X-Men ’97‘s showrunner confirmed an Easter egg in the animated Marvel Studios series inspired by a scene featuring Henry Cavill’s Superman.

X-Men ’97 has had no shortage of nods to the greater Marvel universe, including a short look at the Watcher from What If…?. 

Marvel even delivered a tease hinting that Captain America would make an appearance in later episodes, filling out the animated saga even further when the Star-Spangled Avenger showed up in Episode 7.

X-Men ’97’s Superman Easter Egg

Former X-Men ’97 showrunner Beau DeMayo confirmed the inspiration behind a moment from Episode 6 featuring Storm was a scene from Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel.

X (formerly Twitter) user @ItsRicoSousa asked DeMayo whether Storm’s first flight after regaining her powers referenced Superman’s first flight in Zack Snyder’s DCEU Superman solo movie:

“Beau Demayo tell me this is a nod to the Supermans 1st Flight on ‘Man of Steel.'”

DeMayo responded with a confirmation of that Easter egg, saying “it is” as an answer to the aforementioned question.

The scene in question shows Storm regaining her powers after having them neutralized in Episode 2, flying through the air at incredible speeds and manifesting a new black costume for herself.

This visual is unquestionably similar to the scene in Man of Steel when Henry Cavill’s Superman flies for the first time after getting his Kryptonian red-and-blue suit.

This scene saw Cavill’s superhero blast through various landscapes on Earth, including a Safari wilderness where he flew by wild animals in the same way Storm did.

This is not the first time that Marvel Studios has referenced the DCEU, nor is it even the most blatant example.

2021’s Eternals takes that honor, with scenes that make both Batman and Superman officially canon within the Marvel Universe itself.

Where Will Storm Go in X-Men ’97?

With Storm stuck on the sidelines power-wise for nearly half of X-Men’ 97 Season 1, fans were thrilled to see the Omega-level heroine back in action after Episode 6.

However, the end of that episode quickly teased plenty of emotionally charged moments after she learned about the brutal attack on Genosha, which seemed to leave major mutant names such as Magneto and Gambit dead at the time.

This comes on top of Professor Xavier’s expectedly shocking return to Earth after terrifying visions teased imminent danger for his X-Men (see more about his supposed death here).

Now, fans wait for the final two episodes (part of a historic three-part finale for X-Men ’97), which should have Storm, Professor X, and the rest of the mutants facing their biggest challenges to date.