Marvel Studios' next Disney+ series trailer confirmed that it remains non-canon to the MCU and will forge its own path once again. For the most part, the MCU's Disney+ series have taken place on Earth-616, either featuring established characters or ones with potential to crossover into the wider world. That said, there have been exemptions to that rule, namely through Marvel Animation series that have explored other corners of the Multiverse, unburdened by MCU canon.
Marvel Studios and Disney+ recently released the debut trailer for Marvel Animation's X-Men '97 Season 2, confirming that it will be the red brand's next streaming show when it lands on Wednesday, July 1, and that it will once again be set outside MCU canon.
Despite the Season 1 finale's shenanigans that scattered the X-Men across time, it seems they have very much remained on their own Earth. As such, even though X-Men '97 is returning during Phase 6 and on the road to Avengers: Doomsday, fans shouldn't expect any Incursions or Multiversal crossovers here.
Of course, X-Men '97 isn't part of MCU canon, but it feels more relevant than ever this year as Marvel Studios escalates its mutant focus. Beyond the standalone animated series, Spider-Man: Brand New Day may introduce Jean Grey, Avengers: Doomsday is bringing back the Fox X-Men, and work is heating up behind the scenes on a brand-new reboot, directed by Jake Schreier.
The Canon & Non-Canon of Marvel's Upcoming Disney+ TV Slate Explained
Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends Season 5
Spidey and His Amazing Friends Season 5 is right around the corner from its July 13 premiere on Disney Jr. and one day later on Disney+. As usual, the preschool series is completely disconnected from Marvel Studios' MCU canon, not branching off the established continuity or portraying its heroes too similarly to other projects.
Season 5 is, as usual, adding more major Marvel characters into this fun and friendly Marvel world, namely, a youthful version of Mr. Fantastic, and Guardians of the Galaxy icons, Rocket Raccoon and Groot.
As Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards will have a major role in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, in which versions of Spider-Man will also feature, this may not be the last that the web-slinger collides with the Fantastic Four in the near future.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2
There was a time when Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was being developed as a true part of the MCU and a prequel to Marvel Studios' Captain America: Civil War that would have charted the origin and early days of Tom Holland's Peter Parker.
However, plans changed, and last year's Season 1 shifted focus to an alternate universe that is similar, but not the same as the MCU. For instance, Captain America: Civil War's airport battle played out on TV, but without Spider-Man.
If Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man stays that course, future seasons could put a spin on Thanos and the Blip. In Season 2, fans can look forward to more of Charlie Cox's Daredevil and spending time with Variants of villains who will feature in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, like Scorpion and Tombstone.
VisionQuest
While most of Marvel Studios' upcoming Disney+ content sits in the realm of non-canon or, at least, unessential viewing, VisionQuest has all the pieces in place to be a crucial part of the MCU tale going into Doomsday and Secret Wars.
Not only is VisionQuest directly following up on two previous Disney+ shows - WandaVision and Agatha All Along - it is continuing the saga of a longtime MCU superhero, Paul Bettany's Vision. While the synthezoid Avenger isn't part of Doomsday or Secret Wars' cast yet, his children may have a crucial part to play.
The Young Avengers will reportedly be pivotal in the Multiverse Saga's conclusion, and Joe Locke's Wiccan and Ruaridh Mollica's Speed are likely to join that roster. With Mollica confirmed and Locke reported to appear in VisionQuest, the series may loosely tee up Marvel Studios' next Avengers movies (or at least Secret Wars) when it lands on October 14.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 3
While the original Defenders Saga era on Netflix was shadowed in doubt as to the canonicity of its six shows, Daredevil: Born Again has since made it clear that the entire New York-based street-level mythos is and always was part of the MCU.
That said, the Disney+ reboot hasn't thus far been much more connected to the broader MCU than the Netflix shows. Showrunner Dario Scardapane explained that Born Again exists in its own "pocket" of the MCU, although its heroes and villains are free to take "little vacations" elsewhere into other projects.
March 2027's Born Again Season 3 will face major timeline obstacles, as it falls between Marvel Studios' next Avengers movies. However, it will likely ignore Doomsday's Multiversal chaos to prioritize its own goings-on, although a nod or two to Spider-Man: Brand New Day or The Punisher: One Last Kill may be on the table.
Marvel Zombies Season 2
While Marvel Zombies' events began in a world not too different from Earth-616, the undead apocalypse left a vastly different reality that has already killed off many fan favorites. The upcoming Season 2 is bound to further explore its select survivors while adding Variants of more fan-favorite MCU characters
Interestingly, Marvel Zombies' first season ended with a connection to the WandaVision trilogy, as Elizabeth Olsen's Queen of the Dead trapped the apocalypse's survivors in a brand-new Hex. Many have theorized that those same talents will soon be part of Doctor Doom's plan to create Battleworld in Doomsday.
After Season 1, Marvel Zombies has also positioned young heroes like Kamala Khan as the savior of that world, a theme that, as discussed before, may extend into the core MCU canon with Secret Wars. So, while the undead epic is charting its own course, it seems to have thematic similarities to what's to come.
Wonder Man Season 2
Much like Daredevil: Born Again, Wonder Man Season 2 is still firmly part of the MCU's Sacred Timeline, albeit a rather disconnected one. The Wonder Man team has promised that Season 2 won't become a "completely different show," and the focus remains on the friendship between these two actors.
That makes it clear that fans shouldn't expect Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Simon Williams to suddenly transform into his big-screen counterpart, Wonder Man, and become a superhero worthy of joining the Avengers in the next two years.
There is room for Wonder Man to link slightly closer into the MCU, such as bringing in Tramell Tillman's William Metzger from Marvel Studios' Spider-Man: Brand New Day to join the Damage Control front. If the rumors are correct and Damage Control is hunting mutants, perhaps Williams himself may be revealed to have the X-gene.
