The ongoing behind-the-scenes drama associated with X-Men ‘97, particularly about its former showrunner Beau DeMayo, has certainly caused a stir in the series’ production team and at Marvel Studios. Despite all the chaos, one of the returning directors from Seasons 1 and 2, Emi/Emmett Yonemura has promised that Season 3 will be great, along with singing praises for the newly appointed showrunner, Matthew Chauncey.
Yonemura helmed Episode 5, titled “Remember It”, in Season 1, which is considered one of the best episodes from the first season by many critics and fans. It featured the brutal destruction of Genosha by an upgraded Master Mold and an army of Sentinels and Gambit’s heart-breaking sacrifice to save the remaining mutant survivors on the island nation.
This is what Yonemura said about Chauncey in his recent interview with ScreenRant:
“Oh, he’s [Chauncey] lovely. I absolutely love working with him. He hasn’t even been on super long, and he’s already a super sweet, incredibly talented writer, so we’re already having a blast over here, and I’m really excited for fans to kind of see what he helps bring to the table because it’s amazing, he’s a genius.”
The Season 1 finale made it pretty clear that the first two seasons of X-Men ‘97 heavily rely on each other. After successfully saving the Earth from Bastion’s deadly attacks, the X-Men get trapped in time: Jean Grey and Cyclops get sent to 3960 AD, an annihilated future where the pair meets Mother Askani and a young Nathan. On the other hand, Magneto and the rest of the mutant superhero faction, including Charles Xavier, Nightcrawler, Beast, and Rogue accidentally get transported to Ancient Egypt in 3000 BC, where they encounter a young En Sabah Nur, who later becomes the one and only Apocalypse.
Given that DeMayo is no longer attached to the show, X-Men ‘97 Season 3 could open up with a whole new storyline under the creative direction of Chauncey. It means that like the debut season, the sophomore season may not culminate with any major cliffhangers. This scenario will certainly make Season 3 a standalone entry in the series. According to some reports, the third season may premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2026, after Season 2’s premiere in 2025. Stay tuned for more updates.