‘X-Men ’97’ Season 2 Features Thor Cameo in Premiere Episode

Marvel enthusiasts anticipating a major Avengers crossover in ‘X-Men ’97‘ Season 2 were treated to a more playful surprise. The shape-shifting character Morph once again serves as the clever conduit for a beloved hero cameo, this time featuring the God of Thunder.

This revelation comes from a new clip shared by Marvel Studios ahead of the season’s July 1 premiere on Disney Plus, sparking excitement among fans about the potential connections within this animated segment of the Marvel Universe.

In the premiere episode, titled ‘Days of Past Future,’ the mutant team finds themselves scattered across various historical moments while battling Apocalypse’s Final Horsemen. During an intense fight scene, Storm, Wolverine, and Morph join the fray, with Morph unexpectedly transforming into Thor, complete with hammer, to help shift the battle’s momentum.

According to a clip shared by Rotten Tomatoes and reported by ComicBook.com, the scene showcases Morph striking one villain with his hammer before tossing them aside, appearing as Thor even though it’s really Morph in disguise. It’s a fun, quick gag that plays perfectly into Morph’s established role in the series.

An episode breakdown from withashleyandco.com confirms that this moment occurs during the climactic battle to rescue Cyclops, Jean Grey, and their son Nathan Summers from Apocalypse’s Horsemen, noting that Thor is present as the group fights to escape before being sent into the Citadel.

Morph has become a recurring source of humor for Marvel cameos across both seasons. As reported by ComicBook.com, throughout the first season, Morph transformed into various X-Men characters like Professor X, Psylocke, and Quicksilver, as well as villains like Blob and Sabretooth, and had previously impersonated the Hulk before this new Thor moment.

The Thor gag carries additional significance because ‘X-Men ’97’ has a history of hinting at a broader Marvel Animated Multiverse without fully committing to it. Screen Rant notes that while this version of Thor is merely a cameo through Morph’s abilities, actual versions of Avengers like Captain America, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and Black Panther all appeared in the show’s first season.

That track record from Season 1 raised expectations. Screen Rant further highlights that Captain America even had an extended scene with Rogue in episode 7 before returning alongside Iron Man in the season finale.

These appearances have turned casual viewers into theorists, speculating whether the mutants of ‘X-Men ’97’ might eventually encounter Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in reality.

The Yahoo Entertainment report on the new clip echoes this sentiment, suggesting that since Captain America appeared in Season 1, it’s certainly plausible for other Avengers to factor into Season 2 in some way. For now, however, Thor’s appearance remains a Morph illusion rather than confirmation of the actual Asgardian showing up in person.

In addition to the Thor gag, observant fans have noticed other hints that could connect to the larger Avengers realm of this animated universe. Collider reported that a mysterious disk in the new season features the name Bucky Barnes, better known to many Marvel fans as the Winter Soldier, which could set the stage for a potential Avengers animated series in the future given his strong ties to Captain America.

That same report outlines just how extensive the Season 1 cameo roster was, noting that Doctor Strange, Daredevil, and Spider-Man all appeared in that initial set of episodes, reinforcing that these other Marvel animated heroes coexist in the same universe as the X-Men.

Whether any of these characters receive more than a fleeting appearance in the nine-episode second season remains to be seen. What is evident is that Marvel Studios Animation is keen to remind audiences that ‘X-Men ’97’ shares its sandbox with a much larger roster of heroes, even if most of them only appear in disguise.

Now that Morph has added Thor to his expanding list of transformations, do you think ‘X-Men ’97’ should introduce a real Avenger for a face-to-face team-up before the season concludes?