D23 Expo | Marvel Animation Drops Our First Look At Its Next Projects
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Phil Roberts 
At Disney’s D23 Expo, Marvel Animation unveiled the first look at the hotly anticipated second season of X-Men ’97.
So much cool stuff has happened at Disney’s D23 Expo in the last day. We saw new trailers for Agatha All Along, Skeleton Crew, Moana 2, and Mufasa: The Lion King. And today, Marvel Animation revealed a sneak peek at its following projects on the D23 stage. Leading the charge is the new season of X-Men ’97.
After an impressive first season, everyone’s itching to see the X-Men gang in action again. That season finale cliffhanger left us hanging, and we can’t wait to find out what Apocalypse has in store for our mutant heroes. Thankfully, the team at Marvel Animation has us covered, and today, the team at Marvel Animation opened up about what we can expect from the next batch of episodes.
X-MEN ’97 SEASON 2
X-Men ’97 Season 2 is coming with new mutants like Polaris, Warlock, Lady Deathstrike, Sabertooth, and Apocalypse. Additionally, our merry band of mutants will wear Grant Morrison’s iconic suits throughout the new season, which only adds to the excitement. This announcement coincides with Fortnite gearing up to introduce more X-Men to the battle royale game and a new Marvel x Fortnite ABSOLUTE DOOM Battle Pass.
YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN
Next, the team gave us a sneak peek at the new Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man series. It looks more cartoonish than expected, like the old Spider-Man comics from the 1970s. They’ve got a symbiote, a version of Nico Minoru from The Runaways, Doctor Strange, and multiple versions of Spider-Man. Coleman Domingo is confirmed to voice Norman Osborne and Hudson Thames returns as Peter Parker. You might recognize Thames from voicing Parker in What If…? In the series, the duo will enjoy a similar relationship to Parker and Tony Stark in the MCU.
WHAT IF…? SEASON 3
The quickfire showcase then turned to What If…? Season 3, and in a shock announcement, the team confirmed that the third season would be its last. Marvel teased some cool stuff for the final season, like an adventure with Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight in a battle-ready bot, Captain America shouting “Avengers Assemble,” and appearances from Ironheart and Shang-Chi alongside Monica Rambeau.
EYES OF WAKANDA
Black Panther director Ryan Coogler hopped on stage to spill some details about the EYES OF WAKANDA animated series. The series will dive deep into Wakandan history and be a total visual spectacle. The director mentioned that the show “does a beautiful job of representing the history of those who had to keep Wakanda a secret over the centuries.” And guess what? Iron Fist will make an appearance in the show.
MARVEL ZOMBIES
Finally, Marvel teased its upcoming Marvel Zombies animated series. The four-episode event will show Shang-Chi battling hordes of the undead and a Skrull biker gang. The series will feature characters such as Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, Jimmy Woo, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Abomination, Captain Marvel, Scarlet Witch, and more.
RELEASE
What an incredible lineup of animation gold. These new shows sound great, and the climax of What If…? promises to be a monumental event. But the crown jewel will always be the second season of X-Men ’97. Finding the right mix of nostalgia and modern vibes is tough, but the show did well in season one. Fans have high hopes for the next set of episodes. Can the X-Men turn back time and save Gambit? Or will Apocalypse’s plan bring more trouble for our mutant heroes? Find out in 2025!
X-Men ’97 will launch on Disney Plus in 2025. In the meantime, catch the landmark first season on the streamer now. Which of these new shows are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below!
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Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
