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X-Men'97 producer-director Jake Castorena recently spoke to Inverse about the show and warned fans who are hoping to find Cassandra Nova in the series. He hinted that Nova is not likely to be the chief villain in the current plotline. At the same time, the villains, as per the plot of the series, will be interesting. He said:
“I wouldn't get my hopes up for Cassandra Nova being a huge villain in our show. But what I will say is, I don't think people will be disappointed with our choices.”
Castorena spoke to the media platform along with episode directors Emi Yonemura and Chase Conley after the release of X-Men'97 episode 5 on April 10, 2024. The events of episode 5 drove many fans to expect Cassandra Nova's entry into the show.
X-Men'97 is currently streaming on Disney+. The series, which premiered on March 20, 2024, is set to present the plight of the X-Men after the demise of their leader, Charles Xavier, and Magneto as the new in-charge. The series is also focusing on the upheavals in the interpersonal relationships within the team.
Cassandra Nova is not part of X-Men'97, as per Jake Castorena
As mentioned before, director-producer Castorena asked viewers not to hope for Cassandra's entry in the series, even though he likes the character for the evil she depicts.
"I like Cassandra Nova for what she ultimately boils down to."
Castorena further assured X-Men'97 fans that the villains to be presented in the show will not disappoint, even if they are not Cassandra.
On the other hand, director Emi Yonemura declared that she loved Cassandra Nova for various reasons. For one, Cassandra is a challenge for Xavier and brings a higher level of tension into the story. Yonemura also likes the character design.
Yonemura said:
"I think what's so nice about using the original series and the comics for where we start [is that it] gives us so many options with so many rich characters like Cassandra to get to play with."
Who is Cassandra Nova in the Marvel Comics?
As per Marvel, Cassandra Nova is the twin sister of Charles Xavier. She was conceived without a body but copied Charles' DNA to develop one for herself inside the womb. As she developed along with Xavier, she decided to strangle her brother with the umbilical cord.
Charles used a psychic blast to defend himself, causing their mother to miscarry and Cassandra's body to remain in the "stillbirth" form. After hanging on to the chaotic cellular mass for decades, Cassandra rebuilt her body and human-like traits.
After getting her form, Cassandra went on a mission to destroy Charles Xavier and everything he worked for or cared for. This included his X-men.
As per the Shi'ar legend, Cassandra was the astral opposite of Charles, known as "mummudrai." These are alien parasitic species born on the astral plane without a body and looking for one. As per the legend, every human faces their mummudrai within the womb before birth.
In the comics, she caused a genocide in X-Mansion by forcing a Trask to send a pair of Sentinels to kill the mutants. She also exchanged her mind with her brother's. However, Emma Frost unknowingly broke Cassandra's body, which had Charles' mind trapped in it.
Cassandra, housing inside Charles' body, shot what seemed to be Cassandra's body but, in actuality, killed Charles trapped there. She moved on to cause more chaos in her attempt to eliminate the mutants.
Is Cassandra Nova part of the MCU?
While Cassandra Nova will not make an appearance in X-Men'97, she is being featured in the upcoming movie Deadpool & Wolverine. Produced by Marvel Studios, the 34th movie in the MCU presents the unusual collaboration and friendship between the mutant hero, Wolverine, and the merc with a mouth. Deadpool & Wolverine is set to hit theaters on July 26, 2024.
Since the movie is part of MCU Phase 5, any characters appearing in it will belong to MCU canon. This new turn of events brings Cassandra Nova, played by Emma Corrin, into the MCU. Whether she may appear in other MCU projects remains to be seen.
What caused fans to predict Cassandra Nova's entry in X-Men'97?
Episode 5 of X-Men'97 presented events where a group of Sentinels attacked Genosha, led by a rebuilt Wild Sentinel Master Mold. Many mutants were apparently killed in the battle, including Magneto and Madelyne.
In the ensuing mayhem, Gambit decided to sacrifice himself to save Genosha. He destroyed the Wild Sentinel Master Mold, but got killed in the process. While this stopped the genocide, Rogue was broken, and the X-Men in the X-Mansion were shocked to hear this.
The genocide by Sentinels in the series, induced by the Wild Sentinel Master Mold, may seem similar to the genocide by Wild Sentinels in the comics, as discussed earlier. In the comics, Cassandra Nova was the planner behind the genocide, leading fans to expect the same in the series. However, she is not the one responsible for the genocide here.
To know more about the event, catch the next episode of X-Men'97 on Disney+ on April 17, 2024.
