Christmas comes early for Marvel fans. And if…? returns for its third and final season, with daily episodes from December 22 to Christmas Day, just as it did in 2023. But that is not the only gift that the animated anthology has in store for us, since the new season will feature two new additions to the MCU. According to Matt Chauncey, head of history at And if Season 3, a character is known to Marvel fansand his cameo will mark his “long-awaited debut in the MCU.”

When Chauncey teased the reveal at this year’s LightBox Expo, many fans guessed the character would be a member of the X-Men or the Fantastic Four. They didn’t have to wait long for confirmation: Marvel released the official Season 3 trailer at the D23 convention, introducing new versions of characters like Agatha Harkness, Shang-Chi, and the most powerful member of the X-Men team, Storm. She can be seen in the final moments of the trailer, and here, she is more than just an X-Man, but apparently her universe’s version of Thor.

That Storm wields Mjolnir, Thor’s magic hammer, is a deep reference to a great Marvel comic. Storm once used her own enchanted hammer, Stormcaster, in a handful of comic stories, but in 2011 X-Men: Serve and Protect #3, he had the opportunity to use Mjolnir alongside Thor. For some, that was proof enough of her worth: like Captain America and other noble heroes, she should be able to wield the hammer herself. That said, And if It will be the first time we see her become the Goddess of Thunder of her own free will.

Storm’s next appearance in And if is also based on the impulse of X-Men ’97the acclaimed but non-canonical sequel to Marvel’s original X-Men series. Although And if will feature a version of the character from an alternate reality, this Storm will be voiced by Alison Sealy-Smith, who has played the character on and off for the past 20 years. His tenure as Storm began with X-Men’The second season of 1993, when she replaced original voice actress Iona Morris, and has since become one of the definitive versions of the character.

And if has become an intriguing springboard for lesser-used Marvel characters. Season 2 introduction his first original character, Kahhori (Devery Jacobs), before her debut in the comics, and there’s a feeling that season 3 may do the same with Storm, at least as far as the MCU is concerned. Their appearance in the animated series seems like a hint of what’s to come: Marvel has been teasing the X-Men’s debut in the MCU for years, since casual comments about mutants in Ms. Marvel to full cameos in doctor strange 2.

An X-Men movie hasn’t been officially announced, but hopefully it’s just a matter of time. Another Sealy-Smith appearance is always welcome, but a live-action X-Men update is likely on everyone’s wish list this year. We haven’t seen Storm in action since a minor role in the terrible dark phoenix, and now that he’s enjoying an animated Renaissance, it would be nice to see the character return to live-action glory as well.

And if…? Season 3 premieres December 22 on Disney+.