- Primary Subject: X-Men '97 Season 2
- Key Update: Animated variants Rama-Tut and Kang the Conqueror appeared in Season 2 despite Jonathan Majors' exit from live-action MCU projects.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: August 6, 2026
- Quick Answer: Kang returned via pre-written scripts for X-Men '97, which exists in a separate universe from the primary live-action MCU continuity.
Marvel Studios has finally broken its silence following Kang the Conqueror's surprising return in X-Men '97 Season 2 after Jonathan Majors' firing and the studio's decision to move away from the villain's storyline in the MCU.
Kang was originally intended to be the overarching villain of the Multiverse Saga. However, Marvel Studios shifted its creative direction following the mixed critical and commercial reception to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, as well as Majors' arrest and subsequent conviction on assault and harassment charges in late 2023.
So, does Kang's appearance in X-Men '97 Season 2 hint at a permanent return to the MCU despite the introduction of Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) as the franchise's new primary villain?
Why Did Kang the Conqueror Return in X-Men ‘97 Season 2?
Instead of simply recasting the role, Marvel Studios chose to move away from Kang the Conqueror, renaming Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday and shifting the Multiverse Saga's focus to a new main villain, Doctor Doom.
So now that Kang has returned–albeit only as an animated variant in X-Men '97 Season 2–are there any plans to bring the character back despite Marvel's creative shift?
"He was there from the very early drafts. As far as I remember, that was always in the script phase," supervising producer Jake Castorena told ScreenRant.
However, Castorena admitted he had no knowledge of whether there were discussions about Kang's future in the MCU or whether the character's appearance was connected to Marvel's earlier plans while former X-Men '97 showrunner Beau DeMayo was writing the season before his dismissal following Disney's investigation into what the company described as "egregious" findings.
"Those were different meetings that I didn't need to be involved in, so I wasn't there. I can neither confirm nor deny if that was truly the plan, but there is always some level of synergy amongst the studios," he explained. "But at the end of the day, we are definitely our own universe, and we get to act accordingly."
Why Was Kang the Conqueror in X-Men ‘97?
Kang first appeared in X-Men '97 Season 2, Episode 3, "Rise of Apocalypse – Part I," as his variant Rama-Tut before fully transitioning into his Kang the Conqueror persona in Episode 4, "Rise of Apocalypse – Part II."
In Marvel Comics, Rama-Tut is one of Kang's earliest time-traveling variants and plays an important role in Apocalypse's canonical origin story. He travels back to 3000 B.C. Egypt to rule as pharaoh and attempts to manipulate the young En Sabah Nur into becoming a weapon under his control.
In the hit animated series, the X-Men and Magneto attempt to stop Rama-Tut's oppressive rule, ultimately helping trigger En Sabah Nur's transformation into Apocalypse and forcing Kang to abandon the timeline.
While his appearance was brief, it was still surprising to see Kang return to the Marvel Universe after his last live-action appearance in Loki Season 2.
The scripts for X-Men '97 Season 2 had already been completed during the early stages of production before Marvel Studios shifted its live-action plans away from Kang and toward Doctor Doom. As a result, the series retained its original storyline, with Rama-Tut remaining a key part of Apocalypse's origin.
It's also worth noting that X-Men '97 takes place in its own universe rather than the MCU's primary Sacred Timeline, serving as a direct continuation of the 1990s X-Men: The Animated Series.
However, Disney+ still includes the series as part of its MCU Multiverse Saga collection, and the show frequently features Easter eggs that loosely connect to the broader Marvel multiverse.
X-Men '97 Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes premiering every Wednesday.
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