The creators of the upcoming X-Men ’97 series want to clarify that their decision to make Morph a nonbinary individual does not stem from the woke culture of modern society but rather from the figure’s own skills and powers.
The backlash on this character’s radical change was so severe that the original creators of X-Men: The Animated Series had to explain their side and illuminate fans who have been having confused thoughts about Morph’s portrayal. They also returned to give their input on the reboot.
X-Men ’97 Creative Heads Defend Morph As A Non-binary Character
During an interview with Variety, director Larry Houston claimed that being nonbinary is the same thing as being a shapeshifter, which is Morph’s signature power.
“For me, the word ‘nonbinary’ is the same as the word ‘shapeshifter.’ Every character that can change from one gender to another, or from human to animal, that’s just another word for ‘shapeshifter’ for me.”
Creator Eric Lewald gave a befitting example of Morph being a nonbinary character from the beginning. In the second season of X-Men: The Animated Series, Morph transformed himself into different female mutants (Rogue, Storm, and Jean Grey) to exact revenge on the X-Men.
“He attacks Wolverine, his closest friend, in the most dramatic way by turning into Jean Grey and putting his hand on Wolverine’s neck, and leaning in for a kiss. That’s as nonbinary as you can get. It’s Morph turning into a woman and coming onto Wolverine to freak him out. It was all there in Morph’s character.”
Lewald laments how this has been viewed negatively by fans. He claimed that they had no qualms labeling Morph as a nonbinary in the reboot because he has always been the same.
“Now it’s become such a social thing that I think people will be more sensitive to how it’s used. That’s the only difference. We didn’t see a problem in reading him and didn’t feel he was any different.”
X-Men ’97 director Jake Castorena also shared that he took a lot of inspiration from the original animated series and borrowed some of the original storyboards from 30 years ago, giving the reboot a fresh new paint for the fans.
X-Men ’97 Will Amp Up Two Overlooked Figures
As the upcoming series is fast approaching, executive producer Brad Winderbaum promised fans that two of the overlooked characters will finally get their moments to shine in the reboot. Speaking via Agents of Fandom, he said:
“I have to call out, especially in X-Men ’97, both Morph and Jubilee as being two characters that really get their due. They did in the OG series as well, but they certainly do in X-Men ’97.”
While Morph has already gotten the attention of fans ahead of the show’s release, Jubilee will also get her much-deserved attention. She was a prominent character in the original series, but as time went by, she has become less popular and less utilized in more recent Marvel projects.
X-Men ’97 arrives on Disney+ on March 20, 2024.
