X-Men '97 Season 2, Episode 6 featured a surprise MCU connection by including a major cameo that could have significant repercussions for Gambit's story. Marvel Studios' What If...? introduced The Watcher as a near-omnipotent being who observes and records all events across the Multiverse without ever interfering. Aside from What If...?, The Watcher has appeared in other Marvel projects to observe, most notably during the events of X-Men '97. His cameos in the animated series carry special weight, functioning as subtle markers of cosmic significance.
At the tail-end of X-Men '97 Season 2, Episode 6, The Watcher briefly returns in the background in Athens before the sequence of Apocalypse activating a machine containing Gambit's preserved body. This was the sequence where Gambit was resurrected after dying during the Genosha massacre that took place in Season 1, Episode 5, an event that killed off at least 8 major mutants.
Interestingly, The Watcher also appeared as a silent silhouette in that same episode in Season 1, the X-Men '97 installment, where Gambit died after his heroic sacrifice against one of the Sentinels.
The episode's massacre had just shattered the mutant dream, claimed countless lives, and forever altered the X-Men's path in this world. Uatu's appearance framed the tragedy as a true nexus event, something the cosmos itself needed to witness.
Speaking with Comicbook in May 2024, then Marvel Animation head Brad Winderbaum (who is now the Head of Streaming, Television and Animation at Marvel Studios) explained the Watcher's cameo in X-Men '97 Season 1, Episode 5, noting that he only "appears at moments of great magnitude throughout the Marvel universe:"
"As you know, The Watcher appears at moments of great magnitude throughout the Marvel Universe. As a comic fan, I love 'What If…?' But also, in the main continuity, The Watcher moments that really stand out for me are the ones where he just is there because you know the sh-t’s about to hit the fan. That was the intention there. You can feel the temperature of that episode. It’s crazy how visceral it is. And when The Watcher appears in the sky, for those people that notice it, it is supposed to feel like a bit of a harbinger of doom I would say."
The parallel between The Watcher's appearance in both Gambit's death and rebirth appears deliberate. By bracketing Remy's arc (sacrifice and resurrection) with these cameos, X-Men '97 elevates the story beyond personal tragedy, positioning Gambit's transformation as another Multiversal flashpoint.
Doing this appears to place Gambit at the center of a crucial change in the X-Men's story. He seems to be in transition, becoming a beloved hero twisted into a weapon for Apocalypse's twisted vision, one that could fracture the X-Men, escalate global conflict, and send ripples across connected realities.
X-Men '97 made it clear that Apocalypse's grand plan revolves around reshaping the world through his Four Horsemen, enforcing a brutal philosophy of survival of the fittest by culling the weak and elevating the strong. A resurrected Gambit, with his kinetic energy powers amplified and corrupted by dark energy, becomes an especially devastating weapon for the villain to utilize.
This setup does far more than deliver a shocking twist. It lays potent groundwork for deeply emotional confrontations, notably the looming heartbreaking clash with Rogue, as well as larger, world-altering conflicts that threaten to fracture the X-Men and the larger mutant populace from within.
In the eyes of The Watcher, these events (Gambit's death and resurrection) are not isolated mutant tragedies. They are pivotal moments where destinies realign, and the balance of the Marvel Multiverse itself may shift, which is exactly the kind of "great significance" the Watcher monitors from afar.
The next episode of X-Men '97 Season 2 will premiere next Wednesday, July 29, on Disney+ at midnight PT.
Why Gambit's Resurrection as Death Holds Greater Significance
In Marvel Comics, Apocalypse's modus operandi includes identifying powerful mutants and transforming them into his Horsemen to enact his vision of survival of the fittest.
Gambit becoming Death is a fitting (yet cruel) choice, stripping away much of Remy's charm and free will and replacing it with cold loyalty. This is not a simple comeback for the character; it's a full corruption of a fan-favorite X-Man whose sacrifice is weaponized against everything he once stood for and the people he died to protect.
Gambit's resurrection and transformation aren't just tragic; they also act as a catalyst for the worst things to come for the X-Men and the general mutant population.
The Watcher's mere presence confirms that this resurrection is a launchpad that could trigger catastrophic events that could mirror what happened to Genosha in X-Men '97 Season 1.
Whether Remy eventually breaks free or fully embraces his loyalty to Apocalypse, it serves as a beacon that the Marvel universe (or at least this specific universe) will not emerge from this looming conflict unchanged.
While it is still a long way from the incursions that Avengers: Doomsday are dealing with, it seems as if X-Men '97 is quietly building toward its own version of a Multiversal tipping point that future seasons could explore.
