1
Credit: 20th Century Studios, MarvelMarvel’s upcoming X-Men project will make one of its lead characters non-binary, a report has confirmed.
According to the latest issue of Empire Magazine, Morph – a comedic shapeshifting mutant, often described in the comics as the only character to ever make Wolverine laugh – will be portrayed as non-binary in the new Disney+ series X-Men’97.
Empire claims that the animated series will feature a “lighter take on the character, who is non-binary and has an interesting buddy relationship with Wolverine.
This will mark the first time that Morph is portrayed as non-binary across any Marvel media as the studio seeks to promote diversity with the new project. However, Morph has always been able to transform into both male and female characters.
Related: Gender Is No More at Walt Disney World
Morph is set to be voiced by comedian J. P. Karliak, who famously also voices Wile E. Coyote in New Looney Tunes and the Boss Baby in the Netflix television series sequels to the animated films. The character’s design has been given a makeover for X-Men ’97, appearing closer to the “pale, hairless, and blankly-featured” version of the character seen in the “Age of Apocalypse” comic book storyline.
Meanwhile, Morphy’s original voice actor –Ron Rubin – will voice President Robert Edward Kelly. Other X-Men characters appearing in the show (which takes place outside the timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe) include Scott Summers/Cyclops (Ray Chase), Jean Grey (Jennifer Hale), Anna-Marie Raven/Rogue (Lenore Zann), and James ‘Logan’ Howlett/Wolverine (Cal Dodd).
The Disney+ homepage for X-Men ’97 also reveals that the show will be rated TV-14 (which is the television equivalent of PG-13). In comparison, the original animated X-Men series had a rating of TV-Y7. “This program contains material that most parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age,” the official description claims.
Related: New Gender-Fluid Minnie Mouse Enrages Huge Backlash From Disney Fans
A revival of X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Men ’97 is set to pick up where the original series left off and follow the X-Men as they face dangerous new challenges in the wake of losing their esteemed leader, Professor X. The first of its 10 episodes will premiere on Disney+ on March 20, 2024, with a second season already in development.