X-Men '97 Needs The MCU's $2.5 Billion Hero

Published Oct 18, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT

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X-Men '97 is set to return for its third season in 2027, and now, more than ever, it needs the MCU's $2.5 billion hero. The first season of the animated show couldn't have gone better, capturing the energy and art style of the original 90s series while maturing into a much harder-hitting story.

Moments like Gambit's death were handled incredibly well, making it clear this was an X-Men story that wouldn't hold back. Season 2 continued this trajectory with a few more major deaths, but the quality was more up and down, suggesting season 3 needs a big win to restore full faith in X-Men '97.

Naturally, there are a lot of ways for things to improve, such as delivering a more concise, overarching story, adding new members to the team, and giving certain characters more screen time in X-Men '97 season 3 who desperately need it. Above all that though, the show would massively benefit from the addition of Spider-Man.

Despite not being a mutant himself, Spider-Man has a lot in common with the X-Men and wouldn't feel out of place alongside them. Moreover, with Jean Grey appearing in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Marvel fans have already gotten a taste of Peter Parker interacting with an X-Men member on-screen, and the results speak for themselves.

The movie grossed $2.5 billion and earned positive reviews across the board, showing there is an appetite to see Spider-Man with new heroes. Therefore, putting him on a mission alongside various mutants in X-Men '97 would be a major draw, and given he has already had a minor cameo in the animated hit, an appearance in season 3 makes perfect sense.

X-Men '97 Can Add A New Spin To Spider-Man & Jean Grey's MCU Dynamic

Although Jean isn't a member of the X-Men yet in the MCU, she is the first mutant Spider-Man has interacted with in this universe, and their dynamic isn't quite what people would've anticipated. First of all, Peter and Jean are a similar age in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, with Peter actually being the older of the two, which isn't common in most continuities.

In addition, the two spent much of the movie as enemies, since Jean was revealed to be the secret villain until her true motivations were uncovered. Ultimately, Peter forgave Jean by the time the credits rolled, setting up Jean's future as an X-Man, but seeing the two clash made the idea of a team-up even more tantalizing.

Fortunately, X-Men '97 can provide that by having the X-Men reach out to Spider-Man for help, or having the masked hero naturally cross paths with the group during his own mission. Either way, we could see Jean act as a mentor figure to Peter in the animated show, rather than the other way around like in Brand New Day.

X-Men '97 has officially been renewed for season 4, which is already in development. No release date has been confirmed yet.

Allowing the two to have a warmer and less chaotic relationship would be fun, especially since there will undoubtedly be other X-Men who don't take so kindly to Peter's quips. Having some of these mutants actively groan and roll their eyes at having to team with Spider-Man would only make a genuine friendship with Jean more endearing.

While there were undoubtedly many reasons Brand New Day succeeded, it's no coincidence a film involving Spider-Man and Jean Grey did well, so it's safe to assume lightning can strike twice should X-Men '97 season 3 reunite the duo. With a different dynamic ready to be explored, this reunion can't come quick enough.

Spider-Man Has Plenty Of History With The X-Men

If Spider-Man were to appear alongside the X-Men in X-Men '97, it would be far from the first time the hero has crossed paths with this team. Brand New Day is obviously the most recent Spider-Man and X-Men connection, but we had a much more traditional team-up on-screen during the 90s.

With Spider-Man: The Animated Series and X-Men: The Animated Series running at the same time, a crossover arc happened that saw the web-slinger fight alongside some iconic mutants. They've also featured in several video games together, mainly fighting games, but the Insomniac series suggests that a more story-driven crossover could happen eventually.

Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends is perhaps the biggest TV link between the two franchises, as Firestar and Ice-Man are both main characters, making these characters constantly intertwined. That said, Peter Parker and the X-Men's on-screen history is fairly limited, all things considered, but the same can't be said when it comes to Marvel's comics.

Be it Spider-Man, X-Men, or team-up comics, Peter regularly finds himself fighting alongside these memorable heroes, and on occasion, even against them. Their interactions are so common that Spider-Man and Wolverine could be considered close friends despite their differences, while Storm frequently gets annoyed by the young crime fighter.

After Nightcrawler's death in X-Men '97 season 2, the team is desperately lacking a goofy, good-natured hero, and Spider-Man's history with the team suggests he could fill the void temporarily. As a result, X-Men '97 season 3 would be smart to cash in on the momentum and give Peter Parker at least one appearance in the upcoming project.