Marvel Confirms X-Men ’97’s Future—Before Season 2 Even Premieres

Good news for anyone still humming the theme in the shower: X-Men '97 is back on Disney+ this summer, and the new trailer locked in the date. Even better, the folks behind the show just spilled some very specific plans about how quickly the next waves are coming, plus what season 2 is actually doing with that time-tossed finale.

Release plan: finally not a multiyear wait

Executive producer Larry Houston told Entertainment Weekly that the long gap between season 1 (which debuted in 2024) and season 2 is not the new normal. Far from it. He even dropped a timeline for seasons 3 and 4 development that is, frankly, pretty deep in the production weeds.

"They want everyone to know it's only gonna be a year now between seasons, not two-and-a-quarter years. It's gonna be a year until the next one and a year until the next one [after that]. They are on schedule now. One of the reasons they're on schedule is we've gone over, given notes on, and responded to not only all the scripts for season 3, all the animatics for season 3, we are in season 4 giving script notes. So that's how deep they are into the development."

Translation: season 2 hits July 1 on Disney+, season 3 is written and into animatics, season 4 is far enough along for script notes, and future seasons are aiming for yearly drops instead of multi-year droughts. Also, yes, he said season 4 is happening.

Season 2: where (and when) the team landed

If you forgot the end of season 1: Bastion went down, the team went through hell, and the aftermath scattered the X-Men through time. Cyclops and Jean Grey were flung into the future, while a bunch of their teammates were sent backward into the past. The fresh trailer shows off a mix of returning faces and some new additions as everyone tries to claw their way back to the same century.

Apocalypse steps into the spotlight

Apocalypse is the big swing this season, and the show is tackling him across eras. The series is framing his origin in Ancient Egypt as a path shaped by circumstance rather than moustache-twirling destiny. In the present, he is still the survival- of-the-fittest zealot culling the weak. And in one possible future, you see what happens if his worldview actually takes root. It is a character study and a disaster scenario rolled into one very large blue problem.

One notable casting update: the original Apocalypse voice actor, John Colicos, passed away years ago. In X-Men '97, Professor X's voice actor Ross Marquand is also voicing Apocalypse this season. Double duty.

The quick hits

• Season 2 premiere date: July 1 on Disney+.
• The wait between seasons shrinks to about one year going forward (instead of roughly two-plus years between seasons 1 and 2).
• Season 3: scripts done and animatics completed; Season 4: in script-notes stage; Season 4 is confirmed.
• Season 2 focus: more time with Cyclops, Wolverine, and Jean Grey while the team navigates a split across past and future.
• Villain watch: Apocalypse takes a major role across Ancient Egypt, present day, and a potential future where his philosophy wins.
• Voice casting: Ross Marquand (Professor X) is also voicing Apocalypse; the late John Colicos voiced the character in the original series.
• Status check after the finale: Bastion is defeated, the team is shaken, and Gambit did not make it out alive.

Big picture: the show is leaning hard into time travel chaos and an Apocalypse deep dive, and the new production cadence means we will not be waiting forever to see how it all pays off. I will never complain about more Cyclops, Wolverine, and Jean drama on a yearly clock.