Somehow, Kang returned. The time-traveling supervillain – last seen in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – has a surprising appearance from one of his most prominent (and popular) variants in X-Men '97.
The third episode of X-Men '97 season 2 charts the origins of Apocalypse, then known as En Sabah Nur, in Ancient Egypt circa 3000 B.C.
En Sabah Nur rises up against a familiar leader, a Pharaoh with technology far beyond his current time. In actuality, he is Rama-Tut, a younger variant of Kang the Conqueror.
While X-Men '97 is under the Marvel Studios banner, it's not part of the MCU or the Sacred Timeline (in fact, a separate live-action X-Men movie is on its way in the near future).
However, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's post-credits scene revealed the Council of Kangs and a congregation of almost every Kang in the multiverse – including Rama-Tut.
The kicker there is they all resembled actor Jonathan Majors, who was dropped from the role after being charged and later convicted of third-degree assault and second-degree harassment.
Ever since, the MCU has clearly been reluctant to re-introduce Kang, even going so far as reworking Avengers: The Kang Dynasty into Avengers: Doomsday, starring Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.
Rama-Tut's appearance in X-Men '97, though, is worlds away from Majors' take. The episode, a loose adaptation of the Rise of Apocalypse comic, may open the door ever so slightly for Kang's return in the future. After all, the multiverse is a rich space with infinite possibilities. Kang may have been conquered by Paul Rudd's Ant-Man, but more can live on – with a different face – and still prove popular. X-Men '97 might be the first step towards bringing the supervillain back into the fold.
For more, check out the X-Men '97 release schedule, or check out our spoiler-free X-Men '97 season 2 review, for our verdict on the first four episodes.
