First look at Apocalypse in X-Men’97 Season 2 revealed

X-Men’97 is a Disney+ animated series that follows the events of X-Men: The Animated Series (1992-1997). It follows the X-Men, a group of mutants with unique abilities, as they face new threats following the death of Professor X. Magneto now leads the squad, which must safeguard both mutants and humanity.

The program maintains the same style and tone of the original while updating the animation. Many original voice performers returned, as did new cast members. The first season began in March 2024 and was well-received by critics. Season 2 is scheduled for release in mid-2026, with a third in the works.

The studio has also officially introduced the first glimpse of Apocalypse in X-Men '97 Season 2 giving the possibility of the revival of one of the most powerful and feared mutants in the X-Men universe. It features a threatening and incredibly detailed remodeling of the traditional bad guy - with his legendary armor, passionate eyes, and domineering blue face.

More about Apocalypse in X-Men’97 Season 2

The new image of Apocalypse provides the fans with some insight into the future of X-Men’97 Season 2, and it is all that longtime fans might want. His design combines the traditional 90s comic style with a new aspect of animation: tall armor, old inscriptions, and a kind of dark energy aura, which indicates the divine strength in him. The appearance is an ideal embodiment of the eternal danger of En Sabah Nur, the prototype of mutants whose goal is to eliminate the weak ones on Earth.

The ending of X-Men’97 Season 1 left a jaws-dropping impression because Magneto was left in critical condition and X-Men were sent back in time, some into the past, and some into the future. It is anticipated that Apocalypse will have an introductory part that will be directly related to this broken chronology, and will place him as a manipulator and opportunist in the middle of the anarchy.

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Showrunner Beau DeMayo (until he left the project) had alluded that Season 2 would give in to more philosophical tensions, notably the issue of mutant fate versus free will, which would have been a thematic match with Apocalypse spirit of survival of the fittest. His arrival could result in the X-Men being not only engaged in the fight to defend the mutants, but the future of evolution as well.

The new season has been said to expand the visual range of Marvel Animation, with more color palettes and fight choreography akin to a movie. In case Season 1 made people nostalgic about the original X-Men: The Animated Series, Season 2 promises to combine that charge with narratives that are truly epic in their scale.

Cast of X-Men’97 Season 1

The X-Men’97 first season revived some of the most popular voice actors of the original X-Men series in the 1990s, including Cal Dodd as Wolverine, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, and Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm. Ray Chase brought out Cyclops and Jennifer Hale played Jean Gray to complete the list of returning superpower heroes.

Other cast members of X-Men’97 were AJ LoCascio, who played Gambit, Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler and Matthew Waterson as Magneto. The series was an ode to the emotional heart of the original animation but gave way to different voices to further the story.

As Apocalypse now comes to the table to give Season 2 a new twist, the X-Men will be challenged more than ever before and the fans can look forward to a more dark and complicated extension of the mutant saga that has been the hallmark of a generation.

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Edited by Sohini Biswas