X-Men '97 Star Can't Believe Disney Greenlit Season 2 — It's Very Dark and a Lot of People Die
Beloved icons are gone, but their impact roars on—inside the lives, losses, and legacies reshaping culture.
Brace yourself: X-Men '97 is apparently about to go full grimdark. And yes, that has me worried about a few favorites.
Professor X himself says season 2 gets brutal
Ross Marquand, who voices Professor X on the show, told Collider that the next batch of episodes is not messing around. His words, not mine:
"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."
Given how season 1 handled Genosha, this tracks. That arc took out multiple heavy hitters — Magneto, Dazzler, and Gambit — in a shockingly ruthless way for a nostalgia-fueled revival. And while there’s a sliver of hope that Magneto might have slipped the noose thanks to Leech, the fact that we even have to say "thanks to Leech" tells you how wild this show is willing to get. Also, for the record: hearing an actor say he’s amazed Disney signed off on it is some pretty great inside baseball.
What’s locked in for seasons 2 and 3
Season 2 is set for 2026, and season 3 is already a go. Marvel’s head of streaming, television, and animation, Brad Winderbaum, said earlier this year that the team is still actively working on season 2 and that it’s coming together really well. He also hyped the season 3 scripts as legitimately wild. On top of the animated side, he noted there’s an X-Men feature film in development at Marvel Studios right now — and that’s where the franchise focus is aimed on the live-action front.
Meanwhile, the Fox-era mutants are popping back up
We still don’t know much about Marvel’s MCU X-Men movie, but you won’t have to wait that long to see some familiar faces. Next year’s Avengers: Doomsday will bring back a few alumni from the Fox era: Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, and Ian McKellen as Magneto. Not exactly subtle.
Our take on season 1
We gave the first season 4.5 stars for being a sharp, seamless revival that reintroduces the team with real momentum. If the theme music doesn’t hit you in the feelings, the character arcs probably will.
Season 2 lands in 2026. While you wait, keep an eye on our guide to every upcoming Marvel movie and show — there’s a lot headed our way.