Before the premiere of X-Men ’97, it was announced that Theo James, the star of Netflix’s The Gentlemen, would provide the voice of “a fan-favorite character” on the series. And during the events of this week’s episode, “Bright Eyes,” James’ role was finally revealed to fans… and his importance to the remaining episodes of Season 1 may have been underplayed by X-Men ’97’s creative team.
Warning: the following contains spoilers from the latest episode of X-Men ’97 on Disney+. If you haven’t seen the installment or don’t want to know what happens, stop reading now.
Sharp-eyed viewers may have caught a glimpse of James’ character in the fourth episode, “Lifedeath 1,” when he appeared in a picture on Forge’s wall. But now, Bastion stands revealed as the true mastermind behind the mutant massacre on Genosha, as well as Operation: Zero Tolerance, an initiative that has created advanced human Sentinels.
In the comics, Bastion was the fusion of Master Mold and Nimrod after they were forced through a mystical object called the Siege Perilous. When Bastion returned to Earth in a human body, he launched the Prime Sentinel program and systematically targeted the X-Men and their allies. That history is seemingly repeating itself on the show, although Bastion’s alliance with Mister Sinister is new.
The seventh episode confirmed that Gambit died during the assault on Genosha, but it also revealed that Magneto survived and is now a prisoner of Bastion. Additionally, Bastion now has proof that the X-Men lied about Charles Xavier’s death, and he may use that to discredit them before unleashing his “masterpiece” against them.
X-Men ’97’s three-part season finale, “Tolerance is Extinction,” will begin on Wednesday, May 1.
