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Captain America’s appearance in X-Men ’97 Episode 7 wasn’t entirely unexpected, given the mid-season trailer’s subtle hint with Steve Rogers’ shield. Given the interconnected nature of the Marvel animated universe in the ’90s, where shows like X-Men: The Animated Series shared continuity with Spider-Man, Hulk, Fantastic Four, and more, Cap’s cameo feels right at home in this legacy revival.
In Episode 7, following Gambit’s death, Rogue embarks on a quest to hunt down Henry Gyrich, the politician responsible for the Sentinel attack on Genosha. Her journey leads her to encounter Captain America at a military base. Steve Rogers, sympathetic to Rogue’s cause and haunted by the Genosha massacre, informs her that he and his “team” have tracked Gyrich to Mexico but are awaiting official clearance. However, Rogue, fueled by anger, wants to take action immediately. Cap, acknowledging the limitations of his uniform’s involvement in an unsanctioned mission, tells her his “hands are tied.” In a fit of fury, Rogue takes Cap’s shield and flings it away, remarking that if his hands are tied, he won’t need it.
The familiar voice behind Captain America in this appearance is none other than Josh Keaton. Known as Marvel’s go-to voice actor for Chris Evans’ stand-in, Keaton previously portrayed a Steve Rogers variant without powers in What If…?. However, this marks his first time voicing the classic super-soldier version of the character. Notably, this isn’t Keaton’s only recent surprise cameo in a superhero animated show, having also portrayed Spider-Man Agent Spider on Invincible.
With director Jake Castrorena hinting at a “Marvel war” on the horizon and General Thaddeus Ross dropping a mention of the Hulk, it’s plausible that Cap and the Avengers could play a more significant role as X-Men ’97 progresses, airing Wednesdays on Disney Plus.