Over a dozen superheroes featured in Fox's live-action X-Men franchise will be brought into X-Men '97 Season 2 when it is released on Disney+ in Summer 2026. X-Men '97 was a massive success for Marvel Animation, as the project received high viewership and reviews (from both critics and fans). Now, fans are gearing up for the release of the second installment, which will pick up where Season 1 left off.
Season 1 ended with the main group of heroes split up. However, they were not only geographically apart but also in different time periods. For instance, some characters, such as Magneto and Professor X, were transported to ancient Egypt, where they met a young Apocalypse. Others, like Cyclops, were transported into the future.
X-Men '97 Season 2 will bring back many heroes from the first installment. However, the show will also introduce new characters who did not appear in Season 1. Many fans will likely be familiar with most of those characters, as they have appeared in other Marvel projects before, whether on-screen or through the pages of a comic book.
All 15 Fox X-Men Appearing in X-Men '97 Season 2
Cyclops
Cyclops is one of the most popular members of the X-Men, and in X-Men '97, he was actually depicted as the leader of the team for some time after Professor X's departure. In Season 2, he will be featured in a plotline set in the future and will work alongside characters like Jean Grey.
Cyclops was also a major character throughout the Fox franchise. Most notably, he was portrayed by James Marsden in X-Men, X2, and X-Men: The Last Stand. However, he also made appearances in films like X-Men Origins: Wolverine and X-Men: Apocalypse. It was already confirmed that Marsden will be reprising his role in Avengers: Doomsday, which many fans are looking forward to.
Wolverine
An X-Men project would not be complete without Wolverine, as, thanks to Hugh Jackman's portrayal of the character, he has become the face of the X-Men since Jackman first played him in 2000. Wolverine took a bit of a backseat in comparison to other characters in X-Men '97. His involvement in Season 2 was confirmed by voice actor Cal Dodd and by his appearance in the Season 2 trailer that was revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2025.
For reference, Wolverine was stripped of his Adamantium near the end of Season 1 and was sidelined from the action. However, he is expected to become more feral and potentially more dangerous in Season 2.
Jackman's portrayal of Wolverine in the Fox franchise is consistently praised. Truly, it could be one of the most recognizable castings of all time, and the character is still appearing today (he most recently showed up in Deadpool & Wolverine).
In total, Jackman was featured prominently in more than half a dozen Fox projects as Wolverine, including X-Men, X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Wolverine, Logan, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. However, he also had cameos in movies like X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Apocalypse, and Deadpool 2.
Jean Grey
Jean Grey will return in X-Men '97 Season 2, as voice actor Jennifer Hale discussed potential directions for Jean's character. At the end of Season 1, Jean was sent into the distant future with Cyclops. There, the two found a teenage version of their son, Nathan Summers, and would have to figure out how to return to their regular timeline. It is also worth noting that Hale will also have to portray Madelyne Pryor, the clone of Jean Grey.
Jean Grey also appeared as a central character in many of the Fox movies. In the original X-Men trilogy and in Days of Future Past, she was portrayed by Famke Janssen. However, Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner picked up the mantle of Jean Grey for X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix.
Storm
Storm's fate was left up in the air at the end of X-Men '97 Season 1, but the trailer for Season 2 confirmed that she will be returning to the series.
In the Fox movies, Storm was most notably played by Halle Berry. Specifically, Berry portrayed the Mutant in four films before Alexandra Shipp took over the role in X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix.
Rogue
Anna Paquin's Rogue was one of the central characters in the original X-Men trilogy from Fox, released in the early to mid-2000s. She appeared in all three films of the trilogy, and her character arc played a significant role in getting Logan (also known as Wolverine) involved with Charles Xavier's school.
In X-Men '97 Season 1, Rogue had to endure the loss of Gambit. At the end of the installment, she was sent to ancient Egypt in the past, along with some of the other characters, so that is where her story will pick up when Season 2 premieres. Rogue's involvement was expected since the end of Season 1, but the Season 2 trailer confirmed that she would be coming back in Season 2.
Professor X
Speaking of the plot line taking place in ancient Egypt, Professor X will also be there when Season 2 finally comes out. For a good portion of Season 1, Professor X was thought to be dead. However, he is now back with the team, or at least part of them, and will go face-to-face with a younger version of Apocalypse. Like many other characters, Professor X was featured in the Comic-Con trailer for Season 2.
Professor X is probably on the same level as Wolverine when it comes to popularity in the Fox movies. Patrick Stewart played Professor X in multiple titles, including the original Fox trilogy, Days of Future Past, and Logan. However, he also portrayed the character in the MCU, as he appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Stewart was also confirmed as a cast member in Avengers: Doomsday, adding yet another appearance to his resume as Professor Charles Xavier.
However, it is also worth noting that James McAvoy briefly took on the role of Professor X when Fox rebooted the franchise with X-Men: First Class. In total, McAvoy made five appearances as the character.
Gambit
Gambit seemingly died in X-Men '97 Season 1, but he will be returning in Season 2. At the end of Season 1, Apocalypse was seemingly trying to find a way to revive the character, setting up his return. Most likely, he will come back as one of Apocalypse's Horsemen of Death.
