collider’s Maggie Lovitt recently moderated a panel over the weekend for X-Men ‘97 star Lenore Zann at Big Lick Comic-Con in Roanoke, VA, where Zann brought friend and producer Larry Houston with her to the show. Lovitt asked the duo if there were things they wanted to explore that didn’t make it into the original series, and after Houston elaborated on potential subjects like Cyclops’ relationship with his father and his brother, Havoc, Zann took the mic and spoke about how writers Eric Lewald and Julianne Klemm were unhappy with the original series ending after five seasons:

“Eric and Julia, the writers, always like to say when they’re on panels that they were disappointed when the show ended after five seasons. Because it ends with a graduation, where Professor X is going off to another planet where they have technology that can hopefully save his life, but we never know what happens to the X-Men after that. And they were always like, ‘We had so many more ideas we wanted to do!’ but then it was the end of the season. So when we got the word that we were coming back, they were like ‘Great! Now we finally get a chance to do some of the stuff that we couldn’t do 25 years ago.' So that’s why you get to see a lot of really good stuff now, and you’ll continue to see some really good stuff in Season 2, and in Season 3. I love it. I love where it’s going.”

Houston followed behind her, “Let’s keep our fingers crossed that it will be out this summer, and if it does, some of the stuff you’ll see will blow you away.” Zann and Houston are certified professionals who know just how to give away the right information without spoiling anything.

One ‘X-Men ’97’ Star Can’t Believe Season 2 Was Greenlit

This isn’t the first time that Collider has delivered fans exclusive updates on the upcoming season of X-Men ‘97. Last year in September, X-Men ‘97 star Ross Marquand said he was “amazed” Disney even greenlit Season 2 because of how dark it is. He even promised that “a lot of people die,” so fans need to go into next season ready to say goodbye to some beloved characters.

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of X-Men ‘97 Seasons 2 and 3, and watch the first season on Disney+. And don't miss more updates from Big Lick Comic-Con.