Following yesterday’s rumor that Neve Campbell would be playing Polaris aka Lorna Dane in either an X-Men movie or the X-Men ‘97 series, it has been confirmed that she will be voicing the character the Season 2 of the animated series.
This new was confirmed by X-Men ‘97 former showrunner Beau DeMayo , who said: “I cast her as Polaris in Season 2 of #xmen97. She does amazing work bringing something new, and felt right to have a 90s icon pick up where Lorna’s story was left in ‘Cold Comfort.’ She’s got some thoughts on Genosha.”
Polaris was introduced in the late ’60s and eventually revealed to be Magneto’s daughter, Lorna Dane shares his magnetism power, but she’s always stood apart, both because of her struggle with mental health and her unpredictable allegiances.
She’s fought alongside the X-Men, served as one of Apocalypse’s Four Horsemen, and even went by the name Malice at one point. Her most notable live-action portrayal came via The Gifted (2018), where she was played by Emma Dumont.
This casting news comes as Marvel fans look ahead to the next chapter of the animated revival, which won’t hit Disney+ until 2026.
Executive producer Brad Winderbaum confirmed the release window and shared his excitement about the project:
“Season 2 of X-Men ‘97 is going to be in ‘26. We’re working on it now. It’s exciting. That world of the ‘90s is just… Honestly, I can’t believe they let me make it. I grew up at Marvel, as you know, clocked a lot of time here, and I feel like I used a lot of currency to revive this thing that I loved watching after school. So, the fact that we get to play in that universe with those actors is honestly why I went into this business in the first place.”
Winderbaum kept things vague when asked about future animated projects or a potential feature film:
“It’s all in the preliminary. As you know, we’re developing more than we make, so I don’t want to announce anything before it’s ready. But there’s hopefully some exciting stuff on the horizon.”
Despite X-Men ’97 being a continuation of a show that ended over 25 years ago, the creative team has remained adamant about staying true to its ‘90s roots, though that doesn’t mean they’re boxed in. Supervising director Jake Castorena previously said:
“We touched on that, even in season one with E is for Extinction, which was definitely not of the ’90s run per se but in the zeitgeist of the era that came a little later. Once so much time passes, that’s pretty much late ’90s — we’re still dressing like that.
“That’s how I validate it, ‘When did the clothing style change?’ That’s the time we’re in. We play with a little time fudging… Speaking in comic book lore, past and present, X-Men is and always should be an allegory for prejudice, first and foremost. The minute you take that element away, you’ve automatically taken away the excellence.”
Season 1 ended on a wild note, with Bastion defeated, Asteroid M stopped, and several X-Men transported through time where they encountered a young En Sabah Nur. That setup opens the door for more Apocalypse-centric stories, whether from the ’90s comics or early 2000s arcs.
As for what storylines Season 2 might explore, Castorena kept it open but name-dropped a few fan-favorite sources:
“The X-Men always should be the underdogs. There’s a reason why they’re not tattered or received as well as The Avengers. But there’s also a reason why they work so well… While the Avengers might just wing that shit, the X-Men work together.
“They have their squabbles, they have their drama, their love triangles, though they always come back together as a unit. When using the Chris Claremont or Jim Lee runs, or even pulling from Giant-Size X-Men, they are all great but, also, I think it’s fair to say that enough time has passed to where we can fudge a little bit of that time bringing in early 2000s stories.”
Campbell will join an impressive returning cast, including Ray Chase (Cyclops), Jennifer Hale (Jean Grey), Cal Dodd (Wolverine), Alison Sealy-Smith (Storm), Lenore Zann (Rogue), and George Buza (Beast), among others.
How are you feeling about Campbell taking on the role of Polaris?
