Apart from a packed movie calendar, 2024 looks to be the year for Marvel to give animation more importance. The popular 90s show X-Men: The Animated Series saw a revival on Disney+ as X-Men ’97, which premiered on the platform in March. Taking off from where its predecessor ended, the show comprises of 10 episodes that follows the famous mutants on dangerous new missions after the loss of their leader, Professor X.
One of the characters who featured in a regular supporting role in the comics and the original series, was Kurt Wagner aka Nightcrawler. Despite not always being a central figure in the narrative, the mutant has always been considered pivotal to the plot line. In the revival series, his affinity to the show’s directors was amply proved in his introductory appearance in a key episode.
This Powerful Mutant Holds A Soft Spot With Directors
Kurt Wagner aka Nightcrawler has been an integral part of the X-Men franchise from the comics to live-action adaptations. He was introduced in the comic book Giant-Size X-Men #1 in the edition of May 1975 and featured in the 1990 X-Men: The Animated Series and its successors before being portrayed by Alan Cumming in 2003’s X2.
A younger version of the character was played by Kodi Smit-McPhee in X-Men: Apocalypse, Deadpool 2, and Dark Phoenix. Known to possess an X-gene that can cause physical mutations, Nightcrawler’s powers include superhuman agility, the ability to teleport, and adhesive hands and feet.
Despite being considered more of a supporting character in the X-Men saga, Nightcrawler has been a favorite among many directors, a fact that was evident in 2024’s X-Men ‘97, which is a reboot of the original series in the 90s. Directors Chase Conley and Emi Yonemura spoke to Cinema Blend about why this character always excited them when they were envisioning the series created by Beau DeMayo.
The mutant is introduced in episode 5 of the show when he is revealed to have joined the Council of Genosha to work with the nation’s various communities of faith at the behest of Magneto. His inclusion is significant as he is also known to be a highly religious person, which is evident in later editions of the comics.
This episode also signals the demise of Gambit who heroically sacrifices his life by blowing up one of the Prime Sentinals during the brutal war against the mutants. Earlier though, the character who is known to be cautious and sceptical, was seen welcoming Nightcrawler into the fold, which Yonemura believed was an important moment that heralded a possible pride of place for him in the future.
There was something very important that we were trying to establish that if Gambit is welcoming to his friend, that the audience… not to say Nightcrawler wouldn’t be a fan-favorite because he obviously is, but that if even Gambit is welcoming of this character, it gets you excited for, ‘What does that mean for the future? What does that mean for the future team roster? What’s going on here?’
Conley meanwhile, had his own glowing opinions about the character and why he believed that he deserved to be a more recognized member of the mutant family.
I’ve always loved Nightcrawler. He’s a great addition in Giant-Sized X-Men [#1]. It’s just cool. Like Rogue, the tragedy of what it is to be a mutant. ‘Oh, I just long for touch, but I can’t physically touch anybody.’ You know what I mean?
The director also spoke about the character’s other dichotomies, including the fact that his fearful looks belied his caring demeanor. These opposing factors made him a very interesting personality whose nuances could be explored in different ways in the storyline.
How X-Men ‘97 Is Paying Tribute To The Original Series
X-Men ‘97, which released in March 2024 on Disney+, received a lot of love from audiences and critics over 10 episodes that created a lot of positive talking points. The series, which is aptly named owing to the original show which ran from 1992 to 1997, also worked perfectly as a fitting tribute to its predecessor in many ways.
To begin with, the series continues from where the 1997 show ends, and follows the narrative of the X-Men who face dangerous new challenges after the loss of their leader, Professor Xavier. The animated work also took the decision to showcase the specific charm and vibe of the 90s, including the incorporation of the 2D animation style that was integral to the original show.
In addition, many actors who were involved in voicing the characters in X-Men: The Animated Series, were roped in for its revival as well. Some of these stars include Cal Dodd, who originally played Wolverine, Lenore Zann, who voiced Rogue, and George Buza, who portrayed Beast.
If there is any more proof needed regarding how well the show has been received, one only needs to look at its highly impressive Rotten Tomatoes rating. The series earned a 99% critics rating and a 94% audience rating, making it one of the most successful shows of the year thus far.
X-Men ‘97 is streaming on Disney+
