NerdLeaks readers, take this with a pinch of salt: X-Men '97 Season 2's fifth episode, titled "Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs," allegedly left a clear breadcrumb that could point to the arrival of X-23 — aka Laura Kinney. Per Game Rant, the sequence in question is a montage of DVD files discovered at a Weapon X facility, and one of those files explicitly references X-23.
What Was Reported
According to Game Rant, Season 2 Episode 5 of X-Men '97 sees Wolverine and Morph breaking into a Weapon X facility alongside several of the program's former test subjects, including Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike. While searching the facility, Morph combs through multiple DVD files left by the scientists. Those files include references to characters like Ajax, Fantomex, and Silverfox, but the most notable name that appears is X-23 — the clone daughter of Wolverine.
Game Rant also reports other Easter eggs in the same episode: a DVD referencing the Winter Soldier and cameos made possible by Morph's powers, including transformations into the Thing and Spider-Man that mirror designs from '90s cartoons.
The Source & Credibility
We're flagging the facts as Game Rant laid them out: the explicit mention of X-23 appears inside the episode in question, and the sequence is tied to the Weapon X facility setting. Game Rant documents that Morph finds DVD files that name-drop multiple characters, including X-23. That is a concrete, on-screen detail rather than mere hearsay.
That said, take this with a pinch of salt. Game Rant notes the reference could be a simple Easter egg or a deliberate tease for future episodes. The outlet describes the reference as a possible hint rather than a confirmed casting or storyline shift. We at NerdLeaks are treating the mention as an intriguing piece of evidence — notable and worth watching — but not proof that X-23 will appear in an expanded capacity.
What It Could Mean
If true, a nod to X-23 inside a Weapon X archive could serve several purposes. On the smallest scale, it could be a respectful Easter egg for longtime comics and animated-series fans: X-23 first appeared in a 2003 episode of X-Men: Evolution, with a comic debut in NYX less than a year after that TV appearance. On a larger scale, the mention might be setting up a future appearance or storyline for Laura Kinney — whether as a cameo, a one-off reveal, or a more significant role later in the season.
Per Game Rant, the show has already featured a number of modern-era comics characters and is adapting stories published after the original animated series ended on Fox. The show has also been using Morph's shapeshifting for cameos (noted examples: the Thing and Spider-Man), so an archival reference becoming a live appearance would fit an established pattern.
However, the outlet is careful to remind readers that the reference might simply be a quick Easter egg — a nod to the wider Marvel mythos that doesn’t necessarily signal an imminent arrival. If the writers intended a tease, it could be one of several seeds already planted for the rest of the season; Game Rant mentions the creators have set up threads involving Apocalypse, Kang, and Gambit that may still play out.
Why This Matters
Whether the X-23 reference is a wink or a warning, it matters because Laura Kinney has grown into a major figure across comics, games, and film. Per Game Rant, she has appeared in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and in films such as Logan and Deadpool & Wolverine. Bringing her into X-Men '97 — if that is what the DVD hint is pointing to — would broaden the series' roster and present new storytelling directions for a show that has already mined decades of X-Men material.
For now, we’ll be watching future episodes closely. Take the mention of X-23 as a tantalizing clue: potentially huge if it pans out, easily ignorable if it doesn’t. Either way, Episode 5 is packed with references that suggest the creative team is deliberately weaving modern X-Men threads into the animated series' fabric — and we’ll be on the lookout for whether any of those threads lead to Laura Kinney.
