‘X-Men ’97’ Cast and Character Guide: Who Voices Your Favorite Mutant?
“X-Men ‘97” is finally here.
Less a reboot of the popular animated series, sometimes known as “X-Men: The Animated Series” (which ran from 1992 to 1997), this is a straight continuation. It seamlessly picks up the stories and characters from the earlier Fox afternoon show, updating the look of the characters slightly and the concerns of prejudice that they now face. The first two episodes are streaming now on Disney+, with further episodes to debut weekly.
Which Characters Are in “X-Men ’97?”
The X-Men are a group of mutants who band together to fight the forces of darkness, whether that’s discrimination and prejudice or some kind of evil extraterrestrial force. The characters were created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, first appearing in Marvel Comics’ “The X-Men” #1, published in September 1963.
The characters are so omnipresent, appearing in live-action movies, videogames and other mediums, that you probably already know who they are. But the “X-Men” animated series that “X-Men ‘97” is based off of/continues, was a big reason for their cultural footprint being what it is today. The series ran for five years and 76 episodse, appearing in syndication, reruns and on streaming ever since.
The characters are led by Cyclops, who blasts powerful laser beams out of his eyes (an “optic blast” if you will); and include Wolverine, who has an adamantium skeleton and the power to heal; Rogue, a young girl who can absorb your powers; Storm, who can control weather (and who, fun fact, in the comic books marries the Black Panther and becomes queen of Wakanda); Beast, a super-nerdy scientist who also has great strength; Gambit, who has “bio-kinetic energy” and can power up everyday objects like playing cards; Jubilee, who has “pyrotechnic energy” and shoots fireworks out of her hands; Jean Grey, who has telekinetic powers and was once possessed by an aforementioned extraterrestrial force.
On this new show they are also joined by Morph, who can shape-shift into other mutants; Bishop, a time-traveler from the future; and are led by Magneto, who can control metal psychically.
Who is in the “X-Men ’97” cast?
Meet your mutants:
• Ray Chase as Scott Summers / Cyclops
• Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey
• Alison Sealy-Smith as Ororo Munroe/Storm
• Cal Dodd as Logan / Wolverine
• J. P. Karliak as Morph
• Lenore Zann as Rogue
• George Buza as Henry McCoy / Beast
• A. J. LoCascio as Remy LeBeau / Gambit
• Holly Chou as Jubilation Lee / Jubilee
• Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop
• Matthew Waterson as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto
• Adrian Hough as Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler
Who returns from the original series?
A lot of folks! Cathal J. Todd, Lenore Zann, Alison Sealy-Smith and George Buza, all return from the original series. Alyson Court, who played Jubilee in the original series, opted not to return, asking for a Chinese-American actress to assume the character. However, in a fun twist, Court will play a variant of Jubilee. The multiverse!
Is the new show as good as the old show?
It is actually. The animation is gorgeous, definitely a step-up from the iconic earlier animation style, and the action set pieces are phenomenal. (There’s a moment in an early episode when Wolverine is carrying Gambit on his back and Gambit energizes Wolverine’s adamantium claws that will have you stand up and cheer.)
But it’s not just about how cool “X-Men ‘97” is.
Tonally, “X-Men ‘97” is even more sophisticated, which isn’t surprising given the allegorical heft that the characters have always carried. If you’ve ever felt like an outcast, you’ll have something to identify with.
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