Posted in: Disney+, TV | Tagged: X-Men '97

X-Men '97 Season 2 "Very Much a Worthy Successor" to S01: Winderbaum

Marvel Studios' Brad Winderbaum discussed behind-the-scenes changes with Disney+'s X-Men '97 Season 2, Apocalypse's importance, and more.

With Marvel Television and Marvel Animation set to drop some intel on what's coming up for the remainder of this year and through 2026, Marvel Studios' Brad Winderbaum is sharing some updates on a number of projects – including the second season of Disney+'s X-Men '97. In terms of how things are looking creatively behind the scenes after the departure of original Showrunner Beau DeMayo, Winderbaum assured fans that things are still pretty consistent with the first season.

"Well, first and foremost, it's actually the entire creative team. Same director, same producers, same cast, many of the same writers, and it's standing on the shoulders of giants," Winderbaum shared with EW. "One thing that makes 'X-Men '97' work so well is that everybody's rowing in exactly the same direction. Everyone that works on the show knows that original series inside and out. And we work very closely with Eric and Julia Lewald and Larry Houston [X-Men: The Animated Series creators]. They're here all the time reviewing material and talking to the artists. The second season feels very much a worthy successor to the first season."

As for what viewers can expect regarding the on-screen action, Winderbaum added that the tease of Gambit as the Angel of Death "certainly matters" and that "Apocalypse is a big part of season 2." Regarding Ross Marquand's previous comments that the season was "very, very dark" and that "a lot of people die," the Marvel Studios executive added, "I saw something about that. I would say that it is the same stakes as season 1. I wouldn't characterize it as a lot of characters die! It's not 'Marvel Zombies,' but like many great anime shows, like 'X-Men '97' season 1, mortality's on the table, and some of these characters want to do what's right at any cost."

X-Men '97 S02: Marvel Studios' Brad Winderbaum's Previous Updates

During Disney's D23 Fan Expo, Marvel Studios' Brad Winderbaum was joined by series stars Cal Dodd and Lenore Zann – and right from the start, we learned that the team would have the outfits that their comic book counterparts were famous for during Grant Morrison's run with New X-Men (designed by artist Frank Quitely). While a sneak preview was screened, it still hasn't been released. Zann shared that Rogue will be on a "hero journey" during the second season: "She's on a mission, and she's not going to stop until she gets what she wants." Dodd added that he was so happy that they are bringing back Bishop – teasing that all Hell breaks loose and he has no idea what's happening with him during the season. Along with Bishop, we also learned that Polaris, Danger (not Warlock, as originally reported), and Apocalypse will appear. But that's far from all…

During a screening of the first season of the animated series, Collider was on hand for a Q&A that included Winderbaum, supervising producer Jake Casterona, and director Emi/Emmett Yonemura. When it came to the topic of what they could share about Season 2, Winderbaum dropped a ten-ton tease, giving fans the heads-up that they should start brushing up on their "X" teams – because two of them will be making an appearance. "There's many teams in Marvel that have the letter 'X' that are followed by a hyphen. I would put it to you like this… there's two other X-teams in Season 2." We have a feeling that one of them could be a real "force" of nature and that the other one could be a major "factor" in what happens during the second season.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!