Why Deadpool Couldn't Appear In X-Men '97 Season 1 & Potential Future Appearance

Summary Deadpool could appear in X-Men '97 after missing out on season 1 due to its packed storyline.

Marvel Studios' Brad Winderbaum doesn't rule out a season 2 appearance, adding there's potential for him to join the show.

Deadpool & Wolverine's upcoming release could also pave the way for Wade Wilson's introduction in X-Men '97 season 2.

One of the Marvel Studios executives teases the possible appearance of Deadpool in X-Men '97 after missing out on showing up in season 1. X-Men: The Animated Series lives again thanks to X-Men '97, serving as a sequel to the beloved show and continuing the adventures of the Marvel mutants. While several mutants have entered that world, one character who was absent from X-Men '97 season 1 was Wade Wilson, a.k.a. Deadpool.

Following the reveal that Deadpool was off-limits for X-Men '97, Screen Rant followed up with Marvel Studios Head of TV, Streaming, and Animation, Brad Winderbaum, in an exclusive interview about the season 1 finale and what the situation was regarding Wade. While Winderbaum wasn't sure if it was "a hard and fast rule" about using Deadpool, he stressed that X-Men '97 season 1 was already packed with a lot of characters, which would have made it challenging to get Wade in there, but that doesn't mean he couldn't show up in the future, as the executive producer teased the following:

I don't know that it was like a hard and fast rule that we couldn't use Deadpool. We would have had to have an insanely compelling reason to bring Deadpool in. Because we're also developing the feature simultaneously. So, unless it was something that really was an undeniable creative idea, it seemed like, 'Why would we do it?' But also, I'll say, the season is so chock-full of big, giant, amazing fulfilling ideas that throwing Deadpool in there almost feels like arbitrary at a certain point. Is there a potential for Deadpool to come in? Absolutely, he was in the original series, briefly as we all know, and certainly we're all fans, so we'll see what happens.

Related 10 Great X-Men '97 Details You Probably Missed Marvel’s X-Men ’97 is littered with great details that hint at the show’s unfolding narrative and celebrate the impressive legacy of X-Men: TAS.

Could Ryan Reynolds Voice Deadpool In X-Men '97?

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While time will tell if Deadpool shows up in X-Men '97 season 2, it begs the question if the creative team and Marvel Studios may be waiting for a very special opportunity to bring Wade into the series. As Winderbaum mentioned, Marvel Studios have been working hard on Deadpool & Wolverine, which will be the only Marvel Cinematic Universe movie to arrive in theaters this year. But as Ryan Reynolds becomes a regular player in Marvel Studios, it could open a new door for X-Men '97.

With the amount of love that he has for Deadpool, it wouldn't be shocking if Reynolds and Marvel Studios would continue their collaboration by having him voice Wade in X-Men '97. As Deadpool & Wolverine is getting Wade more familiar with the multiverse, Reynolds could voice his own variant through X-Men '97 season 2, allowing him to play a whole new version of his character. That would also justify why Deadpool didn't show up in X-Men '97 season 1, since Deadpool & Wolverine isn't out for another two months.

Given what happened at the end of X-Men '97 season 1, it would certainly be intriguing to see how Deadpool could fit into the equation. Since he never got his proper chance in X-Men. The Animated Series, X-Men '97 season 2 would be a proper start to explore Wade and what the vision for him would be in this universe. Hopefully, there will be news on Deadpool joining X-Men '97 season 2 sooner rather than later.

Every episode of X-Men '97 season 1 can now be streamed on Disney+.