Rama-Tut Is Secretly Kang as ‘X-Men ’97’ Revives MCU’s Notorious Scrapped Storyline

‘X-Men ’97‘ has consistently explored connections to the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Season 2 has just unearthed one of the most significant threads yet. Within the two-part ‘Rise of Apocalypse’ storyline lies a villain that fans believed Marvel had permanently set aside.

This villain is none other than Kang the Conqueror, making his return through a lesser-known version of the character, intertwined with a mystery that links directly to Apocalypse’s origin story.

Initially, the threat in ‘Rise of Apocalypse’ appears to be solely attributed to En Sabah Nur, the ancient outcast destined to become Apocalypse. However, the real antagonist is revealed to be Rama-Tut, a warlord from the future who has traveled back in time to dominate Ancient Egypt.

In the comics, Rama-Tut seeks out En Sabah Nur, hoping that the world’s first mutant will become his successor. This connection is precisely why the character fits seamlessly into Apocalypse’s backstory on the show.

When Professor Xavier confronts Rama-Tut, the villain responds by listing several names, including Nathaniel, Kang, and Victor, humorously noting that self-identity can be perplexing. To emphasize the connection, Rama-Tut dons the iconic purple mask associated with Kang the Conqueror.

This marks only the second appearance of a Kang variant within the shared continuity of ‘X-Men: The Animated Series’ and ‘X-Men ’97,’ following a four-part storyline from 1995 that introduced the Immortus variant.

Kang was initially intended to serve as the central villain for the entire Multiverse Saga, first hinted at in Loki Season 1 before making his full debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, leading up to a planned role in ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’. Jonathan Majors portrayed Kang, Rama-Tut, Immortus, and various other variants throughout these projects.

However, those plans unraveled after Majors was found guilty of misdemeanor assault and harassment in December 2023, leading Marvel to sever ties with the actor shortly thereafter. ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ was officially canceled in 2024, with Marvel redirecting its focus towards Avengers: Doomsday instead.

Robert Downey Jr. is set to return to the MCU this December as Doctor Doom, the new primary villain of the Multiverse Saga, while the film that was originally meant to showcase a Council of Kangs will now center on Doom. Ultimately, Marvel decided against recasting Kang for live-action, effectively removing the character from the franchise’s future plans.

Rather than reusing Majors’ voice or likeness, ‘X-Men ’97’ Season 2 features Star Trek veteran John de Lancie as the voice of this version of Kang. De Lancie is renowned for his role as Q across multiple Star Trek series, including The Next Generation, Picard, and Strange New Worlds.

The animated Rama-Tut also bears no resemblance to Majors’ live-action portrayal from the Quantumania post-credits scene.

Instead of the purple and black armor associated with the modern warlord design, this Rama-Tut dons a green helmet and cape reminiscent of the character’s classic comic book appearance.

This intentional visual shift seems aimed at distancing the animated Marvel universe from the live-action controversy while still paying homage to the character’s comic origins. It’s a clever maneuver, allowing the studio to revive a storyline that once seemed permanently shelved.

‘X-Men ’97’ premiered its second season on July 1, 2026, with a three-episode launch on Disney+, and the remaining episodes will be released weekly leading up to an August 12 season finale. Marvel has yet to confirm whether any version of Kang will be included in Avengers: Doomsday.

Some reports suggest that the door may now be open for Kang to return in some capacity beyond Majors, especially since the MCU has been relatively flexible about defining a variant, casting different actors as various iterations of the same core character. With the X-Men poised to play a significant role in the MCU’s future following Avengers: Secret Wars, speculation abounds that Rama-Tut could still connect to a future live-action interpretation of Apocalypse’s origin.

Whether Kang will receive a genuine second chance in live action remains uncertain, but ‘X-Men ’97’ has demonstrated that Marvel can quietly revive a storyline once thought to be dead. Do you believe Rama-Tut’s redemption arc in ‘X-Men ’97’ should encourage Marvel Studios to reintroduce some version of Kang in live action after Avengers: Doomsday?