Yesterday, we reported on a rumor that Scream star Neve Campbell had been forged as Polaris in an upcoming Marvel venture. We did not have way more to go on initially, nevertheless it was assumed that she would wither play the character in Marvel Studios’ X-Males reboot, or seem in Avengers: Doomsday alongside the returning twentieth Century Fox period actors.
A trusted supply later reached out to inform us that Campbell would really be voicing Polaris in season 2 of the X-Males ’97 animated collection, which former showrunner Beau DeMayo has now confirmed.
Incorrect. I forged her as Polaris in Season 2 of #xmen97. She does superb work bringing one thing new, and felt proper to have a 90s icon choose up the place Lorna’s story was left in “Chilly Consolation.”
She’s acquired some ideas on Genosha. https://t.co/WKrSbghWsu
— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) May 13, 2025
Dr. Lorna Sally Dane, aka Polaris, was launched within the late ’60s, earlier than being revealed to be Magneto’s daughter a few years later. She has related powers to her father, and suffers from psychological well being points which steadily result in her shedding management and turning on her fellow mutant heroes. She has additionally been generally known as Malice, and considered one of Apocalypse’s 4 Horsemen, Pestilence.
Polaris made her live-action debut in 2018’s The Gifted collection, the place she was performed by Emma Dumont.
Marvel’s Brad Winderbaum not too long ago confirmed that season 2 of X-Males ’97 will not hit Disney+ till 2026.
“Season 2 of X-Males ‘97 goes to be in ‘26. We’re engaged on it now,” Winderbaum instructed Collider. “It is thrilling. That world of the ‘90s is simply… Truthfully, I am unable to imagine they let me make it. I grew up at Marvel, as , clocked numerous time right here, and I really feel like I used numerous foreign money to revive this factor that I beloved watching after college. So, the truth that we get to play in that universe with these actors is actually why I went into this enterprise within the first place.”
When requested if we might count on extra animated exhibits – and probably a function – to be introduced quickly, Winderbaum performed it a bit of nearer to the vest.
“It is all within the preliminary. As , we’re growing greater than we make, so I do not need to announce something earlier than it is prepared. However there’s hopefully some thrilling stuff on the horizon.”
Though the current Disney+ present served as a revival of an animated collection that aired 25 years in the past, the choice was made to maintain the motion rooted firmly within the unique period. However with stories that Marvel Studios totally intends to maintain the present going for so long as potential, might the mutant heroes make the soar into the noughties?
Throughout a 2024 interview with (*2*), supervising director Jake Castorena was requested in the event that they intend to carry on to the ’90s aesthetic, and if he anticipates the present taking affect from later comedian e-book runs for the second season.
“We touched on that, even in season one with E is for Extinction, which was positively not of the ’90s run per se however within the zeitgeist of the period that got here a bit of later,” he replied. “As soon as a lot time passes, that’s just about late ’90s — we’re nonetheless dressing like that. That’s how I validate it, ‘When did the clothes type change?’ That’s the time we’re in. We play with a bit of time fudging, like in E is for Extinction. However, to your level, there are 30-plus years for the reason that present’s been over the place the comics have expanded. Talking in comedian e-book lore, previous and current, X-Males is and at all times ought to be an allegory for prejudice, initially. The minute you are taking that component away, you’ve routinely taken away the excellence.”
In the season 1 finale, the workforce managed to defeat Bastion and forestall Asteroid M from destroying the planet, however the heroes someway ended up being transported by way of time within the course of, the place a few of them encountered a youthful En Sabah Nur. There are clearly loads of ’90s-set Apocalypse tales to adapt, however having coated a few of them within the unique collection, we would not be stunned if season 2 no less than touched upon a few of the villain’s 2000s exploits.
Castorena did not affirm any potential story arcs, however did point out a few iconic runs.
“The X-Males at all times ought to be the underdogs,” he continued. “There’s a cause why they’re not tattered or obtained in addition to The Avengers. However there’s additionally a cause why they work so properly, and why they’ve issues just like the Hazard Room. Whereas the Avengers may simply wing that shit, the X-Males work collectively. They’ve their squabbles, they’ve their drama, their love triangles, although they at all times come again collectively as a unit. When utilizing the Chris Claremont or Jim Lee runs, and even pulling from Large-Dimension X-Males, they’re all nice however, additionally, I believe it’s truthful to say that sufficient time has handed to the place we will fudge a bit of little bit of that point bringing in early 2000s tales.”
X-Males ’97‘s voice forged consists of Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Gray, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, JP Karliak as Morph, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, AJ LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop, Matthew Waterson as Magneto and Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler.
What did you consider the primary season of X-Males ’97? Drop us a remark down beneath.
“A band of mutants use their uncanny items to guard a world that hates and fears them; they’re challenged like by no means earlier than, pressured to face a harmful and sudden new future. New Episodes, New Period,” reads the official synopsis.
