Wade Wilson Is Coming Back, and Marvel’s Own Executive Just Confirmed How

Few characters in the Marvel universe command the kind of devoted attention that Deadpool does, and right now fans of the Merc with a Mouth are getting more to chew on than they probably expected. ‘X-Men ’97,’ the Disney+ revival of the beloved 1990s animated series, was celebrated as one of the MCU’s greatest streaming shows when it first premiered, perfectly recapturing the intoxicating blend of soapy melodrama and superhero action that made its predecessor so enduring.

With season 2 locked in and a July premiere on the horizon, anticipation was already sky-high. Then the trailer dropped and Wade Wilson walked right into the conversation.

The first trailer for ‘X-Men ’97‘ season 2 was released in May 2026, and it quickly made waves for a brief but electrifying moment involving Morph, the shapeshifting mutant whose abilities have become one of the show’s most versatile storytelling tools.

In a newly released trailer shot, Morph takes on Deadpool’s appearance to fight an insect-like creature, with many fans speculating the enemy could be a member of the alien species The Brood. It was enough to send the fandom into a frenzy, instantly raising the question of whether the real Wade Wilson might finally be making his animated debut.

Now, during an exclusive interview with Screen Rant’s Liam Crowley, who moderated the ‘X-Men ’97’ season 2 panel at the Tribeca Film Festival, Brad Winderbaum, the Head of Marvel Television, Animation, Comics and Franchise, was asked directly about the Deadpool cameo and whether viewers are closer to finally meeting the real deal in the animated universe.

Winderbaum’s response was cryptic but tantalizing, stating, “You never know… There are some fun plot lines coming up for some other characters that you caught only brief glimpses of in the OG series that I am so flippin’ excited to get on screen.”

It’s worth noting that the ‘X-Men ’97’ creative team originally faced restrictions around including Deadpool. When Screen Rant spoke with Winderbaum in May 2024, he explained that bringing the character in would have required “an insanely compelling reason,” partly because ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and ‘X-Men ’97’ were being developed simultaneously.

The executive also acknowledged at the time that Deadpool had appeared briefly in the original animated series, but the character’s name was never even spoken aloud due to the strict rules governing 1990s Marvel cartoons.

On the subject of broader Marvel cameos in season 2, Winderbaum was careful to frame the show’s world-building as something that simmers in the background rather than taking centre stage, noting that the Avengers and other characters exist in the universe and that unexpected collisions are always part of the fun, much like reading Marvel Comics.

Season 2 will see the X-Men scrambling across time and space after the season 1 finale, facing off against a much more dangerous villain in Apocalypse, whose arc will stretch from ancient origins to a post-apocalyptic future.

As for what lies beyond season 2, the picture looks encouraging for Deadpool fans. Not only has a third season of ‘X-Men ’97’ already been confirmed, but the creative team is also developing a fourth, giving Wade Wilson plenty of runway for a proper animated appearance down the line. On the live-action side, Reynolds is reportedly developing ideas for a team-up film that would feature the character as a supporting player rather than the lead.

Whether animation beats live-action to the punch this time around remains one of Marvel’s most entertaining open questions right now, so sound off in the comments: do you think Deadpool deserves a full-blown ‘X-Men ’97’ storyline, or should Wade’s animated cameos stay brief and leave fans hungry for the real thing?