“We know it would be devastating”: Death of a Fan Favorite Marvel Character Had X-Men ’97 Crew Panicking

The X-Men ’97 makers were nervous to see how the fans would react to such a significant death.

X-Men ’97 has finally concluded with 10 episodes and it can be undoubtedly hailed as one of the best Marvel shows yet. The animated revival and continuation of the 90s X-Men: The Animated Series garnered praise for its masterful handling of several iconic comic book storylines. Yet there was one significant moment in X-Men ’97 that was not so easy to execute.

The Executive Producer of the latest X-Men series and Marvel Animation head Brad Winderbaum revealed that the crew was very nervous about pulling off Gambit’s death in Episode 5. Gambit’s fateful end in the Genosha massacre shown in the episode Remember It shocked several fans and provided one of the most emotional endings for a fan-favorite character.

Why were X-Men ’97 makers anxious to carry out Gambit’s death?

The fans were impressed by how X-Men ’97 makers reimagined several memorable comic-book storylines on-screen. The fifth episode titled Remember It gave us the not-so-pleasant on-screen reimagination of the x-men ’97 that played an important event in the X-Men Comics.

The final moments of the Genosha Massacre broke the fans when we spotted our beloved card-throwing mutant sacrificing himself. According to an interview with Variety, Marvel Animation head Brad Winderbaum claimed that the crew was nervous about how the masses would react to Gambit’s fateful ending.

Yeah, the death of Gambit was something that kept us all up at night. Once we made the decision to do it, we knew it would be devastating. We knew it was on us to have to earn it, in the writing, in the directing, in the long setup of four episodes before it aired.

Winderbaum admitted that there was not a single time when he did not shed tears after watching that dreadful end. He was anxious to see if the audience also had similar emotions to that scene.

You know, I don’t think there was a screening of that episode that didn’t bring me to tears watching it. So we were waiting with bated breath about what would happen when we when unleashed it on the culture. 

The fans vividly remember how a tearful Rogue ends the painfully beautiful Episode 5 with her final words “I can’t feel you” to a dead Gambit. But now as the series is renewed for more seasons, the X-Men ’97 finale hinted that the character may return in Season 2 in a different avatar.

Spoilers for the X-Men ’97 finale ahead!

How can Gambit return to X-Men ’97 Season 2?

Soon after the success of X-Men ’97, Marvel announced that the show would return for at least two more seasons. It was hinted in the last episode of the first season that the villain Apocalypse will play a prominent role in the upcoming season.

It is speculated that Apocalypse will not appear alone and will be accompanied by his Four Horsemen of Death. It was revealed that 6 months after the X-Men vanished, Apocalypse visited the Genosha ruins. Then we spot a charred playing card while Apocalypse states that there is “so much death”. 

It hints that the upcoming season may give us a darker storyline where Apocalypse might resurrect Gambit and make him one of his Horsemen of Death. Something similar also happened in the comics when Gambit willfully became one of the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse.

The fans theorize that Gambit will be resurrected and will be controlled by the antagonist. We can expect some hard-hitting moments as Remi LeBeau may fight against his former teammates in the upcoming season.