12 Avengers Characters That Should Appear In X-Men '97

Fans of "X-Men: The Animated Series" are finally getting a proper follow-up to the beloved '90s cartoon. A direct sequel, "X-Men '97" will feature all of the original show's fan favorite heroes alongside some new faces. For many X-Men fans, "X-Men: The Animated Series" was their first exposure to the popular superhero team, and the show is often regarded as a landmark in superhero storytelling. It's possible (even probable) that it led to Fox's "X-Men" films getting the greenlight, which ultimately made the MCU a possibility.

Now that Disney owns the rights to the X-Men, "X-Men '97" will premiere on Disney+ alongside Marvel's other shows, both live action and animated. This gives the series a lot more leeway in terms of character rights. While "X-Men '97" will no doubt have its hands full with the massive roster of mutant superheroes and villains that comprise the X-Men, it would be interesting to see some characters that are not associated with the X-Men brand make appearances.

If that were the case, it wouldn't be the first time. Characters like Captain America and the Hulk appeared in "X-Men: The Animated Series" and "Wolverine and the X-Men," respectively. However, with so many characters now under the Mouse House's roof, the opportunities for crossovers and cameos are better than ever. Here are some Avengers characters that should appear in "X-Men '97."

Captain Britain is a name that might not be super familiar to a lot of Marvel fans, as he has yet to make any major live-action appearances. But this character, whose real name is Brian Braddock, is actually quite an important one in X-Men lore. Much of this stems from his relationship with his sister, Betsy Braddock, who was the first mutant to take up the mantle of Psylocke.

In Marvel Comics, Captain Britain is the title held by the appointed defender of the legendary kingdom of Avalon. Brian Braddock is the first hero to take on this mantle after he is empowered by the wizard Merlyn and tasked with keeping Avalon safe from otherworldly threats. However, in recent years, his twin sister Betsy has taken over his role as Captain Britain following his corruption by the sorceress Morgan Le Fey.

Betsy will likely be in "X-Men '97" as Psylocke (following her appearances in "X-Men: The Animated Series"), so it would make sense to have her twin brother also make an appearance. In fact, Brian was briefly seen in the "X-Men: The Animated Series" episode "The Starjammers," but he was never given a speaking role. "X-Men '97" should expand on the character and dive into his relationship with Betsy.

In Marvel Comics, Wolverine made his first ever appearance in the teaser panel of 1974's "The Incredible Hulk #180." In the next few issues, the Hulk travels to Canada, where he must battle the supervillain Wendigo. He meets Wolverine, and the two team up to stop Wendigo, but after the villain's defeat, Wolverine turns on the Hulk, and the two nearly-invincible superheroes battle it out until Hulk finally gains the upper hand.

Because of the popularity of this storyline, and the fact that it marked Wolverine's first appearance, a lasting rivalry between the Hulk and Wolverine was formed. The two are often at odds, and fans are always looking forward to the next time the two get to battle it out. As such, the storyline has been adapted several times. Marvel published a mini-series that took place in the "Ultimate Universe" titled "Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk," and there was a 2009 animated film titled "Hulk vs. Wolverine." Even the show "Wolverine and the X-Men" had an episode dedicated to the rivalry.

For all the versions of this fight that have played out on screen or on the page, the Hulk has yet to go up against Wolverine in the universe of "X-Men: The Animated Series." Introducing Hulk in "X-Men '97" would be a great way to relive one of Marvel's greatest match-ups, and it would be a chance for Wolverine to settle the score.

Black Panther's marriage to the X-Men hero Storm is one of Marvel's most well known and divisive romantic relationships. In the comics, Storm and Black Panther first met as teenagers. Storm was living on the streets of Cairo at the time, and T'Challa was traveling the world. After being reunited years later, the two fell in love and got married, with Storm becoming the queen of Wakanda. Like many comic book relationships, the marriage didn't last, but Storm's time as T'Challa's wife forever ties her to Wakanda.

Unfortunately, this relationship is unlikely to play out in live action any time soon thanks to the untimely passing of T'Challa actor Chadwick Boseman. However, it would definitely be interesting to see a Black Panther and Storm arc play out on screen, and "X-Men '97" could be the perfect place for that. While it would be a disservice to separate Storm from the X-Men for too long, a multi-episode arc where T'Challa takes Storm to Wakanda could introduce an interesting dynamic to the follow-up show.

The Fantastic Four might not traditionally be associated with the Avengers, though all four members have spent time on the superhero team. That being said, their relationship with the X-Men might be just as important. The Fantastic Four are often referred to as Marvel's "First Family." Their family dynamic is often the driving force behind the team, which is traditionally made up of Reed Richards, his wife Sue Storm, her brother Johnny Storm, and Reed's best friend Ben Grimm. When it turns out that Reed and Sue's son, Franklin Richards, is not only a mutant but an omega level mutant (Marvel's name for the most powerful mutants), things get a lot more complicated.

The question of whether Franklin belongs with his family or under the care of mutants has created a lot of tension between the Fantastic Four and the X-Men over the years. Franklin always had difficulty controlling his reality-altering abilities, and many mutants believed he would be better off being looked after by his own people. Reed, not wanting to let his son go, fought back against this idea. Things changed when Krakoa became a haven for all mutants: It was revealed that Franklin was not born a mutant, but used his reality-altering abilities to make it appear that he had the X-Gene in order to fit in. Even so, including Franklin (and his family) in "X-Men '97" would be an interesting way to put two famous superhero teams at odds, making for a great story arc.

During its San Diego Comic-Con 2022 panel, Marvel showed off some images from "X-Men '97," delighting fans with the nostalgic character designs. One image, which featured a line-up of villains ranging from Mr. Sinister to Sebastian Shaw, included the popular anti-hero Emma Frost. Over the years, Emma Frost has grown to be one of the X-Men's most prominent and popular characters, and with Jonathan Hickman's "Dawn of X" relaunch, her role in mutant society has become all the more important.

So, with Emma Frost seemingly playing an important role in "X-Men '97," it would make sense for her future husband, Tony Stark, to also make an appearance. It was revealed in "History of the Multiverse #6" that Iron Man would eventually end up married to Emma Frost. While the event has yet to take place in the current timeline, things seem to be inching closer to the eventual wedding, with Frost playing a prominent role in Marvel's current run of "The Invincible Iron Man."

This wedding will sadly never take place in the MCU, seeing as Stark's death in "Avengers: Endgame" predates any appearance from Frost, but seeing a version of it play out in "X-Men '97" would be a fun treat for fans of the couple.

Like Nick Fury, Captain America has a habit of appearing in animated X-Men shows. In "X-Men: The Animated Series," he appeared in the episode "Old Soldiers," in which Wolverine has to relive the memories of working with Captain America in 1944 to help stop the Red Skull. In "X-Men: Evolution," Cap is seen in the episode "Operation: Rebirth," in which he and Wolverine team-up during World War II to help free prisoners, including a young Magneto. Despite Steve Rogers being typically portrayed as a straight-laced hero and Wolverine being seen as a gruffer, anti-hero type, the two have an immense amount of respect for each other.

With the long history between the two, a team-up in "X-Men '97" would really add an interesting dimension to Wolverine's character, bringing in a rare figure that he looks up to. In addition, the show could introduce the often tense relationship between Cyclops and Steve Rogers. While the two are both considered great leaders and tacticians in Marvel Comics, Rogers is often at odds with Cyclops due to the mutant leader's zealous nature. This helped to start the central conflict behind 2012's "Avengers vs. X-Men" crossover event, a story that would be exciting to see in the universe of "X-Men '97."