X-Men ’97 continues the legacy of X-Men: The Animated Series, the influential 1990s cartoon that tackled prejudice, difference and complicated moral questions without talking down to younger viewers.
For Ross Marquand, who voices both Professor X and Apocalypse in the revival, that earlier series was personally transformative. The actor, known for The Walking Dead and Avengers: Infinity War, says the original cartoon inspired him to pursue acting after he connected with its outsider themes while being bullied and growing up as a self-described nerd involved in Boy Scouts and theatre.
One moment stayed particularly vivid: in season 1, episode 6, “Cold Vengeance”, Wolverine travels to Alaska, befriends a local tribe and then faces the return of Sabertooth. His despairing observation that there is “no peace” for him, not even there, resonated with Marquand during puberty and bullying. After completing the season, he decided he wanted to tell stories with the same emotional power.
That foundation carries into the second season, whose finale resolves the Apocalypse storyline while delivering unexpected and painful consequences. Marquand, Lenore Zann, who voices Rogue, and Adrian Hough, the voice of Nightcrawler, discussed four pivotal elements from the season.
Warning: Full spoilers for X-Men ’97 season 2 follow.
1. Professor X and Apocalypse clash over empathy
Earlier in the season, Professor X and other mutants travel through time and encounter En Sabah Nur before he becomes Apocalypse. Their journey ends with Magneto’s brutal murder, giving the final confrontation a history that stretches back thousands of years.
Marquand sees Apocalypse’s attack on Charles Xavier as more than ordinary villainous taunting. Apocalypse argues that Xavier’s compassion for his students and his instinct to put others first are precisely what will defeat him. In Marquand’s interpretation, Apocalypse believes empathy cannot save the world and intends to prove that idealism is fundamentally mistaken.
That opposition reflects the core divide between the characters: Xavier believes everyone deserves an opportunity and that cooperation matters, while Apocalypse considers himself superior and rejects that shared responsibility.
2. One actor, two radically different mutants
Marquand initially approached Xavier and Apocalypse as two sides of the same mutant conflict, but performing both characters in rapid succession proved difficult. The voices required different sounds, energies and mental approaches, so he eventually recorded each role separately, taking time to reset between them.
“You really have to take a moment, recenter yourself, and do each voice individually,” Marquand explains.
For Apocalypse, he combined the Shakespearean quality associated with the late John Colicos’s performance in the original series with an influence from Jesse Ventura. Marquand also drew on the abrasive atmosphere of bands including Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy and Cannibal Corpse.
The result was intended to give Apocalypse a resonant, warbling authority while preserving his malice and sense of superiority. Xavier, by contrast, is grounded in the belief that people must care for one another and be given a fair chance.
3. Rogue, Gambit and the relationship that divided viewers
The finale brings Gambit, voiced by A. J. LoCascio, back from the dead and frees him from Apocalypse’s influence. His return follows Rogue’s controversial season 1 decision to choose Magneto, voiced by Matthew Waterson, over Gambit, who died during the attack on Genosha.
Lenore Zann was surprised when she first encountered Rogue and Magneto’s history in the scripts. After learning that the relationship had comic-book precedent, she viewed the choice as a way to add conflict and unpredictability rather than allowing Rogue and Remy to resolve everything easily. Marvel’s overview of Rogue and Magneto’s relationship history provides further context.
Zann says Rogue’s decision was also tied to her desire to help establish Genosha as a mutant refuge. However, after dancing with Magneto, Rogue understands that her bond with Gambit reaches beyond physical contact. She regards Remy as her soulmate, and the pair are finally reunited just before the story’s next catastrophe unfolds.
That reunion gives the love triangle a resolution, but not a simple happy ending. The genocide on Genosha leaves the relationship surrounded by grief and raises the cost of Rogue’s choices.
4. Nightcrawler makes the ultimate sacrifice
Although Nightcrawler appeared in only two episodes of the original animated series, Adrian Hough never forgot the part. He continued mentioning it to his voice agent for years, even after being told that nobody cared about a 25-year-old cartoon. Around two years before the interview, Hough was asked to audition using Nightcrawler’s dialogue and ultimately returned to the role three decades after the character’s first appearance.
In X-Men ’97, Nightcrawler’s religious and spiritual perspective often makes him the character entrusted with philosophical or soulful material.
The season 2 finale may mark the end of Hough’s long journey with the character. Nightcrawler makes a deal with a Celestial and gives up his life so the X-Men can defeat Apocalypse. Rogue had made a similar bargain, and Nightcrawler takes her place, allowing Rogue and Gambit to remain together.
“You don’t like to see that when you come and read a script,” Hough says of discovering that Nightcrawler would sacrifice himself and enter the void.
Hough does not know whether Nightcrawler will return, leaving that decision to the writers and directors. Superhero deaths are rarely permanent, but the finale deliberately leaves his fate unresolved.
A legacy still built for the arcade age
The continuing interest in these characters shows why the original series remains such a strong influence on animation, comics and superhero games. For readers exploring the broader world of arcade culture, RETROCADE’s Arcade Blog covers gaming news and industry stories, while the arcade machine range offers a way to bring classic play into an Australian games room. Those planning a custom setup can compare options in the Arcade Machine Buying Guide or explore DIY arcade kits.
X-Men ’97 is streaming on Disney Plus.
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