Marvel Studios releases a X-Men ’97 mid-season trailer, teasing an Avenger cameo that may seem familiar for fans of the original animated series.

Wolverine uses his Claws in X-Men '97 and Spider-Man Appears with the Avengers in the 1990s Animated Series

Warning! This article contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 episode 5.

New X-Men ’97 mid-season trailer teases the appearance of a major Avengers hero in upcoming episodes of Marvel’s hit Disney+ series. Following X-Men ’97 episode 5’s shocking ending, the animated show is gearing up to deliver more surprises in future episodes. With five more episodes left and episode 5 marking a clear shift in the series’ tone, X-Men ’97 is set to up the ante with more twists, battles, and cameos. In fact, X-Men ’97‘s blink-and-you-miss-it episode 5 cameo won’t be the only non-mutant Marvel character who will cross paths with the X-Men.

On X, Marvel Studios releases the mid-season trailer for X-Men ’97, revealing new footage of upcoming episodes. This includes a shot of Wolverine and Nightcrawler fighting side by side, as well as Beast and Jean Grey heading into battle. But most shockingly, X-Men ’97‘s mid-season trailer features Captain America’s shield landing in the snow. Watch the trailer below:

How Captain America Can Fit Into X-Men ’97’s Storyline

Captain America Previously Appeared In X-Men: The Animated Series

Captain America and wolverine running in x-men the animated seies

Captain America’s surprise appearance in X-Men ’97 isn’t the first time the star-spangled Avenger meets the X-Men in this universe. In 1997, the X-Men: The Animated Series episode “Old Soldiers” recounted Wolverine’s experience in WWII. According to Wolverine’s flashbacks, he met Captain America in 1944 Paris while infiltrating Red Skull’s lair in order to rescue a kidnapped scientist. The Spider-Man animated series featured Captain America as an established character in the 1990s’ present-day, which means that he could be ready to help his old friend Wolverine should he need support from other, non-mutant heroes.

The 1990s Marvel Animated Universe is composed of X-Men : The Animated Series , Spider-Man , Fantastic Four , Iron Man , The Incredible Hulk , Silver Surfer , Spider-Man Unlimited , and The Avengers: United They Stand .

The Sentinels’ attack on Genosha targeted mutants at their most vulnerable moment, hence the large number of casualties. Given that the conflict between humans and mutants has been a public subject of debate in X-Men ’97, it’s possible that Captain America and the rest of the world’s heroes are up-to-date with the X-Men’s current status. The Genosha tragedy could easily be the breaking point that convinces superheroes like Captain America to intervene and offer their support.

In order to recover from the Genosha tragedy and fight back, the X-Men need to know who exactly is behind X-Men ’97 episode 5’s attack. Therefore, another possible explanation for Captain America’s cameo is that Cyclops will lead his team to multiple locations around the world in order to investigate the perpetrator’s identity. In this quest for answers, the X-Men could cross paths with Captain America and other heroes, who could exchange intel on villainous suspects.