How Storm's Appearance In 'What If..?' Season Three Nudges 'X-Men '97' Closer To The MCU

Earlier this year, the first season of X-Men '97 proved a hit for Disney Plus. A sequel to the original X-Men: The Animated Series, '97 has been praised by both fans and critics for its animation, voice work, and story. X-Men '97 honoured the legacy of the original animated series as one of the greatest X-Men screen adaptations to date, while also growing with the original's audience to tackle darker, more mature storytelling.

Despite the series success, and the fact that it is produced by Marvel Animation, X-Men '97's status in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been debated. However, developments in the trailer for the upcoming third season of animated multiverse themed series What If..? could shed some light. Let's look at what we know so far, and how What If..? changes things.

Mutants in the MCU

During phases one through three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, now collectively referred to as the Infinity Saga, Marvel Studios did not own the film rights to the X-Men, or the Marvel definition of Mutants, having sold off those rights to 20th Century Fox when Marvel was facing bankruptcy. This meant that Marvel were unable to use the X-Men or any other mutant characters in the MCU.

They eventually employed a loophole in order to use the Maximoff twins, Wanda and Pietro, in Avengers: Age of Ultron, successfully arguing that despite their Mutant status, the pair had closer story ties to the Avengers. However, unable to refer to them as Mutants, Marvel had to reimagine the origin of Wanda and Pietro's powers, and were only allowed to use their hero codenames, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, on marketing material, but not in the film itself.

These rules changed when Disney finalised a deal to buy out Fox's film and TV divisions, thus regaining the rights to the X-Men and other characters, shortly before the release of the Infinity Saga's final chapter, Avengers: Endgame, in 2019. Over the course of the following Multiverse Saga, the idea of Mutants in the MCU has begun to build, mostly through references to mutants in different branches of the MCU multiverse in Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness, The Marvels, and most recently, Deadpool and Wolverine.

There have been fewer mentions of mutants in the main MCU 616 timeline, but they do exist.

The season one finale of Ms. Marvel implies that Kamala Khan's powers, while activated by her Quantum Band, are the result of a genetic mutation. Another minor Mutant, Mr. Immortal, guest stars in an episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

The Big MCU Clue in 'X-Men '97'

While other Marvel heroes, such as Captain America, Black Panther, and Spider-Man, exist within its universe, X-Men '97, and the classic animated series that preceded it, seem to mostly exist in it's own continuity, separate from the MCU. However, one subtle character cameo implies otherwise.

After others of his species appeared in a brief, humorous cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, Uatu, The Watcher, was officially introduced to the MCU in season one of What If..?. The Narrator of the series, The Watcher is an omniscient being who monitors the Multiverse, appearing to bear witness to significant events, but never interfere.

Keen-eyed viewers of X-Men '97 noticed The Watcher's silhouette in the sky during episode five, 'Remember It', shortly before the genocide of Genosha begins.

Aside from being a clue that something significant, albeit tragic, is about to happen, The Watcher's presence hints at X-Men '97's potential wider MCU status.

Storm's What If..? Appearance Solidifies the MCU Multiverse Status of X-Men '97

Now, Storm is set to appear in the third and final season of What If..?, becoming a true Goddess of Thunder as she wields Mjolnir. For many fans, one of the greatest elements of What If..? is the series' continuity of casting. Apart from a few exceptions, most of the series multiverse variants are voiced by the same actors as their main timeline MCU counterparts. While the core MCU Timeline does not yet have a Storm, What If's Goddess of Thunder variant will be voiced by Alison-Sealy Smith, the same voice actress who voices Storm in X-Men '97, and also voiced her in the latter half of the original animated series.

This would appear to confirm that, while it does not take place in the core MCU 616 timeline, X-Men '97 is a part of the wider MCU Multiverse.

Bring on What If..? Season three!