Marvel Studios’ Upcoming X-Men Comeback Will Feature An Avengers-Level Villain

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When the X-Men return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they’ll face a powerful enemy on the scale of the Avengers. This marks a turning point, as the X-Men are poised to play a major role in future Marvel films. Though we’ve seen X-Men characters briefly appear in MCU movies—like Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness—Deadpool & Wolverine really feels like the beginning of their full integration into the universe.

I’m so excited for Avengers: Doomsday! Past movies really highlighted characters like Blade, Elektra, and the Fantastic Four – all from the 20th Century Fox days – alongside the main Avengers. But this time, it’s going to be different. The X-Men are finally taking center stage, and we’re going to see a lot of familiar faces from the original trilogy playing major roles. It’s about time!

It’s understandably thrilling for longtime Marvel fans to see this! But Avengers: Doomsday isn’t the only way the X-Men will officially join the MCU. Another film, planned for release around mid-2026, will introduce a major, *Avengersscale threat, opening up a lot of exciting storylines.

X-Men ’97 Season 2’s Villain Is Apocalypse

The second season of X-Men ’97 continues the popular 2024 animated series. The first season ended with the X-Men defeating Bastion, and hinted at a new villain. Now, several members of the team have been transported back in time to ancient Egypt, where they encounter a formidable figure named En Sabah Nur.

As a long-time X-Men fan, I always knew En Sabah Nur would eventually become Apocalypse, and it was cool to see his origins explored in the original X-Men: The Animated Series. That show hinted he wasn’t completely defeated, which left me wondering if that version of Apocalypse is the same one we’re seeing in X-Men ’97. It’s a bit confusing, but exciting to think about!

It’s now confirmed that Apocalypse will be the big bad guy in X-Men ’97. The show’s finale hinted at him gathering his Four Horsemen, and it looks like Gambit might even be one of them, despite seemingly dying. How the time travel element will play out and connect to the original X-Men: The Animated Series is still a mystery, but one thing is certain: Apocalypse has returned.

Apocalypse Is An Avengers-Level Threat

What’s fascinating about Apocalypse is the sheer scale of his danger in Marvel Comics. He consistently hatches plans that put the entire Marvel world – and sometimes even the universe – at risk. This means he’s a threat to everyone, not just the X-Men, but also to heroes like the Avengers and beyond.

Think of Apocalypse as the X-Men’s version of Thanos. Just like Thanos was a massive, universe-level threat that needed the Avengers and their allies to defeat him, Apocalypse is that same kind of challenge for the X-Men. Many consider him to be as powerful as Thanos, making him a truly Avengers-level villain.

​​​​​​X-Men ’97 Season 1 Planted Scenes For A Possible Avengers Team-Up

While the second season of X-Men ’97 should primarily focus on the team to maintain the impact of its first season, the show has hinted at the potential involvement of the Avengers. This could happen if Apocalypse becomes a global threat, as anticipated. We already saw this with Bastion and Magneto in season one, where several Avengers were shown dealing with the consequences of their actions.

The new X-Men ’97 series features appearances by heroes like Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Doctor Strange, both in animated scenes and through mentions of their stories. Plus, a third season is already planned, continuing the storylines from the second season.

This suggests that Apocalypse will be a long-term villain throughout multiple seasons of the show, unlike in the original series where he was just part of a single season’s storyline. Because of this larger threat, X-Men ’97 could bring in the Avengers more significantly in future seasons, highlighting just how dangerous Apocalypse really is.

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2026-04-06 02:38