Gambit only appeared in one Fox movie over the years, and that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine. After showing up in that film, a solo Gambit film was planned with Channing Tatum set to portray the titular character, but it never actually got off the ground. However, Tatum was finally brought in to bring the character to life in Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine. Gambit will be featured once again in Avengers: Doomsday, with Tatum reprising his role.
Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler was not featured throughout Season 1 of X-Men '97, but he did make his way into the show around halfway through the installment. When it came to a close, he was stuck in 3,000 B.C. with characters like Rogue, Professor X, and Magneto, so that is where fans will find him at the start of Season 2. Nightcrawler was featured in the Season 2 trailer, and he is expected to be a full-fledged member of the X-Men moving forward.
In the Fox movies, Nightcrawler only made one appearance, and that was in X2. The character was played by Alan Cumming, and although he only appeared in the one film, he made a huge impact. Notably, Cumming will reprise his role as Nightcrawler in Avengers: Doomsday.
Bishop
Bishop has abilities linked to time travel, so, since a lot of the X-Men are stuck in different points throughout history, his expertise will definitely come in handy in X-Men '97 Season 2. Specifically, the character was featured in the Comic-Con trailer, stating that they needed to bring the X-Men back to the '90s. This implies that he will be the one to lead the rescue mission to reunite everyone.
Bishop has been a significant character in X-Men '97, and he will likely become even more pivotal when Season 2 is released. The character did appear in the Fox franchise, played by Omar Sy, specifically in Days of Future Past. However, that was the only title that featured the character.
Beast
Beast was another character who got stuck in ancient Egypt in X-Men '97 Season 1, and the Season 2 trailer confirmed that is where he will be when the new installment kicks off.
Despite being a major character, Beast never actually appeared in many Fox X-Men entries. In fact, the character had a cameo in X2 but was not properly featured until Kelsey Grammer played him in X-Men: The Last Stand. Superman star Nicholas Hoult brought a younger version of the character to life in X-Men: First Class.
Grammer came back to portray Beast in Marvel Studios' The Marvels. He was also confirmed to have a role in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.
Colossus
Colossus was confirmed to be in X-Men '97 Season 2 through the official trailer shown at Comic-Con. The footage did not reveal his role, but he will likely be working alongside Bishop to bring the X-Men back to the present day and reunite them.
Colossus has made multiple appearances in the Fox franchise. Most notably, he appeared in the original trilogy of X-Men films, where Daniel Cudmore played him. However, he was also featured in the Deadpool movies and, most recently, was featured in the MCU's Deadpool & Wolverine.
Psylocke
The X-Men '97 Season 2 trailer also confirmed that Psylocke would be brought into the mix in the upcoming installment, marking the first time she will appear in the show's continuity since the 1990s original animated series.
Psylocke is a fairly well-known character among X-Men fans, but she has not been utilized on-screen often. In fact, her only live-action appearance came in X-Men: The Last Stand from Olivia Munn, where she was a member of the Omegas. She didn't have much screentime, and her character was not fleshed out. However, the MCU will soon fully dive into Mutants and the X-Men, so she may receive a proper adaptation.
Archangel
Like Psylocke, Archangel appeared near the end of the X-Men '97 Season 2 trailer, confirming that he will be joining the ranks of the upcoming season. Previously known as Angel, Archangel (formally known as Warren Worthington III) was made a Horseman of Death by Apocalypse, who also transformed his wings into metal.
In the Fox universe, the character was featured in X-Men: The Last Stand (Ben Foster) and X-Men: Apocalypse (Ben Hardy).
Multiple Man
His allegiance has not been confirmed, but Multiple Man was also featured in the trailer for the upcoming X-Men '97 season. The character appeared in one episode of the original animated series.
In the Fox franchise, Multiple Man (played by Eric Dane) was featured in X-Men: The Last Stand. When he was introduced, it was stated that he robbed seven banks simultaneously, which gives fans a fairly good idea of how his powers work.
Havok
Havok is the brother of Cyclops. He appeared in two episodes of the original animated series. Being a part of X-Force, Havok will likely work alongside Bishop to try to bring the X-Men back to their normal timeline.
Havok, portrayed by Lucas Till, was showcased rather prominently in the rebooted Fox movies. He had roles in X-Men: First Class, Days of Future Past, and X-Men: Apocalypse.
BONUS: Kid Omega
Kid Omega was another character featured in the upcoming season's trailer. Notably, it will be the first time he has ever been featured in a Marvel Animation show, as he did not appear in the original series.
Technically, the character did show up briefly in Dark Phoenix. He could be seen running down the halls of the X-Mansion.
BONUS: Wolfsbane
Wolfsbane is another character known for her ties to X-Factor. She briefly showed up in the trailer for X-Men '97 Season 2, but her appearance confirmed that she will have some sort of role to play in the show.
Maisie Williams portrayed Wolfsbane in the 2020 Fox film titled The New Mutants. The movie did not perform well at the box office due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it also did not receive good reviews from critics or fans.
