11 ‘X-Men ‘97’ Characters You Didn’t Know Were In Live-Action Adaptations

X-Men ‘97 (2024) Season 2 is a series that has given audiences even more mutant goodness by seeing returning characters as well as new additions we haven’t seen in animation yet. But the one thing that is easy to forget is that there are many characters that also appeared in the live-action universes.

Characters like Wolverine and Apocalypse are a given to have appeared in live-action films and left a huge impact on the narrative and fandom. But the ones that you’d never suspect often had integral roles in the narrative, even if you never saw them for long.

Archangel

Archangel is most famous for being a Horseman of Apocalypse, and seeing him in this form but no longer under Apocalypse’s thumb in X-Men ‘97 was amazing. But he also appeared in this version in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), played by Ben Hardy.

Unfortunately, this character was a misrepresented version whose metal wings looked cool, but he lacked much else. Without the tragedy of his character or history with the X-Men, it was hard to get behind what became yet another fodder character.

Cable

X-Men ‘97 has delivered many great Cable moments between its two seasons, especially since Apocalypse has become a major enemy of the anti-hero. But as he has made waves in animation, Josh Brolin also brought him to life in Deadpool 2 (2018).

Deadpool 2 shines best when Cable and Deadpool are playing off one another. However, as a character, the iterations shown in the film aren’t like the ones from the comics or the show. But getting the broad strokes of the character down helped immensely in getting this characterization to the finish line.

Rama-Tut

While not a mutant, Rama-Tut was a crucial part of En Sabah Nur’s transition into Apocalypse, as shown in X-Men ‘97. However, he was also briefly teased at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), as played by Jonathan Majors.

Of course, with the legal troubles surrounding Majors, his Kang role and his variants were all scrapped to focus on Doctor Doom. Even still, seeing Rama-Tut talk to his other variants was an exciting thing to witness.

Polaris

Polaris is an important character in Season 2 of X-Men ‘97 as an X-Factor member who turns on her team to help other imprisoned mutants. As a manipulator of metal and the daughter of Magneto, it’s a shame she wasn’t in more prior to the animated series.

But she did have a large role in The Gifted (2017-2019), played by Emma Dumont. She was one of the main characters on the show and managed to capture the rage of her character incredibly well.

Jubilee

Easily one of the most beloved characters of the animated X-Men universe, Jubilee also appeared in multiple X-Men movies, but her appearances in X-Men (2000) and X2: X-Men United (2003) were severely cut. In the end, her most prominent appearance was in X-Men: Apocalypse, where she was played by Lana Condor.

But Jubilee’s powers, even while appearing in various movies, were never used or explored. She remains one of the most underused mutants in live-action as a result.

Sunspot

Sunspot was a major part of X-Men ‘97 in seasons 1 and 2, but even as he’s gotten a more prominent role, it’s still easy to forget the two movies he appeared in. Sunspot was first played by the late Adan Canto in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) and then by Henry Zaga in The New Mutants (2020).

Both iterations of the character weren’t deeply explored, but the one thing that audiences liked was seeing his powers in action. Yet, there’s no denying his best iteration came in X-Men ‘97 above all else.

Wolfsbane

Another member of X-Factor in X-Men ‘97, Wolfsbane has the power to turn into a wolf humanoid and a full-on wolf, while still being in control. But her personality was more on display in The New Mutants.

Maisie Williams brought a great quality to the character, and seeing her turn into a wolf and use her claws was very fun to see. It also added to the film’s horror elements, even if it’s not the most beloved X-Men film.

Stepford Cuckoos

Created as clones of Emma Frost, the Stepford Cuckoos are briefly seen apprehended by X-Factor in X-Men ‘97. But before that, they appeared as the Frost Sisters in The Gifted, played by Skylar Samuels.

The series did a great job of making the sisters use their hive mind powers against enemies and made them incredibly important characters in the show as well. Ultimately, it was the show’s inability to use the X-Men that held them back.

Bishop

Bishop has proven to be an integral part of X-Men ‘97, and for many, this is the most definitive look we’ve seen of him since the original series. But in live-action, Omar Sy played him in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

The film showed his energy absorption powers perfectly, and Sy looked the part. However, his death was abrupt even for a character who had kept the team alive for so long off-screen.

Mulitple Man

Multiple Man was seen in action fighting against X-Force in X-Men ‘97, but this isn’t the first time we’ve seen him utilized off the page. First appearing in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), played by the late Eric Dane, James Madrox only used his powers to create multiples of himself twice.

There wasn’t much of his character to explore in the film, but Dane managed to deliver a smarmy character with the two lines of dialogue he had. Even his powers were surprisingly fun to watch being used.

Emma Frost

Emma Frost appeared in Season 1 and Season 2 of X-Men ‘97, but she’s often been a fire-and-forget character in live action. For example, her two appearances were in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), played by Tahyna MacManus, and X-Men: First Class (2011), played by January Jones.

Her character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine was grossly underused and mainly showcased for her diamond form, while her First Class appearance looked the part, but she didn’t have the same energy as her source. Emma Frost is one of the most compelling characters in the X-Men universe, but her live-action adaptations have never been accurate.