Most of the main characters that are set to appear in Disney+'s X-Men '97 revival have already been revealed, but the animated series still seems to be keeping a few surprises up its sleeve, and it's now come to light that the legendary mutant heroes will be facing off against a very familiar face.
Confirming a recent rumor that did the rounds online back in July, a first glimpse of a new NYCC-exclusive Funko POP (via Toonado.com) reveals that the enigmatic and seductive Goblin Queen, aka Madelyne Pryor, will make her animated debut in the upcoming series.
In the comics, Pryor was an incredibly powerful mutant who bore a striking resemblance to Jean Grey. After positioning herself as an enemy of the X-Men, it came to light that she was actually a clone of Jean created by Mr. Sinister, who was hoping to produce the ultimate mutant via a union between Pryor and Scott Summers, aka Cyclops.
The character has a long and somewhat convoluted history, so it'll be interesting to see how Maddie is utilized for this show. The POP is holding a baby, however, which indicates that we will see Pryor give birth to Nathan Christopher Charles Summers, aka Cable, at some point during the series.
X-Men '97 has yet to be been given an official premiere date, but we had heard that there were tentative plans for the show to debut on the streaming service before year's end.
However, we're going to have to wait a little longer to see the mutant heroes in action.
Amid a series of recent release date shake-ups, X-Men '97 has been officially pushed back to early 2024 - but it sounds like the show is going to be worth the wait.
In THR's report on the delays, X-Men '97 is described as "a spiritual and tonal continuation of the classic 1990s series that aired on Fox," and a "retro love letter to the original." The trade also confirms that plans are in place for a second season.
X-Men '97 will serve as a direct sequel to X-Men: The Animated Series' five-season run, but there's speculation that it may also set-up the team's eventual live-action MCU debut (unlikely, but we might get a few hints and/or teases here and there).
Returning voice cast members include Lenore Zann as Rogue, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, Catherine Disher as Jean Grey, George Buza as Beast, Chris Potter as Gambit, Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Christopher Britton as Mister Sinister, and Alyson Court as Jubilee.
The official synopsis reads: "Storm and Wolverine try to continue the X-Men. Magneto comes in and wants to step up for Charles Xavier. [Mister] Sinister comes in to try to end the X-Men once and for all."