Photo of myself with Gui Agustini (Sunspot) The Xavierite
When the annual Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) came around, I was presented with a unique opportunity: interviewing the cast of Marvel Studios’ “X-Men ‘97.”
Before I go into these interviews, I would like to extend my thanks to both Unknown Comics and JP Karliak, the voice of Morph. Thanks to them, I was able to have such experiences that have changed my perspective on journalism.
One of the biggest questions that I had for the talents was what they thought about the massive fan appraisal of the show. I asked this because a few of the voice actors and actresses took over for people who previously played them in “X-Men: the Animated Series.”
The new voice of Gambit, A.J. LoCascio, stated, “The fact that I’m now part of it is like I somehow jumped on the other side of the fence and now I’m the exhibit at Jurassic Park.” He continued by saying, “it’s very surreal.”
Something I asked returning cast members was how it felt coming back. Previously, “X-Men: the Animated Series” concluded nearly thirty years ago.
“It was kind of special, you know, to be coming back so, so much later,” stated Adrian Hough, the voice of Nightcrawler. Hough later mentioned that it is at the conventions that he not only gets to see the fans, but also gets to see his fellow costars.
I decided to ask some of the stars about how it went recording dialogue. Interestingly enough, the cast does not record lines together. Instead, each member sat with director, Emi-Emmett Yonemura, and a few sound engineers, going back and forth with dialogue.
“You don’t really get the gravity of it until you see it come out and meet all the people,” Karliak stated. “Our (casting) director Merideth is just really awesome at creating those individual puzzle pieces that fit together so well that it feels like we’re having a very emotional conversation right next to each other,” Karliak continued.
Professor X actor, Ross Marquand, revealed that most of the cast isn’t from the United States, and that is a big reason why they rarely see each other in-person. However, he thanked Unknown Comics for being the group that brings the X-Men together every few months at conventions.
Although it isn’t necessarily related to X-Men, Marquand is a well-known voice impressionist. Four years ago, at C2E2 2021, he impersonated Jeff Bridges’ Dude from “the Big Lebowski,” something I have cherished for years. However, now he spoke in a nearly spot-on impression of President Trump. In the moment, it sent chills down my spine.
Something that’s always crossed my mind is the question: what other Marvel characters would the X-Men want to see their characters alongside? I got Alison Sealy-Smith, the voice of Storm, to answer this question.
“I know that in the comics, she has this relationship with T’Challa, and I don’t think it’s explored in any animated series so far,” Sealy-Smith stated. After researching, I found that this is true.
After I asked her all of my questions, she made a suggestion for Marvel: an X-Men Animated Film. Honestly, it is an amazing idea. “X-Men ‘97” was one of the highest rated Marvel series ever, and the amount of fans that watched it was astronomical.
The only issue, though, is timing. Currently, the series is set to have three seasons, but there is no word as to when season two will release. Regardless, though, I believe that fans would be drawn to the movie theatre, considering the love for the writing of the characters.
I wish I could have gotten more interviews. On top of the experience being a start to my professional career, it was genuinely fun. It was like a genuine conversation with each and every cast member, from fan to fan.
I am hoping that in the near future I cross paths once again with the talents of the uncanny X-Men. They are amazing people, and if you ever get the chance to meet them, I would love you to do so.
If you would like to see the full-length interviews and more, you can do so here!