The hit Marvel animated series X-Men ’97 is coming back for a second season, and the new trailer shows the mutant team broken across different time periods with Apocalypse as the main threat. The show returns to Disney+ on July 1, 2026, with a nine-episode season that picks up right after the shocking ending of season one.
The trailer opens with Rogue still hurting over Gambit’s death from the season one finale. She stands with Professor X, Magneto, Beast, and Nightcrawler in ancient Egypt around 3,000 B.C. — the time when Apocalypse first rose to power. Meanwhile, Cyclops and Jean Grey are thrown far into the future to the year 3960 A.D., where Apocalypse rules everything.
“The X-Men are scattered through time. In the past, from the start of Apocalypse’s reign, to the future at the height of his rule,” says the narrator in the trailer.
The X-Men Are Lost in Time and Bishop Must Save Them
After the season one finale, the team got split up when a big energy blast hit them. Bishop and Forge are still in the 1990s timeline, and they are the only ones who can bring everyone back home. The trailer shows that Apocalypse plans to attack the X-Men when they are weakest — in the 1990s, with most of their strongest fighters gone.
Storm, Wolverine, and Morph are not shown in any specific time period yet. The trailer gives small looks at where they might be, including a version of Storm that seems to have Phoenix Force powers. Morph is also seen turning into Deadpool during a fight scene.
The trailer also shows Wolverine back with his adamantium claws. Fans will remember that Magneto ripped the metal out of his body in the season one finale. The new footage confirms that Logan survives and gets his claws back, though the show has not explained how yet.
Apocalypse Gets His Own Origin Story Across Three Time Periods
Ross Marquand returns as the voice of Apocalypse, and this season will show the villain at three different points in his life. In ancient Egypt, viewers will see a younger Apocalypse who is still figuring out who he is. The present-day version is the classic villain who wants to destroy weak people so only the strong survive. And in the future, Apocalypse has already won and turned the world into a nightmare for mutants.
Larry Houston, an executive producer on the show, explained why the team decided to show different versions of the character.
“Ancient Egypt Apocalypse gives us this massively powerful mutant backstory. No one is born evil, but we see how circumstances led him to become the villainous Apocalypse.” – Larry Houston, Executive Producer
Eric Lewald, another executive producer, added that this version of Apocalypse is like seeing him “in middle school” before he became a monster. The goal is to show how a powerful mutant turned into one of the X-Men’s greatest enemies.
Gambit’s Death Still Haunts Rogue and the Team
The season two trailer makes it clear that Gambit’s death in the season one finale is not something the show is forgetting. Rogue is shown still grieving, and her pain affects how she fights and works with the rest of the team. The season one post-credits scene showed Apocalypse standing over the spot where Gambit died, holding one of his playing cards.
The producers teased that fans should pay close attention to Gambit’s storyline because there are clues hidden throughout the new episodes.
“If you were a betting man, I would say, follow the breadcrumbs.” – Eric Lewald, Executive Producer
In the comics, Gambit has a complicated history with Apocalypse — including becoming one of his Four Horsemen as Death. The show has not confirmed if that will happen, but the producers are clearly hinting at something big.
New Mutant Teams Join the Fight Including X-Force and X-Factor
Season two is bringing in a lot of new characters from the comics. X-Force will show up with Cable, Archangel (who used to be Angel before Apocalypse changed him), Psylocke, Sunspot, and Jubilee. X-Factor is also joining with Havok, Polaris, Strong Guy, Wolfsbane, and Multiple Man.
Polaris, who is Magneto’s daughter and has the same powers as her father, will have a major role this season. Larry Houston said she is just as strong as Magneto and her story will affect both the X-Men and X-Force teams.
Other characters appearing include Colossus, members of the Acolytes, Exodus, and Danger — the robot version of the X-Men’s Danger Room training facility.
Beau DeMayo’s Writing Credits Remain Despite His Departure
Beau DeMayo, who developed and wrote the first season, was fired by Marvel before season one even came out. He later claimed that Marvel removed his season two writing credits after he shared Pride-themed fan art online. Marvel said his firing came after an internal investigation found what the studio called “egregious” violations.
Despite the drama, DeMayo is still listed as an executive producer and writer on season two materials. After the trailer came out, he posted support for the team working on the show.
“Just saw the Season 2 trailer for #xmen97! Major congrats to Brad and the whole team. Send the team good vibes because these next final months to lock are always the craziest!” – Beau DeMayo, Former Head Writer
Matthew Chauncey took over as head writer for season two moving forward. Other writers include JB Ballard, Bailey Moore, Antony Sellitti, Brian Ford Sullivan, and Mariah Wilson.
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Season 2 Will Premiere at Tribeca Festival Before Disney+ Launch
Before the show drops on Disney+, X-Men ’97 Season 2 will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 13, 2026. The festival is listing the presentation as a 60-minute TV event.
The show has already been renewed for a third season, which was announced in October 2025. That means Marvel is confident in the series continuing for at least one more batch of episodes after season two finishes.
X-Men ’97 Season 1 currently holds a 99% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for an Emmy. The show became one of Disney+’s most-watched original animated titles after it first came out.
The main voice cast returning for season two includes Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Lenore Zann as Rogue, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, George Buza as Beast, Ross Marquand as Professor X, and Matthew Waterson as Magneto.
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